It's a valid complaint: the poutine looked grey because of the gravy and the Rappie Pie was grey because of the potatoes. Grey food does look rather unappetizing, doesn't it?
A word of advice: this dish is in some serious need of some spices. Salt and pepper, mostly, but you couldn't go wrong with a pick-me-up from a little thyme, savory, or marjoram.
So far, this has been my least favorite meal, but by no fault of it's own. Apparently, after the Acadian Expulsion had been lifted and native groups returned to southeastern Canada, their traditional lands had been given to immigrants. The remaining land was good for growing potatoes and the Acadians added meat to these potatoes to create this dish.
The potatoes are soaked in water and squeezed dry as much as possible before being mixed with chicken broth. The chicken is sandwiched between the potatoes and is then baked. It's a simple recipe, but a lot of work, with not such great results. I'd be curious to go to Nova Scotia someday to see if their Rappie Pie is any better.
Rappie Pie (original recipe here)
Serves 6
3 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
2-3 cups chicken broth (homemade or canned)
5 large potatoes
5 tbs butter, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Fill a large bowl or pot with water. Peel potatoes, putting the peeled ones into the bowl of water to prevent them from turning black.
2. Grate potatoes into a large bowl of water. When all of the potatoes have been grated, squeeze out as much water as possible. Place in another large bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8x8 casserole dish with 2 tbs butter. Place half of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish. Generously season with salt and pepper.
4. Top potatoes with chicken. Top chicken with the rest of the potatoes. Generously sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
5. Pour 2-3 cups of chicken broth on top of the casserole and dot with the remaining butter. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours.
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