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Cipaille
Layered meat and potato pie
Cipaille: Quebec's deep layered holiday pie of mixed meats, potato and pastry
Cipaille (also cipâte or six-pâtes) is a deep, layered Quebec pie baked for the Christmas and New Year holidays, especially in the Gaspé and Lac-Saint-Jean regions. Layers of cubed meats, here pork, beef and chicken (some families add game), alternate with potato, onion and sheets of pastry in a deep pot, covered with stock and baked slowly for hours until the meat is meltingly tender. It feeds a crowd at the réveillon. Chef's tip: marinate the meats overnight with onion and savory; it seasons them through.
- Total time
- 360 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the meats
- 1 ⅓ lb pork shoulderin 2 cm cubes
- 1 ⅓ lb beef chuckin 2 cm cubes
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken thighsin 2 cm cubes
- 3 onionschopped
- 2 tsp dried savory
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the layers
- 2 ¼ lb shortcrust or pie pastryhomemade or ready-made
- 1 ⅓ lb potatoespeeled and diced
- 5 cups beef or chicken stockhot
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb pork shoulder, 1 ⅓ lb beef chuck, 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken thighs, 3 onions, 2 tsp dried savory, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cover and chill overnight.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll out a third of 2 ¼ lb shortcrust or pie pastry and line the base of a large, deep ovenproof pot or casserole.
10 minStep 3: Spread a third of the meat and a third of 1 ⅓ lb potatoes in the pot. Cover with a thinner sheet of pastry with a few slits. Repeat twice more, finishing with a pastry lid; cut a hole in the centre.
20 minStep 4: Pour 5 cups beef or chicken stock through the hole until it just reaches the top layer.
Step 5: Cover with the lid and bake for 45 minutes at 400°F, then lower to 300°F (275°F fan) and bake for 4 hours, adding stock through the hole if it looks dry. A common mistake is a hot oven all the way: the pastry burns before the beef is tender.
285 minStep 6: Take the lid off for the last 30 minutes to brown the top. Check that a cube of chicken from the centre reads 165°F and the beef is tender, then rest for 15 minutes and serve with pickled beets.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cipaille take?
- About 360 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 300 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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