Tourtiere in Montreal

Name: Tourtiere (Montreal style)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 500g ground pork; 1 onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground clove; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1 potato, grated; 250ml stock; Pastry for a double-crust pie; 1 egg, beaten

Tourtiere is Quebec's spiced meat pie, a double-crust pastry filled with minced pork seasoned with cinnamon, clove and allspice, served at Christmas.

The story of Tourtiere

Tourtiere dates to New France and takes its name from the tourtiere baking dish. Recipes vary by region: the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean version is a deep pie of cubed meats and potato, while the Montreal-area version is a shallower minced-pork pie. It remains the centrepiece of the Quebecois Christmas Eve reveillon table.

How to make Tourtiere

Serves: Serves 6

Ingredients

500g ground pork
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp allspice
1 potato, grated
250ml stock
Pastry for a double-crust pie
1 egg, beaten

Method

Cook the pork, onion and garlic until browned, then add the spices, grated potato and stock.
Simmer 20 minutes until thick, then cool completely.
Line a pie dish with pastry, add the filling and top with a second crust. Crimp and cut vents.
Brush with beaten egg and bake at 200C for 40 to 45 minutes until golden.

Editor tip. Chilling the filling before assembly keeps the bottom crust from turning soggy in the oven.

The editor-picked rooms for Tourtiere in Montreal are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Montreal signature-dishes index or the Montreal food guide.