After pandemic pause, Boston-area rappie pie gathering resumes

Growing up in Stoneham, Mass., Michelle Trottier remembers how her father would approach people in the grocery store if he spotted a big bag of potatoes and some chicken in their cart.

This led to a question: You don't happen to be making rappie pie?

"Most of the time, the answer was no, but whenever it was a yes, he instantly had this connection and this excitement," said Trottier.

The staple Acadian dish is made of broth, grated potatoes that have had the moisture removed from them, onions and a protein (usually chicken), although some versions even use clams or corned beef.

Trottier's father — a Bourque — was born in the U.S., but his siblings were born in Nova Scotia, as were his parents.

The device in the centre is an electric potato grater, created by Michelle Trottier's dad. It was designed to speed up the process for making rappie pie. (Submitted by Michelle Trottier)

When Trottier was growing up, rappie pie was a fixture of holiday gatherings, always preferable to a turkey or prime rib.

"[My father] was never a presence in the kitchen, except for the making of rappie pie," said Trottier, who lives in Middleton, Mass., which is near Boston.

On Saturday, she and around 200 people will attend an annual rappie pie gathering in nearby Wakefield, Mass. The event started a decade ago and this year will mark the first gathering since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is a potluck, allowing people to sample different rappie pies. There will be music, raffles and lots of socializing.

Ann Noyes will be attending.

"We'll say OK, 'Where are all the D'Eons? Where are the d'Entremonts? Where are the Richards? Where are the Maillets?'" said Noyes.

"So, you know, we'll go through and people will raise their hand and say what family they're from."

Ann Noyes, second from left, is shown with some other rappie pie enthusiasts. Bernadette Lyle, left, is the person who hosted the first rappie pie gathering at her home. (Submitted by Ann Noyes)

Noyes is friends with Trottier and also lives in Middleton. Noyes's father spent most of his childhood in West Pubnico, N.S.

In the Boston area, "everybody is either Irish or Italian," said Noyes. So while there are lots of festivals celebrating these heritages, Acadian culture doesn't get the same recognition.

"When you're Acadian, nobody really knows in this area what that means," she said.

The New England area is home to many people whose ancestors left Nova Scotia for better economic opportunities. Acadian names like d'Entremont and Pothier became anglicized, sounding more like don-tre-mont and poth-e-er.

But one thing some people never gave up was eating rappie pie, or la râpure in French.

Trottier remembers that rappie pie was such a staple in her household for holidays that she didn't realize it wasn't actually a common food for the area.

A family affair

She remembers making rappie pie as a two-day affair, with the broth being made on day one and family members having specific responsibilities. Her job was to use a muslin bag to squeeze the starch and moisture out of the grated potatoes, which was a day-two task.

Making rappie pie from scratch is a laborious process. Trottier's dad, who was a Mr. Fix It type, concocted a grater to speed up the process. The grater's motor came from a washing machine and the base it sat on used the legs of a TV stand. It's a device her brother still has.

Meanwhile, she has the metal basin her father would use for storing the peeled, pre-grated potatoes.

Trottier, who has two kids, said her 25-year-old son recently told her that he wanted to learn how to make rappie pie.

"That was a nice moment," she said.

Making new friends

At the first rappie pie gathering, which was held in a person's home, Noyes and Trottier met and became friends.

The event has since grown too large and a space is rented for it.

And it's likely new friendships will be formed today.

"Rappie pie definitely brings people together. It really does," said Noyes.

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