Watermelon surplus?

At this time of year you can spot watermelons at every greengrocer, supermarket and even at confectioneries! The huge green fruit with a refreshing red pulp is a plus in our kitchen and helps us create various sweet dishes and also savory ones.

Inspired by a recipe in an Italian food magazine, my month-old husband created a watermelon and pistachio pie.

Watermelon & pistachio pie

Ingredients for 10 persons:

• 300g flour for pastry
• 150g butter
• 120g granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tblsp red Martini
• 1/2 tsp yeast for sweets
• 1 lemon
• a drop of vanilla essence
• 2kg watermelon
• 70g cornflour
• 90g cane sugar
• 40g unsalted pistachios, peel removed
• 80g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

Start preparing the pastry by sifting the flour and yeast on the working top. Add the butter, cut into pieces and work together with the flour. Add the sugar, egg yolks, Martini, vanilla essence, grated lemon rind and work out swiftly into a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.

Roll out the dough on a baking paper and transfer into a baking dish of 28cm diameter. Pull the dough to cover the sides of the dish as well. Pierce the base with a fork, cover with another sheet of baking paper, put on a handful or two of dried beans and cook in a pre-heated oven of 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool then brush the base with the melted dark chocolate.

Following, pass through the sieve the watermelon pulp until you have 800ml of liquid. In a saucepan, put in the cornflour and half of the watermelon liquid. Mix well with the hand whisker. Pour in the remaining liquid and the cane sugar and bring to boil but keep on mixing until you obtain a creamy texture.

Pour the watermelon jelly into the pastry leveling it out with the back of a spoon and put pie in the fridge for 2 hours. Just before serving add the pistachios on top.