Food
3 min Read
Tourtiere Pot Pies with Gluten-Free Pastry
November 13, 2013
Food
3 min Read
November 13, 2013
Without gluten, there’s no need to worry about tough pastry; with a tender, shortbread texture, chilling this dough well will make it easier to roll. Use it to top these festive savoury pies, or for any traditional pie or tart recipe.
Filling:
Canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped (with their leaves)
3/4–1 lb. (375–454 g) lean ground beef
3/4 –1 lb. (375–454 g) ground pork
1 thin-skinned potato, coarsely grated
1 tbsp (30 ml) rice fl our or gluten-free flour blend
1 tsp (5 ml) sage or thyme
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) allspice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) chicken or beef stock
Pastry:
1 cup (250 ml) rice flour or all-purpose gluten free
flour blend (plus extra for rolling)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) gluten-free baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1/3 cup (85 ml) butter or lard, chilled and cut into pieces
3–4 tbsp (45–60 ml) cold water
1 large egg
In a large, heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and celery for 3–4 minutes, until soft. Add the beef and pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until no longer pink. Add the potato and cook for another minute or two.
Sprinkle the mixture with fl our, sage or thyme, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper, stirring to distribute it evenly. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer; cook until the mixture thickens and reduces. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly while you make the pastry.
To make the pastry, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor; add the butter or lard and pulse until almost combined, with some bigger lumps of fat the size of a pea. Add the water and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal; dump out onto a piece of parchment and gather into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the meat mixture between six individual ramekins, or a single large baking dish. On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of parchment, roll the pastry out about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into rounds or squares slightly larger than the baking dishes. Stir the egg with a fork and use a pastry brush to brush a bit around the outer rim of the baking dish(es) – this will act as glue for the pastry overhang – and drape a piece of pastry over each pie. Cut a few slits in the top to let steam escape, and brush the tops with beaten egg.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Serve warm.
Serves 6.
Per serving: 463 calories, 23.2 g fat (12 g saturated fat, 9.4 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat), 31.8 g carbohydrates, 127 mg cholesterol, 25.7 g protein, 2 g fibre.
Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, November 2013.