Recipe: Moose Tourtière is a wild game update on the classic French-Canadian meat pie

RECIPE & PHOTO BY CAMERON TAIT

One of Canada’s most beloved homegrown dishes is the classic tourtière, a savoury meat pie dating back to the French settlers of the 1600s. Wrapped in a flaky pastry shell, the tasty filling is traditionally made with ground pork, mashed potato and the unmistakable trio of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Even better, swap out the pork for ground moose. And any cut will work, as long as the silver skin and sinew are removed. No moose? Elk and deer are fantastic substitutions. Served piping hot and topped with a rich onion soup sauce, can it get any more Canadian? Serves 8

• 4 slices bacon, chopped fine
• 2 lb ground moose meat, well-trimmed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 each carrots & celery ribs, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 medium russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 puff pastry sheets (850 g box), thawed overnight in fridge
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tbsp water

SAUCE

• 298 g can Campbell’s French onion soup
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp each flour and cold water, combined

1. In a large pot set on medium-high heat, add bacon and moose meat. Brown moose until fully cooked, then add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sweat for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Add beef stock and reduce 80 per cent, then add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, rosemary, salt and pepper; check seasoning and set aside.
3. In another pot, boil potatoes until tender, then remove from water, peel skin and mash with a fork until smooth.
4. Combine potatoes with moose mixture, check seasoning, then place in fridge to cool for at least three hours.
5. Coat a cast-iron pan or ovenproof dish with cooking spray, then carefully lay down one sheet of pastry (removed from fridge 30 minutes earlier). Spoon chilled moose and potato on top, and press down firmly to compact the mixture.
6. Brush the bottom side of the second pastry sheet with egg wash, then lay on top of moose and potato. Press down to connect the two sheets of pastry, then trim excess dough. Brush top of pie with egg wash, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and cut a round hole to vent steam while baking. Place in fridge overnight.
7. Place pie in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 180°F.
8. In a small pot, simmer onion soup and red wine for 15 minutes, then thicken with flour and water slurry, and check seasoning. Drizzle resulting sauce on top of pie wedges, garnish with fresh tomato and a sprig of rosemary, then serve.

FOR THE GLASS

Served at a cool room temperature of 16°C to 18°C, this medium-bodied, oak-aged Merlot from the Niagara Peninsula’s Wayne Gretzky Estates makes a perfect match for this hearty moose dish. Expect flavours of black cherry, vanilla and blue plum, with subtle black pepper notes.