Wednesday, November 21, 2007

What's cooking Wednesday


It's become a tradition that when Omi/Rose comes to visit, I make tourtière. I got this recipe from my dad of all people. I say "of all people" because my dad isn't exactly known as being a master of pastry or meat pies or cooking in general, unless you're talking about chili, and then he's definitely the man to go to. He gave me this recipe when our family was still living in Fonthill, a small town in the Niagara Peninsula where I grew up. He got it from a guy at work. It was the guy's wife's recipe. Her name and address are in fact on the bottom of the recipe: Betty Leveille, 250 Division St, Port Colborne. So, if you're ever in Port Colborne and needing a good recipe, I recommend looking up Betty. She likely has more gems in her repertoire.

Apple Tourtière

(I'm going to transcribe this exactly as Betty had it down)

Use Tenderflake pastry recipe for 9 inch double crust pie.

3/4 lbs lean ground pork

3/4 lbs lean ground veal (I always use extra lean ground beef as we're not veal eaters around here - okay, so that wasn't in Betty's recipe)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

2 small apples, peeled and sliced small.

Prepare pie crust. Line 9 inch pie plate with bottom crust. In large pot, brown pork & veal, with onions & celery. Stir in flour. Add chicken broth, mustard, thyme and salt; cook and stir until thickened.

Place sliced apple in bottom of pie shell. Spoon pork & veal mixture over apples. Cover with pie crust top. Seal and crimp edge. Make small steam slits with knife. Bake in pre heated 400 degree oven for approximately 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly. Makes 6 servings.


Back to my story with this recipe. My dad gave a copy to both my mum and I one day when he came home from work. I was a university student at the time. I think it must have been the term when I was at home when I couldn't get a job for my work term (thank you recession of the early 90s). I held onto the recipe but didn't make it until a few years later. I made it for friends who said it was great. Not being really "into" meat at the time, I don't even think I tasted it. I pulled it out again several years later to make for John and I. Wow. It was the best tourtière I had ever tasted. Fast forward to now. Essentially, the one wonderful thing about summer being over is pulling out this recipe again and making it until the crocuses push through the soil again in the spring. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

3 comments:

little b said...

Thanks for posting this. It's turned cool (cold for us) here again, and it's time to bust out the winter recipes. And this is one of the best. Yum!

Unknown said...

It looks and sounds delicious - and will definitely
add it to my collection of 'to keep' recipes. I have
several of that category from you, beth and your mom already. Thanks to Erika, who gave me a very sturdy and beautiful box for our favourite recipes,
I do have a safe place for it. Am eager to try it. Thank you Karen
P.S. Our world in Toronto is white this a.m. too - now getting covered in freezing rain. A good day to have tortiere!

Shan said...

Looks very yummy Karen. Too bad I'm the only one here who would eat it. The rest of them just don't know what they're missing.