Special dishes
Memory
This was my mother’s Christmas Eve recipe.
Sea Pie
This is a delicious traditional recipe.
Interesting facts
This French-Canadian dish actually originated in England. “Sea pie” is a large meat pie wrapped in a flaky crust. It was served on trans-Atlantic ships many years ago. The word is sometimes spelled cipaille or sipaille, and is also called cipâte or six-pasta. It is a complete meal in and of itself. The meats are tender and melt in your mouth.
Servings
8 to 12
Prep time
1 hour and 45 minutes
Cooking time
7 hours
Ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantitites | |
|---|---|---|
| For the crust | ||
| all-purpose flour | 1 litre (4 cups) | |
| baking powder | 10 ml (2 teaspoons) | |
| salt | 5 ml (1 teaspoon) | |
| shortening froid | 450 g (1 lb) | |
| egg, beaten | 1 | |
| white vinegar | 15 ml (1 tablespoon) | |
| cold water | 250 ml (1 cup) | |
| For the filling | ||
| chuck roast, cubed | 1.1 kg (2.5 lbs) | |
| pork roast, cubed | 1.1 kg (2.5 lbs) | |
| veal roast, cubed | 1.1 kg (2.5 lbs) | |
| salt pork, sliced | 1 pound (1 lb) | |
| onions, cut into large chunks | 3 | |
| salt and pepper | To taste | |
| store-bought chicken stock | 4 cups | |
| egg, beaten | 1 |
Directions
For the crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cut the shortening into the flour using a pastry cutter until it is evenly distributed in little crumbs.
- Add the egg and vinegar, and mix with a fork.
- Gradually add the water, lifting and turning the mixture with a spatula (or your hands) to prevent any one part of the dough from getting wetter than the other.
- Continue mixing until the dough holds together when pinched between your fingers.
- Divide the dough into two balls and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough balls into two 12-inch (30-cm) discs. Set aside.
For the filling
- Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 275 °F (135 °C).
- In the bottom of a large cast-iron or enamel pot or casserole, lay down a layer of the salt pork.
- Top with a layer of the cubed meat mixture.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Add a layer of chopped onion and then cover with one of the discs of dough.
- Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4, without adding any dough.
- Finish by covering everything with the second disc of dough. Fold the excess dough over the top to cover the meat. The dough should be level with the pot.
- Make an incision in the centre of the pie right to the bottom of the pot. Pour the stock through the hole until it reaches the height of the pastry.
- Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 6 hours.
- Increase the oven temperature to 325 °F (162 °C) and remove the aluminium foil.
- Brush the top of the pie crust with the beaten egg.
- Bake for an additional hour or until the pastry is golden brown.
Important: During baking, add water as necessary but try not to add any near the end. The final texture shouldn’t be too runny. It is important to cook the pie until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the meat and dough.