Tourte de Noël (French Christmas Meat Pie)

Pastry

• 250 g Plain flour
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 125 g Unsalted butter, cold
• 1 Egg
• 30 ml Water, cold

Filling

• 2 Shallot
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 15 g Unsalted butter
• 300 g Minced pork
• 300 g Minced veal
• 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
• ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 30 ml Brandy

1. Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in 125 g of the cold butter until it looks like fine crumbs, then mix in the egg and enough cold water to bring it together into a dough.
2. Shape the dough into a disc, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the shallots and crush the garlic.
3. Melt 15 g butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the shallots with a pinch of salt for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Tip the shallot mixture into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the minced pork and veal, strip in the thyme leaves, then season with nutmeg, black pepper and salt.
5. Pour in the brandy and mix thoroughly until the filling feels cohesive. Chill the filling while you roll the pastry so it stays easy to handle.
6. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll out two thirds of the pastry and line a 20 cm cake tin, leaving a slight overhang.
7. Pack the meat filling into the pastry case, pressing out any air pockets. Roll out the remaining pastry for a lid, lay it over the top, then crimp to seal and trim neatly.
8. Cut a small steam hole in the centre of the lid. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling is piping hot.
9. Rest the pie for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so the juices settle. Serve warm.

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