We made this LCBO Food and Drink Holliday 2006 recipe numerous times, and, over time modified it slightly making it more to the flavours we love. It is a lighter version of the French Canadian classic and very easy to make!
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry (you can make your own, but to save time we use the frozen store bought pastry)
- 2 tbsp (25ml) olive oil
- 1 lb (500 g) ground pork
- 1/2 lb (250g) ground beef
- 1/2 lb (250g) ground veal
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup (125ml) finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup (250ml) chopped fennel
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp (2ml) dried thyme
- 1 tsp (5ml) dry mustard
- 1 tsp (5ml) allspice
- 1/2 tsp (2ml) ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp (2ml) cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (25ml) rolled oats
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml ) beef stock
- 2 tbsp (25ml) dried bread crumbs
- Egg wash (1 egg beaten + 1 tbsp (15ml) whipping cream)
Instructions
To make the filling
- heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat
- add ground meat and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the pinkness disappears. Drain the fat
- Stir in onion, carrots, fennel, bay leaf, dried thyme, dry mustard, allspice, cinnamon, rolled oats and salt and pepper. Add enough stock to just cover the top of the meat. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook slowly for about 45 minutes, or until the onions disappear. Stir after 30 minutes. Check and re-season if needed. Cool, remove and discard bay leaf.
To assemble
- Preheat oven to 450F (230C)
- Flour counter or pastry board heavily. With a floured rolling pin roll pastry out to a rectangle 5×12 inches (12×30 cm), rolling away from you. Divide the dough into 2 pieces
- Roll both piece out into 9×12 inch (23x30cm). Lay 1 sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over pastry base to absorb any fat.
- Pile meat mixture onto bottom pastry crust, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) border. Brush edge of pastry with water. Top with remaining piece of pastry and press edges together to seal, crimping decoratively if desired
- Combine egg and cream and brush the pastry. Cut steam vents into top crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes in lower half of the oven. Reduce the heat to 400F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Serve with Almonte Canning Rhubarb Apricot and Cherry Chutney or Almonte’s Shamrock Gardens Savoury Tomato & Onion Jam.
