RING IN THE NEW YEAR! ~ TOURTIERE (French Canadian Meat Pie)

TOURTIERE

(French~Canadian Meat Pie)

Originally ‘tourtieres’ were made with large birds, called ‘tourtes’ until these became extinct. According to some authorities, some tourtiere recipes obtained their name from the deep baking dish (tourtiere) in which they were baked. Since the disappearance of tourtes, fresh pork or a mixture of different kinds of meat is used in this food specialty.

--Yvon Paul

In France the tourtiere pie-dish was a kitchen utensil f or cooking pigeon and other birds. The contents of the dish were known as ‘piece tourtiere’ and during the first years in New France these distinctive words were used. Over the years the word ‘tourtiere’ came to mean a pate of fowl or game cooked and seasoned according to a special household recipe in the family stew pan, for into it went not merely turtle-doves but every kind of edible bird. Every housewife possessed her own secret recipe, jealously preserved from generation to generation. It was in this way that some venturesome housewives began to prepare ‘pieces tou-tieres’ not only with birds but with the meat of both wild and domestic animals. Such recipes held additional appeal since they provided more filling and sustaining meals.

--Daily Life In Early Canada

( quotes from The American French Genealogical Society of

Woonsocket, RI. cookbook ...

Je Me Souviens...La Cuisine De La Grandmere)

"Come quickly, I'm tasting the stars!"

~ Dom Perignon, at the moment of his discovery of champagne

TRADITIONAL PASTRY FOR TWO LARGE PIES

3 cups unbleached flour

1 cup vegetable shortening like Crisco (lard for the purest)

1 scant tsp. salt

1 large beaten egg

1 Tbsp. vinegar

ice water

Place flour, salt, and shortening in food processor or large bowl. Process with machine or pastry blender until mixture resembles course corn meal. In large glass measuring cup, beat the egg. Add vinegar and enough ice water to equal 1/2 cup. Pour over flour mixture. Blend only until dough holds together in a ball. Shape dough into thick, flat rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until easy to handle (about 1 hour).

Note: Skip the ABOVE and head for the refrigerated section at the market. Purchase Pillsbury Pie Crusts ... unroll (dust with 1 Tbsp. flour), spread into pie pan, flute, fill and bake. Not as good as above but ...

FILLING

(for deep dish)

3 pounds freshly (twice ground) lean pork ~ fresh ham or loin is best

1 large chopped Spanish or sweet onion

2 plump cloves minced garlic

3 medium potatoes ~ peeled, boiled and mashed

2 heaping Tbsp. summer savory

1 heaping Tbsp. thyme

1 heaping Tbsp. poultry seasoning

1 heaping tsp. sage

1 heaping tsp. cracked pepper

1 tsp. Lawrey's seasoned pepper

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

Saute pork in large heavy skillet over medium high heat. When brown, drain fat, reserving 2 Tbsp. Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until wilted. Season with herbs, pepper and salt. Add mashed potatoes which should absorb any remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Place filling in prepared rolled out and positioned pie crust. Top with crust, flute and cut in venting slits. (Idea: Turkey slits for Thanksgiving, Christmas Tree slits, date slits of New Year). Brush with egg wash (1 beaten egg plus 1 Tbsp. water). Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving or freeze when cooled. (Thaw before reheating in 325 degree oven about 40 minutes. Cover gently with foil if crust becomes too brown.) Serve with Traditional Cranberry Sauce.

(serves 6-8)

~ this recipe has been gently adapted from the original that dates back several generations. In our home we bastardized the name and pronounced it “toutcaire”.

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TRADITIONAL CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 - 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

grated zest from oranges

Rinse cranberries and pick off stems. Combine sugar and orange juice in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add cranberries and zest and boil gently until cranberries begin to pop, about 7 minutes.

SCALLOPED SCALLOPS (or oysters)

2 1/2 pounds Bay scallops

1/4 pound sweet butter

2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 cup medium cream

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cracker crumbs, bread crumbs and parsley. Toss lightly. Sprinkle layer of buttered crumbs mixture into oval quart baking dish. Top evenly with scallops.

Mix together cream and mustard. Pour evenly over scallops. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly.

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM TORTE

Bake your favorite brownie recipe according to directions. (Hard to beat GHIRARDELLI TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWIES PREMIUM MIX) When cool, press into PAM sprayed springform pan, reserving a few crumbles for the top. Spoon in 1 half gallon premium peppermint ice cream. Top with reserved crumbled brownies.