Tourtiere

We had this for Christmas Eve dinner.  It was the first time I made it and I tried out an almond flour crust that came out pretty good.  I have a few notes that will make this truly outstanding the next time out but wanted to share it with you overall as it was a nice meal for a busy evening of wrapping presents, attending service, and trying to quell the force of a 7 year old really embracing the spirit this year.

Tourtiere
from Maggie Rogers via AllRecipes.com
 
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large baking potato (I used japanese yam and kept it in small chunks)
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 dash ground allspice
1/2 cup water
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon paprika

The pastry I used was this tart crust recipe from Elana's Pantry.   I made three separate batches since I made a 12 inch pie with 2 lbs. of ground pork from Prather Ranch.  The crust held up beautifully but was a little on the thick side for the bottom of the pie.  I pressed it int with my fingers but next time I'm going to try to smooth it out more using a small glass jar or something to keep it more even.  I refrigerated the amount I wanted to use for the top and rolled it out between 2 sheets of wax paper.  It cracked a little when I went to cover the pie, but i just put some extra bits over the cracks and it worked well. 

For the pie filling: 

Bake the potato until done, 30 - 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven. Peel and mash the potato, or cut into small dice.

Place the potato, ground pork, onion, spices and water in a large frying pan and simmer until very thick, for about one hour. 

Meanwhile, prepare your pastry. 

Line a deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Spoon in filling, spreading evenly. Cover with top crust. 

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cut steam vent. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). If edges brown too fast, cover with a strip of foil. Serve warm. 

I served this with a salad of pomegranate, pear, and pommelo, dressed with a blood orange infused olive oil and tangerine balsamic vinegar from Del'Oliva. (Thanks, Tara!)