The tourtière, also known as cipâte is a typical Christmas dish from Quebec. This meat pie is for many people “La Creme de la Creme” of the meat pies, and… What better time than Christmas Holidays/ New Year’s Eve to cook it!
* If you don’t eat meat you can make your vegetarian option by changing the meat for vegetables.
After researching about the recipe and the origins of this dish, I’ve decided to share with you the recipe of hiddenponies.com .It seems to be an authentic homemade Canadian pie, and also the most palatable one!
* This dish needs 24 hours and 40 minutes of preparation.
* The author of this recipe is: Anna Nienhuis, hiddenponies.com
Ingredients for 6-8 people:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs ground pork
1½ cups beef stock
3 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped celery
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp summer savory or thyme
¼ tsp cloves
1 cup breadcrumbs
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
Pastry for a double-crust 9” or 10” pie, homemade or store bought
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp water
Preparation:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Cook the pork for 7-10 minutes, spinning, until it is no longer pink.
Drain the fat.
Add the broth, onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, salt, cinnamon, pepper, cloves and aromatic herbs to the skillet.
Reduce the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. (Approximately 35 – 45 min or until 2 tablespoons of liquid remain).
Add the bread crumbs and the parsley.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture until it is cold. (1-2 days is ideal)
Once the mixture is cold, prepare the dough for the base of the cake, on a lightly floured surface; Stretch with the kitchen roller.
Once the dough is prepared, introduce it into the baking dish (it must be deep), and fill with the mixture leaving the ends protruding from the container (to later join with the other part of dough that will cover the pie).
Stretch the dough to the top on a lightly floured surface, just as it has been done for the base of the pie.
Once prepared, cover the meat with the dough and join the edges of the lower and upper dough to form a seal.
Mix the egg with water and spread on the dough.
Make a few small cuts on the top of the cake (steam exits).
Bake 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or until the dough is toasted.
Cool it for 10 minutes
Enjoy this delicious Canadian Christmas pie!