Today, November 23rd, our neighbors to the south in the USA, are celebrating their Thanksgiving Day. It encompasses both religious and secular aspects … being both a harvest festival and a festival of family.
Here in Canada, we have already enjoyed our Thanksgiving in October, but I thought it would be nice to acknowledge their holiday with posting a special meal.
Savory Pork & Turkey Pie is an interesting combination of pork, turkey and stuffing. This recipe was born after a long-time love of homemade pot pies and some trial and error on various meat pies. It’s made with chicken, pork fillet, leftover stuffing, and a flavorful blend of spices and herbs all wrapped in a sour cream cornmeal pie crust. It’s incredibly tasty, even reheated as leftovers.
Of course, it wasn’t that the pie isn’t really good as it is, but the spiced cranberries are certainly the ‘icing on the cake’ you could say. Nobody goes to a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal and says, ‘I can’t wait to try the cranberry sauce this year’! But while it is not the center of the meal, it is certainly an important component of it.
Fresh cranberry sauce has become almost as important as the turkey itself. A Thanksgiving feast doesn’t feel complete without a bowl of cranberry sauce. Undeniably, the tangy condiment has become as much of a showpiece as the traditional turkey it’s served with!
This version of the cherished sauce brings a modern twist to the holiday table. Simmered in spiced cranberry liqueur, the cranberries acquire an exquisite depth and a delicate sweetness. Meanwhile, the cinnamon and orange zest, simmered alongside the colorful berries, bring a bit of nuance and extra layers of flavor. Once done, the sauce ends up having a compote-like texture, which makes it even more luxurious.
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- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- 1/3 cup ice water
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 90 gm OR 7 Tbsp cold butter
- 2 Tbsp butter,
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, sage leaves & summer savory
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup milk OR half & half
- 350 gm cooked turkey
- 350 gm cooked pork fillet
- 250 gm prepared stuffing
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
- 1 cup Spiced Cranberry Liqueur
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 340 gm (12 oz.) fresh cranberries
- 2 cinnamon sticks (3" long)
- 1 tsp orange zest
- pinch of sea salt
Ingredients
Sour Cream Cornmeal Pastry
Filling
Cranberries w/ Spiced Liqueur
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- In a small bowl, combine sour cream & ice water; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar & salt. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, cut in butter until mixture resembles both coarse crumbs & small peas. Sprinkle the cold sour cream mixture over dough, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with a fork to evenly distribute it.
- After you have added all the sour cream mixture, dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed; if not add additional cold water, 1 tsp at a time. DO NOT overwork dough. Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Line the base & sides of an 8-inch spring form pan leaving about a 1-inch dough overhang. Refrigerate until filling is prepared.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, thyme, sage, savory, salt, & pepper. Add chicken broth and milk all at once.
- Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cooked chicken, pork & stuffing, being careful not to overmix. Taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden.
- In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, take out cinnamon sticks.
- Top pie w/ cranberry compote.
