Apple Pandowdy

Make Plain Paste.

Heat oven to 375F. Heat maple syrup in small saucepan to boiling; boil uncovered until candy thermometer registers 250F (hard ball stage), about 10 minutes. Place pan in bowl of ice water. Stir syrup until it turns completely granular. Combine with apples, salt pork, flour cinnamon and pepper in medium-size bowl. Pour into deep 9 1/2-inch pie pan or 1-quart shallow baking dish with lip.

Roll Plain Paste on lightly floured board to circle 1 inch larger than inverted pie pan. Fold into quarters; cut steam vents; unfold over apples. Trim pastry flush with edge of pan. Roll pastry scraps into 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips with pastry wheel. Beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl until foamy. Brush edge of pie with egg-white mixture. Arrange strips around edge of pie, overlapping slightly; press lightly with tines of fork to seal. Brush top with egg-white mixture; sprinkle with sugar.

Bake pie on baking sheet just until juices begin to bubble through steam vents, about 1 hour. To serve, break up crust into small pieces with fork. Spoon crust and apples into serving dishes. Serve warm.