Tourte à la viande
(A Meat Pie) Recipe

Origin: France      Period: Traditional

This is a classic French meat pie, the antecedents of which go all the way back to the Middle Ages.

Ingredients:

250g veal, diced
250g pork (ham or loin), diced
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
dry white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
1/2 tsp of ground allspice
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 rolls frozen puff pastry, thawed
oil for frying
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water to glaze
1 egg
150ml double cream

Tourte à la viande
(A Meat Pie) Preparation:

Method:

Dice the veal (and the pork loin, if using), add a little oil to a pan and fry the meat until well browned all over. Turn into a bowl then season well before adding the bay leaf, cloves and allspice. Pour over enough white wine to cover the meat then refrigerate over night (at least 12 hours).

The following day, drain the meat then roll out enough of the puff pastry to cover a deep pie dish. Drain the meat and add to the dish along with the parsley. Fold the free ends of the pastry over the top of meat. Roll out the remaining pastry, use a little of the egg wash to dampen the edges of the pastry folded over the meat then add the lid and crimp down to seal.

Cut a cross in the centre of the pastry lid to allow cream to escape (and so you can fill the pie later) then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Bake for 20 minutes then whisk together the egg and double cream. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then pour into the hole in the pie. Return the pie to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.

Serve hot with a green salad.

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