Over the course of several years I have been fortunate to visit almost all the provinces and territories in Canada — and enjoyed the food at many stops along the way.
Whether it be maple syrup and apple pie, moose burgers, cod tongues or rappure pie, caribou stew or bannock, this country embraces us all with foods that are typically Canadian.
This week’s column features food from two of the areas I’ve visited and a bannock recipe from a destination still on the bucket list.
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Nunavut’s Pan-Fried Bannock
2 cups flour
3 tbsps. baking powder
1 cup raisins or seasonal berries
2 cups water
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lard
Mix flour and baking powder. Cream eggs and sugar. Alternately add flour and water and mix. Stir in raisins or berries.
Melt lard in a frying pan on medium heat. Pour bannock mixture into pan and cook on medium. Rotate the bannock so it cooks evenly. Turn over to cook on other side. Insert fork to ensure bannock is cooked inside. Cut into portions and remove from pan. Cool on rack. Serve with a berry jam or honey.
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Yukon Moose Burgers
1 lb. ground moose meat
1/2 cup cooled, caramelized onion
4 tsps. melted bacon fat
1/2 tsp. savoury
1 egg, beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
4-5 slices aged cheddar
In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, egg, bacon fat and savoury. Add ground moose and mix until just combined. Form into 4-5 patties and refrigerate for one hour.
Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat. Add some oil then sear patties, turning once. Meat is done when thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
Top each pattie with cheese and broil until cheese melts.
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Pan-Fried Manitoba Pickerel
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 lbs. or more pickerel fillets
3 tbsps. canola oil
lemon wedges
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly coat both sides of each fillet.
Heat canola oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When oil is heated, fry the fillets for 2-3 minutes on each side. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Pickerel may also be baked at 450 degrees F in a buttered baking dish. Dot fillets with butter and seasonings. Add some lemon juice and water and bake about 20 minutes.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
