TOURTIÈRE

(Makes 8 servings) Tourtière is a classic French-Canadian comfort food often enjoyed on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. This version swaps ready-made breadcrumbs for from-scratch mashed potatoes.

Filling

375 ml (1½ cups) chicken stock 750 g (1½ pounds) lean ground pork 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dried savory or herbs de Provence 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) dried thyme 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) fine sea salt 1.5 ml (¼ teaspoon) cinnamon 0.6 ml (1/8 teaspoon) cloves Fresh ground black pepper 60 ml (¼ cup) bread crumbs

Pastry

1 recipe No-Fail Butter Pastry (page 128) 1 egg yolk 15 ml (1 tablespoon) milk

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring the stock to a boil.

2. While the stock heats, mix the pork, onion, garlic, savory, thyme, salt, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper together in a large bowl. Stir the pork mixture into the boiling stock, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the pork is cooked and tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

3. Stir in the bread crumbs and continue to cook, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated, about two to five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) with a rack placed in the bottom third of the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of the pie dough 0.6-cm (1/4-inch) thick and line a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon in the cooled tourtière filling. Roll out the remaining dough to the same thickness, cut a hole in the centre for steam to escape and place on top of the filling. Trim and then pinch the edges of the crust together and brush the top crust with the egg wash.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F (190°C) and cook another 25 minutes or until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

7. The tourtière can be made up to two days in advance and reheated in a 325°F (160°C) oven. Prep time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes

Modern look: Skip the vents and use stamped pastry cutouts for the top crust. Special pastry/fondant stamps are available at cooking stores.

Modern twist — Apricot tourtiere hand pies: Cut the pastry into 10-cm (4-inch) rounds. Spread 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of apricot jam on one round, leaving 1.25 cm (½-inch) edge. Spread 15 ml (1 tablespoon), heaping, tourtière filling over the jam.

Wet edge with a finger dipped in water. Place second round on top.

Pinch the edges together then crimp with a fork. Brush top with egg wash. Cut two slits on top.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes at 400°F (200°C).