Cipaille Recipe

Name: Cipaille
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 500 g beef chuck, cut into 3 cm cubes; 500 g pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes; 500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm cubes; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 800 g potatoes, peeled and sliced 5 mm thick; 2 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp dried savory or thyme; ¼ tsp ground cloves; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 2 bay leaves; 500 ml beef stock; 600 g plain flour, for the pastry; 300 g cold lard or butter, cubed; 1 ½ tsp fine salt, for the pastry; 200 ml ice-cold water; 1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Why This Cipaille Recipe Works

Cipaille, sometimes spelled sea pie or cipâte, is a Quebec meat pie built in layers, and it is one of the dishes of the Christmas and New Year table in Quebec, along with tourtière. The name is thought to come from the English sea pie, a layered pie cooked by sailors, and it is made with whatever is available, which in the past included game such as partridge, hare and moose, and now usually means beef, pork and chicken. What sets it apart from a tourtière is its structure. Rather than a ground filling in a pastry case, cipaille is a deep dish with three layers of pastry-wrapped meat, potato and onion, the meat in large pieces, cooked slowly for hours in a low oven so that the juices from the meat cook the potatoes and turn into gravy. The seasoning is savory, cloves and nutmeg, the flavours of Quebec baking spice, and it is what makes the dish taste of home.

How to Make Cipaille

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For the pastry, rub the fat into the flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in enough of the water to make a dough. Divide it into a large piece for the base and sides and a smaller piece for the lid, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Mix the salt, pepper, savory, cloves and nutmeg together.
Roll out the larger piece of pastry and line a deep 3-litre casserole or ovenproof pot, letting the pastry hang over the edge.
Layer a third of the onions in the pastry, then a third of the beef, pork and chicken, then a third of the potatoes, sprinkling each layer with the spice mix. Repeat twice more and tuck in the bay leaves.
Pour the stock over the top, then fold the overhanging pastry inwards.
Roll the smaller piece of pastry into a lid, lay it on top, and press the edges together. Cut a steam hole, and brush the top with egg.
Bake for 30 minutes to brown the crust, then lower the oven to 150°C / 300°F, cover the pie loosely with foil, and bake for 3 hours.
Rest for 20 minutes before cutting, then serve in thick wedges with a spoonful of the gravy from the base.

Tips for Making Cipaille

Keep the meat in large pieces. Small pieces cook to nothing in three hours, while 3 cm cubes stay meaty.
Season every layer. Seasoning only the top leaves the middle bland, and potato absorbs a lot of salt.
Cover the pie with foil after the first 30 minutes. The crust colours early and would burn over the long, low cook.

What to Serve with Cipaille

Pickled beets
Green salad
Ketchup aux fruits, or a sweet fruit chutney

Storing & Reheating Cipaille

Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheats well in a 160°C oven for 25 minutes, covered. Freeze in slices for up to 3 months.

Cipaille FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Cipaille take to make?

About 4 hours 30 minutes in total — 1 hour of preparation and 3 hours 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 10.

What are the key tips for making Cipaille?

Keep the meat in large pieces. Small pieces cook to nothing in three hours, while 3 cm cubes stay meaty. Season every layer. Seasoning only the top leaves the middle bland, and potato absorbs a lot of salt. Cover the pie with foil after the first 30 minutes. The crust colours early and would burn over the long, low cook.

What should I serve with Cipaille?

Pickled beets; Green salad; Ketchup aux fruits, or a sweet fruit chutney.

Can Cipaille be made ahead or frozen?

Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheats well in a 160°C oven for 25 minutes, covered. Freeze in slices for up to 3 months.

Is Cipaille suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is high-protein and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Cipaille?

About 805 kcal per serving, with 37 g protein, 63 g carbohydrate and 45 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Cipaille Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

805Calories

37gProtein

63gCarbs

45gFat

4gFibre

2gSugar

990mgSodium

High-Protein No Added Sugar

Cipaille

How to Make Cipaille

Tips for Making Cipaille

What to Serve with Cipaille

Storing & Reheating Cipaille

Cipaille FAQ: Common Questions

Cipaille Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Cipaille

Tips for Making Cipaille

What to Serve with Cipaille

Storing & Reheating Cipaille

Cipaille FAQ: Common Questions

Cipaille Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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