Rappie Pie

Rappie Pie
This traditional Acadian dish made with raw grated potato and meat has been a staple of the region but surprisingly has a very vague background. There are in existence many stories concerning the origins of râpure. Potatoes are said to have appeared in Nova Scotia by the mid-seventeen hundreds and râpure made its début not long after the deportation of the Acadians by the English in 1755.

Some say that the concept of grating potatoes before cooking them could have come from Germany since this type of cooking is also found there. Poland has potato pancakes, there are "poutine râpées" or dumplings in New Brunswick, and variations of the râpure recipe are found in certain Acadian areas throughout the Maritimes. Still with all of these potential connections, the taste and texture of pâté à la râpure in South West Nova Scotia is unique because of its special and traditional recipe.

What makes râpure so different is the idea of separating the juice from the pulp after grating. The traditional way of making râpure involves cooking meat of your choice in approximately 30 cups of water. While the meat is cooking, grate raw peeled potatoes enough to make 4 lbs when juice is extracted, gather the grated potato in some cheese cloth and begin to extract the juice by squeezing the cheese cloth.

Once all the liquid has been remove, place the grated potato into a large bowl and throw the juice away. Add a ¼ lb of margarine, 1tsp salt and 2tsp pepper. Gradually, and stirring constantly, in three stages pour 20-22 cups of your boiling broth over your potato mixture. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, spread half of your potato mixture into a very large greased pan. Add boneless bite sized chunks of meat (chicken, beef, clams, or wild game) evenly. Slowly cover with the rest of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours. Baking the râpure will give it a nice brown crust and cook the potatoes slowly for just the right texture and flavour. Enjoy!

Some people enjoy their râpure with butter while others opt for a sweeter flavour and add molasses to the dish. Ketchup is also very popular while others have cranberry sauce or pickles on the side and some enjoy râpure more the day after when it is reheated in the frying pan. Some call it sacrilege to add anything to this favorite, but the general rule is, as long as you like it that way, eat it however you want.

Râpure can be enjoyed at most of the regional restaurants and can be available in a variety of flavours. The most common varieties sold contain chicken, beef, or clams.

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