Recipe
Québec Chicken Tourtière
Prep Time:
Cook Time: 50 min
Serves: 8
While traditionally made with pork or beef, our version uses the dark meat of chicken thighs, as well as ground chicken, for an equally delicious take on this classic Quebecoise dish.
Ingredients
Apple Ketchup:
1 tsp (5 mL)
olive oil
1
apple, peeled and chopped
2
cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL)
tomato paste
1 cup (250 mL)
diced tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 mL)
dried cranberries
1/4 cup (60 mL)
apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp (45 mL)
brown sugar
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)
ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)
each salt and pepper
Pinch hot pepper flakes
Filling:
2 tbsp (30 mL)
vegetable oil
4
skinless chicken thighs (1 lb/500 g)
1 tsp (5 mL)
each salt and pepper, divided
2 cups (500 mL)
sliced mushrooms
1
onion, chopped
3
cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL)
white wine
1 lb (0.5 kg)
ground chicken
1 tsp (5 mL)
dried thyme
1 tsp (5 mL)
dried crumbled sage
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)
dried savory
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)
ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)
ground cloves
1 cup (250 mL)
sodium-reduced chicken broth
1
bay leaf
1 cup (250 mL)
mashed potatoes
Crust:
2
frozen pie shells, thawed
1
egg, beaten
Instructions
Apple Ketchup
1
Heat oil in saucepan set over high heat; cook apple and garlic for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cranberries, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until thickened. Let cool completely. Purée in food processor or blender. Can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Filling
1
Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs all over with half of the salt and pepper; cook for about 5 minutes per side or until browned. Transfer to plate using slotted spoon; set aside. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in onion and garlic; cook for about 10 minutes or until tender and almost no liquid remains in pan.
2
Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Crumble in ground chicken; sprinkle with thyme, sage, savory, cinnamon, cloves and remaining salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up with back of spoon, for about 10 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through. Pour in chicken broth and add bay leaf; bring to boil. Return chicken thighs to pan along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and liquid is almost completely evaporated. Remove from heat.
3
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Transfer chicken thighs to cutting board; using two forks, shred chicken. Stir shredded chicken and mashed potatoes into skillet. (Note: mixture should be moist but not have any liquid pooling; if necessary, cook for about 1 minute to reduce liquid.)
Crust
1
Place 1 pie shell on baking sheet; scrape chicken mixture into pie shell. Brush edges with beaten egg. Remove remaining pie shell from foil dish and drape over filling. Pinch edges together to seal tightly; crimp edges using fork. Brush top with beaten egg. Make 3 small slashes in centre of pie.
2
Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 400°F (200°C); bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Apple Ketchup.