Hot Tourtière Nibbles

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 9 slices ordinary bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 lb ground lean lamb
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, about 1 small yellow onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried summer savory
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup turkey stock or 3/4 cup chicken stock or 3/4 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 -3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400ºf
• 2 very thinly slice crusts from bread; reserve for filling.
• 3 move a rolling pin over each slice to flatten. lightly brush both sides with butter; cut each into 4 triangles.
• 4 working in batches, press each triangle down into a mini muffin pan cup and shape as needed.
• 5 bake in centre of preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until tips and bottoms are golden. cool on a rack.
• 6 store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze.
• 7 to make filling, whirl reserved bread crusts in a food processor until crumbs form; set aside ½ cup.
• 8 freeze remaining bread crumbs in a rigid-sided container to use for another purpose. heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. when hot, crumble in lamb; sauté 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. stir in onion, garlic, celery and carrot; cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• 9 stir in thyme, salt, cloves, savoury, black pepper and stock. cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. then stir in bread crumbs and parsley; remove from heat. cool until able to handle. (covered and refrigerated; filling keeps for up to 3 days.).
• 10 when ready to serve, press cooled tourtière mixture into toast cups, heaping slightly. this can be done even a day ahead if covered and kept chilled.
• 11 preheat oven to 350ºf.
• 12 arrange filled cup on an ungreased baking sheet. bake 10 minutes or until hot. top with a dab of mustard and garnish with a tiny piece of thyme. serve immediately.