 Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean, ready to be put into the oven for baking | |
| Type | Meat pie |
|---|---|
| Course | Main Dish |
| Place of origin | Quebec, Canada |
| Region or state | Quebec,Acadia,Eastern Ontario,Northeastern Ontario,French Manitoba, andNew England (US) |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | pork,veal,beef, or fish; game meat (e.g. bear meat, rabbit meat, venison, etc.); potatoes |
| Other information | Eaten: New Year's Eve, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving |
| Cuisine of Quebec |
|---|
 |
Tourtière (French:[tuʁtjɛʁ],Quebec French:[tuʁt͡sjaɛ̯ʁ]) is aFrench Canadianmeat pie dish originating from theprovince ofQuebec, usually made with mincedpork,veal orbeef and potatoes. Wild game meat such as bear or venison is sometimes used.[1] It is a traditional part of the Christmasréveillon andNew Year's Eve meal inQuebec.[2][3] It is also popular inNew Brunswick, and is sold ingrocery stores across the rest ofCanada all year long. It gets its name from the tourte, which is what it was originally made from. Though the name "tourtière" is derived from its filling, the tourte—the French name for thepassenger pigeon that is now extinct in North America—was historically used as its filling before the 20th century.[4]
Tourtière is notexclusive to Quebec. It is atraditionalFrench-Canadian dish served throughoutCanada and the bordering areas of theUnited States. In theNew England region of the U.S., especially inMaine,Rhode Island,Vermont,New Hampshire, andMassachusetts (e.g.,Chicopee andAttleboro), late 19th and early 20th century, immigrants from Quebec introduced the dish.[5]
There is no one correct filling; the meat depends on what is regionally available. In coastal areas, fish such as salmon is commonly used, whereas pork, beef,rabbit and game are often included inland. The name derives from the vessel in which it was originally cooked, a tourtière.[6][7][8]: 63
Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean has become the traditional and iconic dish of the region ofSaguenay,Quebec, since theSecond World War, and it has undergone several metamorphoses.
During the 18th century, "sea pie" became popular among French and British colonists, and it seems to be "the direct forerunner of the tourtière of Lac-Saint-Jean".[9]
Tourtière has been called "an example of 'the cuisine of the occupied,' food that is French by way of the British, who took Quebec in 1759."[10]
The tourtières of theSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area and Eastern Quebec are slow-cooked deep-dish meat pies made withpotatoes and various meats (often including wild game or turkey) cut into small cubes.[11]
Elsewhere in Quebec and the rest of Canada, this variety of tourtière is sometimes referred to, in French and in English, asTourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean ortourtière saguenéenne to distinguish it from the varieties of tourtière with ground meat.In the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area, however, the varieties of tourtière with ground meat are typically referred to as "pâté à la viande" ("meat pie"), while the name "tourtière" is reserved exclusively for their local variety.
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Tourtière inMontreal is made with finely ground pork only (which can be hard to find as the meat is often ground too coarsely elsewhere). Water is added to the meat after browning, andcinnamon andcloves give it a distinctive flavour. Many people useketchup as a condiment, though the tourtière is also often eaten withmaple syrup ormolasses, orcranberry preserves.
Although it is less popular than the original tourtière and the tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean, this version can also be commonly found throughout Canada and its surrounding areas.
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Tourtière is an integral part of holiday-time meals forFrench Canadians in theWinnipeg neighbourhoods ofSt. Boniface andSt. Norbert, as well as in Manitoba's ruralFrancophone areas. Browned meat is seasoned with varying combinations ofsavory,nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon,celery salt, drymustard,salt and pepper.
Acadian tourtière, orpâté à la viande (pâté is casserole or pie), is apork pie that may also contain chicken, hare and beef.[12] Pâté à la viande varies from region to region inNew Brunswick,Nova Scotia andPrince Edward Island. In Petit-Rocher and Campbellton the dish is prepared in small pie plates and known aspetits cochons (little pigs).[12]
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