Ingredients: CRUST 300g/2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 30g/1/4 cup corn (maize)meal (medium ground) 3 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 113g/1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 55g/1/4 cup nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening frozen, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4 tablespoons (or more) ice water GLAZE 2 teacups (or handfuls) washed fresh lemon verbena leaves 1 vanilla pod 450g/2 cups sugar 120ml/1/2 cup water FILLING 750g/5 cups fresh black currants (about 27 ounces) 175ml/3/4 cup lemon verbena glaze 120g/1/2 cup caster sugar 30g/1/4 cup cornstarch Milk (for brushing) 1 1/2 tablespoon raw sugar

Directions: FOR CRUST 1. Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in processor. 2. Add butter and shortening; blitz on and off until mixture resembles coarse meal. 3. Add 4 tablespoons ice water and blend just until moist clumps begin to form 4. Gather dough into ball. 5. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into disk. 6. Wrap disks separately in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. FOR GLAZE Put all ingredients into saucepan and slowly heat just until sugar dissolves and creates a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool and steep for 2 hours (or longer if you can, the longer you steep the more pronounced the flavour) Strain leaves and pod. Reserve syrup for glaze. FOR FILLING 1. Combine black currants, lemon verbena glaze, sugar, cornstarch in large bowl; toss to blend. 2. Let stand at room temperature until juices begin to form, about 30 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 200c/400ºF. 4. Place rimmed baking sheet in bottom of oven. 5. Roll out 1 dough disk between 2 sheets of generously floured parchment paper to 12-inch round. 6. Peel off top parchment sheet; invert dough into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. 7. Carefully peel off second parchment sheet. 8. Gently press dough into pie dish, pressing any cracks together as needed to seal and leaving dough overhang. 9. Spoon filling into piecrust. 10. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of generously floured parchment paper to 12-inch round. 11. Peel off top parchment sheet. Carefully and evenly invert dough atop filling. 12. Peel off second parchment sheet. 13. Trim overhang of both crusts to 1 inch. 14. Fold overhang under and press to seal. 15. Crimp edges. 16. Cut five 2-inch-long slits in top crust of pie to allow steam to escape during baking. 17. Lightly brush top crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle with raw sugar. 18. Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 175c/350ºF and continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling thickly through slits, about 1 hour 15 minutes. 19. Cool pie completely on rack. 20. Serve with scoops of ice cream, custard, or whipped cream.