Canadian Tourtiѐre

A few months ago I wrote down every country in the world on small pieces of paper and then I had Axel pick one or two countries every week and we would cook food from that country. I also got him a map so I could show him where the country was. We put a little pin in each country wee cooked food from.

I wanted to teach him about different cultures and expose him to new flavors and foods. We cooked food from many different countries from all corners of the world. After a few weeks I felt like it made him an even more picky eater. He would love to help me cook the meals but barely ate at all. He would taste it but rarely finished a meal so I decided to stop. He recently asked me about it and said he wanted to start doing it again. Figured it would be a good thing for the blog as well so we'll start with one country a week. This week's pick, Canada :) I found a recipe for Tourtiѐre, which is a meat pie, and figured I'd try it out.

The crust was really simple. I just mixed the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, added the water and chilled it while I made the filling. 

(Axel insisted on being in the pic so there he is :)) The filling was not bad either. I peeled the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces. Cooked until soft and then mashed them, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. I browned the meat along with the chopped onion and garlic until cooked through. I then added the spices and some of the cooking liquid from the potatoes. I let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I took it off the heat and combined the meat with the potatoes. 

I realized I did not have a pie dish so I used a regular, square dish. The recipes I saw had a completely covered pie, however, not my strong suit so I created my own pattern. Might not be the prettiest pie in the world but I was pretty happy with it anyway :)

I created the pattern, brushed it with egg and baked for about 30 min. I served it with some spinach and red pepper. 

Final verdict? I might make it again but I would use different spices. I should know by now that I don't like the clove/cinnamon/nutmeg blend in savory food. The recipe can also be found here: http://growagoodlife.com/tourtiere/

Canadian Tourtiѐre

Pastry

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter or lard

6-7 Tablespoons cold water

Filling

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 large potatoes

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, scrambled for glazing

Prepare the Pastry

1. In a large bowl, combine flour with the salt. Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a roughly even crumbly texture. Add water and blend just until dough comes together.

2. Shape into a rough disc, wrap and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare filling.

Prepare the Filling

1. Cook potatoes in a pot of water until tender, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2-cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the onion, garlic beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Add seasonings and reserved potato water. Mix in well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set aside to cool slightly.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C

4. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12-inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut vent holes.

5. Bake in a preheated over for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the tourtière from oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Yield: Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings.