Tourtière - French Canadian Pie

 

Tourtière is a pie that's traditionally made on Christmas eve in Quebec apparently and apparently there are as many recipes as Quebecers, so now armed with that useful info, I'll explain that it's mince and mashed potato with dried cranberries, and spices that we associate with that time of the year. It made a really nice pie, and definitely one I'd make again at Christmas.

I normally make pastry with half butter and half lard but I made this with just butter and I think it made for a better pastry in this case.

Boil potatoes until soft, remove and retain the water, mash (no butter or milk).

So fry onions till golden brown in butter, I had mushrooms too, add your mince then add your spices, ginger, all spice, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, oregano, nutmeg, mustard, cayenne, and garlic, add some dried cranberries. Now add some of the potato water, mix and simmer for about 40 mins.

Then mix the potatoes into the meat and allow to cool before completing your pie. Bake for about 40 mins.

Apparently a Quebecian saying is 'Lache pas la patate'. This means “don't give up!” but it literally translates as “don't release the potato!” And whilst people say Canadians are dull, their pies aren't.