A little bit of French Canadian Christmas tradition comes to Granard

Gary O’Hanlon, head chef at Viewmount House in Longford, shares a recipe for a meat pie that brings back special memories for him

Gary and Annette O’Hanlon and their daughter Cora. Photograph: Willie Farrell

Gary O'Hanlon

Tue Dec 23 2014 - 12:00

This is a French Canadian recipe that’s been handed down from four or five generations of a family in Boston that I am very close to. It had never left their family circle until they met me.

I fell in love with it so much that my friend Pat Saiya passed the recipe for it on to me when I left Boston in 2005.

It’s only ever made at Christmas and eaten with non other than a big dollop of Heinz Ketchup. Generally it is after midnight Mass and then again for breakfast – if you’re as greedy as me.

I first tasted Tourtiere on Christmas morning 2003. It’s tradition in Pat’s house in Boston every Christmas and I started the same tradition last year when I moved into my new home in Granard with my wife and our baby Cora, seen her wearing her first Christmas jumper.

The aromas from this pie are Christmas personified.