Monday, July 04, 2005

Tourtière, by Loblaws

I know that I should be making this tourtière from scratch but the truth is, I might not do as good a job as Loblaws.

Says in the package that "is made according to a traditional Québécois recipe, with pork, beef, veal and a rich pastry crust," and it is "made without artificial flavours or colours". It is already baked so all you have to do is pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes or take it out of the aluminum pie plate and plop it in the microwave.

The pie is not too big, about 8-inch diameter and 1lb in weight. The filling is well seasoned with a hint of cinnamon and the pastry is just melt-in-your-mouth heavenly. And all this for $2.99.

So today, I had tourtière and steamed broccolli. It was very tasty, and I did not have to cook. Some days, that is heavenly..

8 comments:

Cerebrum said...

Sounds divine Ana. It's funny that no matter how much we love cooking, those days where you just can't be bothered are still there. Good thing things like this exist then!

FoodNinja said...

My gurl is Québécois and she just melts at the thought of tourtière, I am sure she would say it is what canada tastes like to her. I gota make it soon she will die.. thanks for the Idea..

Dawna said...

Oh, I love tourtiere! I don't think I've ever had one that was mass-produced, though. It is awfully nice just to slide something into the oven, once in awhile...

Ana said...

Zarah Maria: That is so true. When I work hard in the garden, sometimes I don't feel like doing anything else. That's when things like this tourtière come in handy.

Templar: If your tourtière is very good, don't forget to post the recipe. I tried to make one once but I like the one from Loblaws better, so...

Dawna: Do you have a good recipe for tourtière? As I told Templar, I tried to make one once, but the pastry was not good at all. Then I discovered this one and I stopped trying.

Dawna said...

I use my usual simple pie crust recipe. As for the filling, I don't really have a recipe, per se, but this is the basic formula for a 9" pie:

1/2 lb. minced beef
1/2 lb. minced pork (lean is best)
1/2 lb. minced veal
1 onion, minced fine,
1 stalk celery, minced fine
1/2 cup of leftover mashed potatoes, thinned with a little hot water
salt
black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

Sometimes I add a tablespoon of tomato paste, or a little fresh thyme leaves.

As for the crust, I simply use 2 cups of flour, cut in 1/2 cup margarine (lard would be more authentic for tourtiere) a pinch of salt and enough water to bind (1/4 cup or thereabouts). Bring together rapidly with a fork, and handle as little as possible. Allow the dough to chill in the fridge while you make the filling. I actually roll out the dough half-way, put it on a cookie sheet and let it chill until I'm ready for it.

When I'm feeling fancy and west-coast, I add a few dried herbs to the flour for the crust, which is very pretty flecked with green.

Put in a well-preheated oven at 450 F for the first 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 F for another 30 - 40 depending on your oven. Serve with a good tomato chutney.

Darn. Now I have to make one, and note down all the steps into a "real" recipe!

Ana said...

Thanks Dawna. I'm going to try it. I'm curious to see how will my crust come out.

Dawna said...

Holy sweet potatoes! I forgot to put nutmeg in the ingredient list for the filling. There must be nutmeg. It is a definitive part of tourtiere, in my opinion. I guess I really do need to work out a proper recipe!

Anonymous said...

Ana,
That looks wonderful. I don't know if I should admitt it, but I've never had tourtière. I'm going to run to the store and buy some. I'll save making it for another day!