Thank you for the recipe! I’ve never had tourtiere so I’m swinging out tonight!
Two questions: for the fat, the ingredients say “3 tablespoons bacon fat, duck fat or 1½ teaspoons each olive oil and unsalted butter.” Would that mean that if you use butter/olive oil that you only use a total of 1 TB?
Also, and this may be related: do you really not drain the fat before putting the meat in the pie shell? I went ahead and poured the whole thing in but I’m expecting the bottom crust will be pretty soggy
Thanks so much for catching that. I transcribed the recipe from my notes and didn’t carry that detail over properly. I’ll update the recipe.
Regarding the liquid, how liquidy was it? If you blind-baked the crust, you should be okay.
As my first "official" SS recipe tester😊 , your results will help me adjust and improve the recipe for everyone. I’ve made this so many times, I probably make tiny tweaks without realizing it.
Depending on your results, I’ll definitely add or modify the recipe with clearer notes. I hope it will be delicious all the same 💕
It was delicious—the meat has such a great texture. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I did blind-bake the crust and it was a bit soggy but mostly fine. I think the problem was mostly because I started too late and rushed the cooling of the filling a bit :/ Still, thumbs up all around from the family! Thanks again!
Such beautiful memories! I can relate to one especially: the yolk + sugar mix whisked (no steam involved, sort of a primitive version of Zabaglione) until it gets pale yellow and creamy, a special treat with a sip of mom's coffee.
I've been looking for a good tourtière recipe. Thank you. I am making it very soon!
The reframing reflection, besides being a genius idea, will be my new holiday tradition!
I have fond memories of a tourtiere recipe written in French from the quebecois mother of a classmate; this one has cloves and a bit of mashed potatoes. Made it last Christmas for the first time in decades and it wasn’t as good as I remembered. Yours looks test-worthy!
There are as many variations on this recipe as there are Quebecois grandmothers! All the best, of course 😊.
A French Canadian friend tells me she always adds mashed potatoes to give the filling more body and prevent a crumbly slice. My husband’s solution is to add more Heinz for binding 😂
I loved the memory of tangerine in the toe of your stocking. What a thoughtful gift this was, to tie a sensual gift in with the excitement of delights of gifts at Christmas. Your pie also looks amazing, I think we may be pie sisters Elizabeth.
Elizabeth your prose invokes whispers of my own nostalgia and longing…traditions are so deep-seated within us, aren’t they? And this Tourtière is getting made! Thank you. 💗
This piece hooked me with the first sentence: the familiar feeling of anticipation and dread. That describes my feelings about the holidays exactly.
Traditions are not something either my husband or I are good at. Our poor daughters always wanted more of them, and we did manage to create a few to which they still cling fiercely, but they don’t come naturally to me. I thought about this as I read your words and I think the key is meaning. When I was growing up, I think I felt more obligation to my family’s tradition than personal meaning. This is not true across the board, but a lot of our traditions seemed to exist for no other reason except that’s the way things were always done. I did not feel attached to them.
Your words about not just enacting traditions by rote have given me pause and are making me really think… not so much about the past but about the present. About what our little family of four might do to create the kind of traditions that are rooted in feelings of joy. Thank you for this, my friend.
(I also always received fruit in my Christmas stocking as a child, usually an apple and an orange, but I wasn’t nearly as interested in that as I was in the chocolate.)
Thank you dear Rebecca—i’m so glad this resonated 💕.
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, really, I guess, since Covid, when everything got upended. There have been so many foundational things that have changed in our lives in the past three years in particular. am ready for a reset, more joy (and more chocolate 😊).
This was really lovely to read. So much of our family history is wrapped up in the recipes that are part of our traditions. And this looks like a wonderful recipe I’m looking forward to trying it with a gluten free crust.
This was such a lovely and relatable post. Food traditions have always been a big part of how I stay grounded, especially during busy or stressful seasons. And as a huge fan of meat pies, I can’t wait to try this recipe! ☺️
What a beautiful post, Elizabeth. Not just rote traditions but a reflection on what they mean and why they matter. And there was something about coffee made in a percolator, wasn’t there? I had some not too long ago made by one of my book club ladies. It was her mother’s percolator that made coffee on the stovetop. It was the most delicious coffee I’ve had in a long time! So happy to include this beautiful pie in the pie palooza post!
Thank you for the recipe! I’ve never had tourtiere so I’m swinging out tonight!
Two questions: for the fat, the ingredients say “3 tablespoons bacon fat, duck fat or 1½ teaspoons each olive oil and unsalted butter.” Would that mean that if you use butter/olive oil that you only use a total of 1 TB?
Also, and this may be related: do you really not drain the fat before putting the meat in the pie shell? I went ahead and poured the whole thing in but I’m expecting the bottom crust will be pretty soggy
Wonderful — please report back!
Thanks so much for catching that. I transcribed the recipe from my notes and didn’t carry that detail over properly. I’ll update the recipe.
Regarding the liquid, how liquidy was it? If you blind-baked the crust, you should be okay.
As my first "official" SS recipe tester😊 , your results will help me adjust and improve the recipe for everyone. I’ve made this so many times, I probably make tiny tweaks without realizing it.
Depending on your results, I’ll definitely add or modify the recipe with clearer notes. I hope it will be delicious all the same 💕
It was delicious—the meat has such a great texture. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I did blind-bake the crust and it was a bit soggy but mostly fine. I think the problem was mostly because I started too late and rushed the cooling of the filling a bit :/ Still, thumbs up all around from the family! Thanks again!
I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know. I hope it becomes a new family favourite 😊
Such beautiful memories! I can relate to one especially: the yolk + sugar mix whisked (no steam involved, sort of a primitive version of Zabaglione) until it gets pale yellow and creamy, a special treat with a sip of mom's coffee.
I've been looking for a good tourtière recipe. Thank you. I am making it very soon!
I hope you like it! Let me know what you think 🥰
The reframing reflection, besides being a genius idea, will be my new holiday tradition!
I have fond memories of a tourtiere recipe written in French from the quebecois mother of a classmate; this one has cloves and a bit of mashed potatoes. Made it last Christmas for the first time in decades and it wasn’t as good as I remembered. Yours looks test-worthy!
There are as many variations on this recipe as there are Quebecois grandmothers! All the best, of course 😊.
A French Canadian friend tells me she always adds mashed potatoes to give the filling more body and prevent a crumbly slice. My husband’s solution is to add more Heinz for binding 😂
I loved the memory of tangerine in the toe of your stocking. What a thoughtful gift this was, to tie a sensual gift in with the excitement of delights of gifts at Christmas. Your pie also looks amazing, I think we may be pie sisters Elizabeth.
I think you might be right! 🥰
Elizabeth your prose invokes whispers of my own nostalgia and longing…traditions are so deep-seated within us, aren’t they? And this Tourtière is getting made! Thank you. 💗
Thank you dear heart💕 You will love that tourtiere!
What a lovely, thoughtful post, Elizabeth. My mother-in-law used to make tourtière, too! She served it with a glass of sherry...
Sherry!! That would be perfect. I have to try that.
Thank you for being a reader, Barb 💕
This piece hooked me with the first sentence: the familiar feeling of anticipation and dread. That describes my feelings about the holidays exactly.
Traditions are not something either my husband or I are good at. Our poor daughters always wanted more of them, and we did manage to create a few to which they still cling fiercely, but they don’t come naturally to me. I thought about this as I read your words and I think the key is meaning. When I was growing up, I think I felt more obligation to my family’s tradition than personal meaning. This is not true across the board, but a lot of our traditions seemed to exist for no other reason except that’s the way things were always done. I did not feel attached to them.
Your words about not just enacting traditions by rote have given me pause and are making me really think… not so much about the past but about the present. About what our little family of four might do to create the kind of traditions that are rooted in feelings of joy. Thank you for this, my friend.
(I also always received fruit in my Christmas stocking as a child, usually an apple and an orange, but I wasn’t nearly as interested in that as I was in the chocolate.)
Thank you dear Rebecca—i’m so glad this resonated 💕.
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, really, I guess, since Covid, when everything got upended. There have been so many foundational things that have changed in our lives in the past three years in particular. am ready for a reset, more joy (and more chocolate 😊).
This was really lovely to read. So much of our family history is wrapped up in the recipes that are part of our traditions. And this looks like a wonderful recipe I’m looking forward to trying it with a gluten free crust.
Thank you Mira 💕. What recipe do you use for your gluten free crust? I would love to get a good one in my repertoire!
I use the King Arthur Measure for Measure flour which is a great substitute for just about any regular flour recipe.
Sadly not available in Canada.
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. Are there other gluten free cup for cup alternatives? Maybe you could try experimenting with one of those.
I can get Bob’s Red Mill here—just haven’t tried it with pie crust.
It has xanthan gum in the mix so it should work
This was such a lovely and relatable post. Food traditions have always been a big part of how I stay grounded, especially during busy or stressful seasons. And as a huge fan of meat pies, I can’t wait to try this recipe! ☺️
Thank you for sharing such beautiful (and delicious) memories. 😘
What a beautiful post, Elizabeth. Not just rote traditions but a reflection on what they mean and why they matter. And there was something about coffee made in a percolator, wasn’t there? I had some not too long ago made by one of my book club ladies. It was her mother’s percolator that made coffee on the stovetop. It was the most delicious coffee I’ve had in a long time! So happy to include this beautiful pie in the pie palooza post!
Thank you dear Betty 🥰. Holidays are always fraught; it’s always good to remember what’s important, isn’t it? And I’m happy I got my pie post in!
💞
You’ve captured that “tug of remembrance” so beautifully 🥰 And, pie!
Thank you Julie! I’m a firm believer in the power of pie to solve anything 😊