Meat Pie (Québec Tourtière de Madame Benoit)

Tourtière is a French Canadian meat pie which is traditionally served at Christmas. It may be made from pork, beef or a combination of meats sometimes including veal. Different regions in Québec have their own traditional recipes. Some regions use game such as hare or duck rather than beef and pork. The pies should not have too much filling as they are just a part of the whole traditional Christmas dinner. It's usually served with tomato ketchup. This recipe is the creation of Mme Jehane Benoit, a famous Québec cooking expert who received the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian cuisine.

Pastry:
1 recipe Double Crust Pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp. water, for glaze

Filling:
1 lb ground meat, beef and pork, or beef, pork and veal (454 g)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. sea salt (2.5 mL)
¼ tsp. celery salt (1.25 mL)
¼ tsp. ground clove (1.25 mL)
½ cup chicken or beef stock (120 mL)
¼-½ cup breadcrumbs (60-120 mL)

Make the Pastry:
Make the pie dough, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or even overnight would be great.

Roll out the dough and place it in a 9" pie plate; chill in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Make the Filling:
Place all ingredients except breadcrumbs in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add a 3-4 spoonfuls of breadcrumbs. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.

If the fat is sufficiently absorbed by the breadcrumbs, do not add more. If not, add more crumbs in the same manner. Cool mixture and spoon into a chilled pastry lined pie plate.

Cover with top pastry. Crimp and trim edges. Brush with egg wash and make several slits.

Bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes: Cooked tourtière may be frozen for 4-5 months and does not need to be thawed before reheating. To reheat, place your frozen tourtiere (covered in foil) in a medium oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center is hot when you pull it out.