Packham Pears

TOURTIÈRE (Québécois Meat Pie)

Total Time:   1hr 20mins (Prep: 15mins, Cook: 1hr 5mins)
Serves:   8

Ingredients
2½ cups flour
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
½ tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups finely chopped russet potatoes
2 tbsp. canola oil
700grams ground pork
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
½ cup Paracombe Premium Perry ‘The Berg’
½ tsp. celery seed
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, mixed with 2 tbsp. milk, for egg wash

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, mustard, zest and salt in bowl; add butter and using your fingers, rub mixture until pea-size crumbles form.  Add lemon juice and 7 tbsp. ice-cold water and stir with a fork until dough just comes together.  Transfer to a work surface and form into a ball; halve and form each half into a disk.  Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, bring a 4L saucepan of water to a boil; add potatoes and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.  Drain, and mash until smooth; set aside.  Heat oil in a 4L. saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic, onions and carrot, and cook, stirring, until soft and pork is well browned, about 20 minutes.  Add Perry, celery seed, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, bay leaves and pepper, and cook until all liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in mashed potatoes; let filling cool completely.
3. Heat oven to 400°.  Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured work surface and using a rolling pin, roll until ¼ inch thick.  Transfer to a 9 inch pie dish and let excess hang over edge; pour filling into pie dish and smooth top.  Roll remaining dough disk until ¼ inch thick and place over filling.  Trim dough sheets to within 1 inch of edge of pie dish, fold edge underneath itself and crimp with your fingers or a fork, if you like.  Brush with egg wash and using a paring knife, cut four 2 inch slits in the top of the pie.  Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 50 minutes.

Recipe adapted from SAVEUR

SZÉKELYALMÁS (Pork with Pears and Perry Cream Sauce)

Total Time:  30mins (Prep: 15mins, Cook: 15mins)
Serves:   6

Ingredients
1⁄3 cup olive oil
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
700grans pork loin, cut into 1⁄4 inch thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄2 cup flour
3 Beurre Bosc Pears, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 red Holland chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 1⁄2 cups Paracombe Premium Perry ‘The Berg’
1 cup chicken stock
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp. each oil and butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat.  Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge half the pieces in flour; add to skillet and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a plate and set aside; repeat with 2 tbsp. oil, remaining butter and remaining pork and flour; transfer all pork to plate.
2. Return skillet to heat and add remaining oil; add pears, garlic, onion and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add Perry and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Add stock, cream and mustard, and bring to a boil; return pork to skillet, and add marjoram.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley; serve with rice.

Recipe adapted from SAVEUR