ottawa foodies

Happy Solstice, all!

My mother traditionally made tourtiere from Madame Benoit's famous recipe every Christmas Eve for most of my + fifty life, but sadly died in November 3 years ago. Being the most intense foodie in the family, I took the job on, and must say I excelled, particularly at the pastry.

This year, I'm not in the mood and don't have time. So, the question is, drum roll please....

What's the best take-home tourtiere in the Ottawa region? (I saw the Billy's Butcher endorsement, and called--they have lots for Xmas) but would like some more ideas?

Cheers of the Season,
Glinda

Glinda - so sorry to hear about your Mom. My mother is still able and has made my favorite Tourtiere for years. She has made a batch this year once again and I never know when it will be her last since she is 76. Home baking and pastry is slowly becoming a lost art in our life time. My mother-in-law past away at 93 in November and she baked until she was in her mid 80s. Never a receipt but from memory and touch. I have sent an email to these folks to see if they do or know of a good place to purchase pies.

www.scratchkitchen.com/

Merry Christmas

JDK

Now I am not much of a connoisseur when it comes to tourtiere, my grandmother use to make them for us when she was still alive. Alas the recipe was not passed on and we are all really too busy as a family around the holidays to try and make one ourselves, but for the last 5 years we have special ordered tourtiere from Algonquin College Restaurant International and enjoyed them every year. They were very simple but delicious and bonus they were HUGE.. They come frozen them you can take them home to bake and enjoy at any time. I think you may be too late for this year but you still try and see if they have any available.

Here is their website I would contact them and see about the possibility of still getting them if you are interested.

restaurantinternational.ca

That's why I make huge batches of meat pie filling and can them. Or freeze them for the less adventurous. In fact I've been thinking recently that I'm due for some meat pie ...

Is "Tourtiere" meat pie?

I usually make big batch of pate brisee and meat pie filling,
and keep them in the freezer. Meat pies freeze so well.
I also make mini ones for lunch.

NoCheese:I made meat pies in my baking class (@ Algonquin)
It is quite simple and easy to make.
I will post this meat pie recipe if you are interested :)

Well, "tourtiere" is a type of meat pie, but it is not the same as what I make for "meat pie". But it would be easy enough to make the filling in advance and freeze it (or can it for the more adventurous / foolish)

AK: I would definitely be interested. They were always super yummy. I am just time constrained this year and don't finish exams until the 23 of December, but I would definitely add it to my collection for future use.

While we are giving out recipes here is mine

ottawafoodies.com/forum/239

I've never tried any, but I know that the piggy market does them, and since they are pretty awesome, the pies are probably good too! Also, I saw a posting on Ron Eade's blog for Petit Bill's tourtiere's, and they seem good too! Hopefully that will help!

My mom-in-law makes a great tourtiere. My grandmother did too, but alas that did not have a recipe and her version when asked was some of this and some of that. It was very different from some of the quebecois style, our family is Acadien.

I do like the tourtieres from Les Fougeres. They have several different types and I believe you can get them at CA Paradis as well as their store at the restaurant itself.

I'll pick up my tourtiere tomorrow at the Piggy Market and will post about it when it is eaten.

Whalesbone (the restaurant, not the supplyhouse) was selling tourtiere for $20 I think... cash only.

Zym: your meat filling recipe made me hungry :) I will try it. Thanks!

NoCheese: Here is the recipe. Good luck on your final exams!!

If you want to adjust the amount of the dough and filling, use the percentages to calculate how much ingredients you need.

Baker's percentage
www.wildyeastblog.com

Pie Dough

yield: 3kg, 8 double crusted pies

A:
pastry flour: 1500g, 100%
shortening:1000g, 66.6%

B:
cold water: 500g, 33.3%
Sugar:60g, 4%
salt:30g, 2%

Totals: 3090g 205.9%

1. Place shortening into mixing bowl and add the shifted flour
2. Combine B. Stir to dissolve ingredients
3. Flake shortening through flour, using flat beater at low speed. Be sure to watch that the flour is not completely blended in before the water solution is added.(shortening should be about pea size)
4. Add B in one stage. Mix gently until incorporated, about 20 seconds
5. remove from machine,take to bench and use immediately if desired.
( I recommend to rest the dough in the fridge)
Scale 20cm/8" pie shells at 175g/ 6oz net each. Pie tops should be scaled at 100g/4 oz net each.

Meat pie filling : makes 4 pies (8") or 32 pies(4")

Ground beef: 1000g 100%
Beef stock : 20g 2%
Dried onion flakes 35g 3.5%
Water: 730g 73%
bread crumbs 230g 23%
pepper 2.5g (1/2 tea spoon)
cinnamon(optional) 2.5g (1/2 tea spoon)

Totals: 2020g 202%

1. Break up beef in water, add beef stock, onion flakes pepper(cinnamon)
2. boil and shimmer for 10 mins
3. turn off heat and mix in bread crumbs

Line pie shell, put cooled meat filling ( even and flat)
Cut slits into tops before covering pies.
Seal pie edge with fork and brush egg wash.
Bake at 200C/400f

TIP... The secret to Quebec Tourtiere is the combination of both Ground Beef and Ground Pork, everything else is secondary (or regional). It isn't truly Quebecois unless it has the combo of both meats.

I haven't made my family recipe in years (not a big crowd here at Christmas any longer) BUT if I can dig it up and find it, I will certainly post it.

Timely

communities.canada.com

If anyone is interested, I've posted chef Robert Bourassa's excellent family recipe for tourtiere on my blog www.roneade.com (with slight additions by me, notably double-smoked bacon). Robert includes a little ground venison, which I think gives it more depth, and wine and good stock, of course. It is very easy to make ...

Oh, zymurgist, I see you beat me to it. Many thanks, and happy baking!

C.A. Paradis carries tourtieres from Les Fougeres. I have never tried them, but the food that I've had from Les Fougeres is awesome!

I notice that there's a review of them under the Les Fougeres entry:
ottawafoodies.com

BTW, I never tried them but I seem to recall that Harvest Loaf sells tourtiere

Billy's Butchery! i think you meant Brian's :P

i made that entry. the tourtiere there is VERY plain vanilla. i wouldn't put in the 'best in the city' category - but they're simple and priced accordingly (~$7). you can make much better at home, though.

Les Fougeres are great and I seem to recall having one from La Trappe a Fromage that was good as well. I'm looking forward to trying the Piggy Market ones. We had one of their pork and mushroom pies last week and it was awesome; we have a tourtiere on order. Growing up, that was always our Christmas morning breakfast (tourtiere, that is).

Here is something from the CBC archives about the great tourtière debate:

archives.cbc.ca

Thanks for that link, Inkling. It was kinda interesting and I enjoyed listening to Gzowski again; I may or may not have heard that segment originally - we were still milking cows back then but the girls did listen to Gzowski a lot of mornings in the barn, though they likely preferred some good music to him talking.
I can't ever remember eating a good bought tourtiere, as we always had homemade with the occasional La Belle Fermiere (now that thought just sent shivers though me) when my mom wasn't up to cooking dinner. Like Glinda's mom, my mom used to use Mme Benoit's recipe and I started to use it myself in the 70's and it still is the basis, I guess, but my version now has more flavour and many more ingredients. Our friends who get them for Xmas certainly look forward to them so they must like them too.
If I were to buy one I think I'd like to taste The Piggy Market's version too. Might have to, come to think of it, as I'm late at getting mine made and frozen, been so busy and tired lately, but school's out and I should be more in the mood in a few days, but time is short as we head to Martinique Beach and Musquodoboit Harbour for Xmas.

We picked a pair up from Petit Bill's. Have yet to try one, but will do so shortly and report back.

A second nomination for Les Fougeres. One of the best I've ever tried. Of course, being a condiment lover, their assortment of chutneys and cheeses make the meal. I always buy a jar of tomato chutney to go with my pie...Yum, I could for some of that right now!

So Amusebouche likes tomato chutney with her tourtiere (that reminds me that I used to make a tomato jam that went devilishly well with mine, and before that it was cranberry sauce); nowadays I like port wine jelly; my sister's ex, a francophone, used to smother his with ketchup.

What condiment do you like with your tourtiere?

Glebe meat market makes a great tourtiere made the traditional Quebec style with pork and beef.

The condiment I like with my tourtière depends on the texture. If the pie's a bit on the dry side, ketchup is a fantastic lubricant. If it's moist, Dijon mustard is great.

Both are unabashedly francophone; it's just that they're from opposite sides of the Atlantic!

I like Thyme and Again's tourtière. The Buttercream Bakery on Bank St. also sells tourtière but I haven't had the pleasure of trying it yet (they do always have great soup at lunchtime though!).

Momomoto - try HP Sauce instead of Ketchup if the pie is dry. Gives it a whole new flavour. I will have to try the Dijon when Mom delivers her pies!!!

JDK - Oooh, yeah: HP sauce would work well, wouldn't it? Should try it.

Had our first Petit Bill's tourtière: just had to brush it with egg wash and brown it in a 325-degree oven for about an hour.

Nice and moist, with the meat being quite clovey (if you're into that kind of thing.) I probably should have done something to crisp up the bottom part of the pastry, but whatever. It was delish.

I enjoy Worcestershire sauce with meat pie, and spicy mustard like Colmans (or homemade).