Block Party Blackberry Pie from Lessons in Chemistry

My first post in this series focused on the lasagna in Lessons in Chemistry. Actually, that was the fifth recipe I’d made from the show. I began my cook-through first by making the pie crust from Chemistry, cleverly called “A-PIE-ogenesis”, then used it in three of the dishes: Block Party Blackberry Pie, The Garden Galette, and Chicken Pot Pie. Each of these pies serves a purpose in the show’s arc connecting Elizabeth Zott to the people for whom she makes them. This post focuses on the blackberry pie.

It took me until watching the show to understand what “A-PIE-ogenesis” was referencing: abiogenesis, a scientific theory on the origins of all life on Earth. This is the subject of Zott’s academic research, which is repeatedly stonewalled and hamstrung by the fragile, misogynist men she works with, who doubt her intelligence and abilities because she’s a woman, and sexually harass her. In the same way, A-PIE-ogenesis is the beginning of a glorious pie, or more accurately, three glorious pies. The recipe from the show makes two pie crusts, and conveniently, two of the three pies use both.

The first recipe I made was the blackberry pie, which Zott makes in a short sequence in episode 4, for a block party hosted by her neighbors. One of those neighbors, Charlie Sloane, whose wife Harriet is a close friend of Zott, sees the pie and wonders if he’ll be shown up in his own home. Zott only smiles and suggests he may not want to serve it. It’s a big hit with the joyful crowd, and Zott meets another crucial character, Reverend Wakely, over slices of it. He’s connected with another subplot in the show of Zott’s daughter Mad researching her father’s past.

Harriet’s arc in the series ties into local history. A lawyer, she fights to stop a new portion of the Santa Monica Freeway from being built through their predominately Black neighborhood, Sugar Hill. This culminates in a dramatic, heart-wrenching protest scene in episode 6 where Black protestors are violently arrested - one woman pleading “We just want to save our homes!” - while the White ones, including Zott, are left alone to watch in despair.

Despite fierce opposition, the motion to expand the freeway passed, reflecting Sugar Hill’s real fate. I had no idea that an entire neighborhood of upper class Black families was displaced by the construction of a portion of freeway. Oh, but they put up a sign marking where it was, so it’s fine… /s

This is how my pie turned out. For my first attempt, I thought it was okay despite obvious mistakes made. I used the right size pan and formed the crust properly, but my distribution of the butter needed work. I also forgot to weave the lattice, so I had to re-do it. After trimming the crust, I discovered a new cook’s treat: fold the scraps into disks or tear them into pieces, and pan-fry them. The butter in them means they’ll fry and become golden and crispy. If you’ve ever had Bannock bread (the Indigenous American kind, not the British/Irish bread), it’s a lot like that.

The recipe tells you to cook it for 45 to 50 minutes. I started with 45, but it needed the extra five. The bottom crust didn’t cook as well. I think this is due to where the oven racks were positioned, away from the bottom element, so it didn’t get enough heat there. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until the summer to make this. The recipe says you can use frozen blackberries. I imagine the same kind of crust can be applied to any fruit really. Blueberries, blackberries, apple, peaches, the possibilities are endless.

If you want to make this recipe yourself, you can get it on the official website here.

Images from Lessons in Chemistry are the property of Apple TV+. All other photographs are the property of Ate Bit Culinarian.