Froggies, to me!

[Barrister]

Through the miracle that is the Canadian melting pot, my family has for the last 20 years made a tortiere (a french-canadian meat pie) for Christmas eve, despite the fact we have absolutely no french roots.

Since my wife and I are not travelling home this Christmas I thought about trying my hand at a tortiere this year.  I know the usual French-Canadian suspects on this forum aren't big foodies, but do any of you perhaps have an 'old family recipe' you'd care to share, or at least any hints or pointers?  I can find all sorts of recipes on the web, butof course they're all somewhat different from each other.

[Caliga]

Is this like a mincemeat or a savory pie like a Cornish pasty?  I can give you a Pennsylvania Dutch mincemeat recipe if you want to try something different and superior (since ethnic Germans > ethnic French). 

[Barrister]

It's a savory pork pie (although my family usually used beef, all the recipes I found say it's traditionally made from pork).

And I'd certainly look at your recipe, but it's not really what I was looking for.

[Barrister]

And I'm not going to touch the German/French rivalry, since I have no horse in that race, and Slav > all others.   

We'll save the pyrogies and holoptchi for Christmas day. 

[Caliga]

Sorry... any opportunity to bust on the French is hard for me to avoid.    I'm still trying to pretend I have no French ancestry.

Anyway, didn't want to derail your thread but actually a pork pie sounds interesting.  If you do get a good recipe via from non-Languish medium (or maybe via PM), can you post it here?  I'd try it.

I'll see if I can get my aunt in Lancaster, Pa. to send along her mincemeat recipe.

[Grallon]

It's called 'tourtière' and now's the time to brush up your french:

http://www.rockdetente.com/montreal/actualites/annie-le-soir/73863-la-recette-de-la-tourtiere-du-lac-st-jean-par-l-academie-culinaire-de-montreal/




G.

[Grey Fox]

My families recipe is an all pork affaire with spices & cloves. To be different put in bite size pockets of dow.

Or make this http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/tourtiere-mini-turnovers-114739.aspx

You can also try the Lac St-Jean tourtiere. Deep dish, slow cooked & made with cubes of meat (wild games prefered) & potatoes.

[Caliga]

Or make this http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/tourtiere-mini-turnovers-114739.aspx

Wow that looks awesome.

[Grallon]

And here's another one in english:

http://www.recipefeast.com/recipes/tourtiere_2108



G.

[Barrister]

You can also try the Lac St-Jean tourtiere. Deep dish, slow cooked & made with cubes of meat (wild games prefered) & potatoes.

Quebecers don't like to admit it, but there are French-speaking towns in Western Canada.  One Christmas when I was in Peace River, Alberta, the law firm I was with held a Christmas party in a tiny community named Ste. Therese and they served a tourtiere kind of like what you described.  It was amazing.

[Grey Fox]

Or make this http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/tourtiere-mini-turnovers-114739.aspx

Wow that looks awesome.

You shouldn't be allowed to make it. French Basher!

[Grey Fox]

Also, using a aluminium plate is a big ass mistake. Real metal or Pyrex.

[Caliga]

You shouldn't be allowed to make it. French Basher!

Pardonnez-moi.  En actuellement, je t'aime 

[Barrister]

Also, using a aluminium plate is a big ass mistake. Real metal or Pyrex.

How come? 

And G - do either of those recipes look right to you?  Or better than the 100s of other recipes you can find on the web?

[Grallon]

And G - do either of those recipes look right to you?  Or better than the 100s of other recipes you can find on the web?

Tourtière is like spaghetti sauce - there are as many recipes as there are people who make them.  The first link in french is a specialty of Lac St-Jean - different from the standard one (in english) which I posted afterwards.  My best friends mother make one where there`s very little spices so that the taste of meat is what you get.  *shrug* I suggest you pick what you like and make up your own.




G.