a little taste of thai

Ingredients:

- 1/4 c. fresh thyme leaves, or another chopped herb, such as dill, basil, marjoram, or tarragon, or a mixture
- 1.5 c. flour, plus a little more for rolling out the dough
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 9 tbsp. all-vegetable shortening, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (you can also use unsalted butter, if that tickles your fancy, or 6 tbsp. butter and 3 tbsp. shortening)
-  3 tbsp. ice water, or more as needed

Directions:

Place the herbs in a food processer and pulse briefly to mince. (I usually just throw everything in a bowl and use my electric mixer.) Add the flour, salt, shortening, and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal.

With the mixer running, add the ice water and process to combine, about 5 seconds. When the dough forms a ball, it is ready. If it is not moist enough to form a ball, add an additional tablespoon of ice water and process briefly. (It’s very important not to over-work the dough, otherwise it will get all tough and it will lose its light and flaky texture.)

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form it into a flat disk, patting it just enough to hold it together. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. The wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the frozen dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.

Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it. If it was refrigerated for more than 1 hour, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a round about 1/8 inch thick and 2 inches larger than the pie plate.

Fold the dough in half or drape it over the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the pie plate and brush off any excess flour. If there are holes or cracks, patch them with small bits of the overhanging dough or press the dough back together. Trim the dough with a pair of kitchen scissors, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the edge under to form a double layer and crimp or flute it.