My first full winter in England, and I have succumbed to the ritual of the Sunday roast. Carbs and gravy, you can't really go wrong when the sky is grey and the cider is sparkling. British Sundays are good days.
But I have missed one Canadian treat, Tourtière. My mother would bake, making two or three at a time, and they would appear on Christmas Eve, a Réveillon tradition.
Bringing back the Quebecois, so follows my vegetarian version, perfect for winter days.
Puy Lentil Tourtière
adapted from my Mother's recipe
one cup puy lentils
vegetable stock cube
one cup TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
olive oil
four garlic cloves, finely chopped
half white onion, finely chopped
two tomatoes, roughly chopped
three tablespoons tomato paste
salt + pepper
one teaspoon savory
one teaspoon brown sugar
two shortcrust rolls
soy milk for brushing
In large pot bring one cup of water and lentils to the boil, add stock cube then simmer gently for twenty minutes. In a small bowl add one cup of boiling water to the
TVP to reconstitute, let sit for ten minutes. Pan fry the garlic and onion in olive oil, then add tomatoes and paste. Cook slowly to soften.
Once lentils have cooked and absorbed most of the water add in moist TVP and onion garlic mixture. Mix in spices and sugar, salt and pepper to taste. reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes. Remove from heat and let sit.
Preheat oven to 230 C.
Roll out base crust and line pie tin. Pour in filling, levelling out, and roll out second crust to create lid. Slash the center to allow for steam, and brush the lid with soy milk for golden brown crust. Bake pie for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 180C and continue baking for forty minutes.
Serve with pan fried winter greens, and red wine aplenty.
