Tourtiere With A Twist Food

TOURTIERE WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• For the pastry dough: Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the grated butter. Pinch quickly to combine with the fingers to create a coarse, crumbly mixture. Make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon ice-cold water. Quickly mix into the flour, just until the mixture holds together. Do not over mix. Divide into 4 balls and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator 30 minutes before using.
• For the meat filling: Put 1/2 cup/125 ml water in a saute pan and quickly bring to a boil. Combine the ground pork, ground veal, onion, garlic, some salt and pepper and summer savory together in a bowl. Stir into the water. Cover, and cook until the meat is done, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in the breadcrumbs and continue cooking uncovered until the liquid has evaporated. Check the seasonings, and cool.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C.
• Roll a disk of pastry dough into a rectangle. Spoon a generous stripe of meat filling down the middle of it. Fold the short ends, up over the meat making sure to trim any excess pastry dough, otherwise it will be too thick. Then fold over the long ends so that they overlap to seal. Again, trim any excess pastry dough so it will bake evenly. Turn the log onto a baking sheet, seam-side down. Make a few slits in the top to let steam escape. Brush the top with milk for a golden crust. Bake until crisp and nicely colored, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TOURTIERE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meat in batches until browned. Tip into a large bowl and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, then add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic. Fry for 8-10 mins until softened. Add this to the meat.
• Simmer the wine in the pan for 10 mins to reduce. Tip in the meat and veg, then the spices, thyme, bay and stock. Cook for 30 mins, uncovered. Stir in the oats and simmer for 15 mins. Discard the bay, then season. Cool completely.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 20cm loose-bottom tin with the shortcrust pastry, pushing it into the sides of the tin. Leave 2cm of pastry overhanging and trim away the excess. Prick the bottom with a fork, cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans, and bake for another 15 mins until golden.
• Trim the edges with a serrated knife and pack in the meat filling. Brush some of the egg around the edge of the pastry, then drape the puff pastry over the top, trim the edges and crimp all the way round with a fork. Use the puff pastry offcuts to make decorations for the pie, if you like (or see tip, below). Brush with more egg and make 4-5 holes in the top. Can be frozen for up to six weeks at this stage. Defrost thoroughly before baking. Bake at 190C/170C fan/gas 5 for 40-50 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.

TOURTIèRE

Steps:

• Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and lard in stages, pulsing until the mixture forms bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into two balls. Flatten each into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Make the pork shoulder. Season the pieces of pork aggressively with salt and pepper. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, sear the meat on all sides until browned, turning as necessary, 10 minutes.
• Add the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks, and stir to toast them, then add the beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer steadily until the pork is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. (When the pork is done, you can allow it to cool in its liquid and refrigerate it for one or two days before using.)
• Make the chicken or turkey. Heat oven to 325. Season the chicken or turkey thighs aggressively with salt and pepper, then roast in a cast-iron pan or shallow baking tray until their skin is crisp and they have cooked through, approximately 1 hour. (The chicken or turkey, too, may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator before using.)
• Make the pie filling. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the onions, garlic and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft and have given up their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine or stock, and stir to deglaze the pan, then cook until the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
• Add the ground pork and the spices, and cook until the pork has lost its pinkness, 5 to 7 minutes. Add grated potato, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Shred the cooked chicken or turkey into the pot along with the cooked pork and about 1/2 cup of its braising liquid, stir lightly to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Assemble the pie. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven, and heat to 400.
• Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator, and using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron pan, trimming it to leave an overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.
• Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 to 11 inches in diameter.
• Remove pie crust from freezer, and put the chilled filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim excess, then crimp the edges. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Paint the pie's top with the egg wash.
• Place pie in oven on hot baking sheet, and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350, and cook until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.