Rappie Pie The Movie

For any of you that missed the recipe in "Whats Up Yukon" during xmas, here's a recap with some extra tips thrown in there. The first time you make this you gonna be surprised how complex this dish actually is to make. You will find yourself sweating and needing a drink by the time the pie goes into the oven! Also made a little micro video of some of the key steps involved. The video is taking from two separate pie sessions. Had fun making it! I made 2 large pies and one small one with this recipe. They freeze really well for later use, so don't be discouraged to make the whole thing. Its also great warmed up with some bacon and sunny side eggs on top! For the best flavour don't, skim the fat from the stock, only the scum that floats during the first hour of cooking. When duck/chicken fat soaks into the potatoes, it gives it that extra little bit of love that keeps you coming back for more! ENJOY THE SHOW!! LMAO!!!

Acadian Rappie Pie

(Serves 10 generously)

INGREDIENTS

1 medium free range chicken or 2 rabbits, 2 grouse, 1 duck/1 rabbit, et cetera

4 lg onions, peeled and chopped (reserve one for broth)

15-lb bag of baker style potatoes

4 tbsp salted green onions (or substitute sliced regular green onions)

bacon fat or butter

1 large (7L) or 2 medium roasting pans

METHOD

Ø Place the chicken and one onion (quartered) in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is tender and broth is tasty (takes up to three hours). Skim off any scum that surfaces during the cooking process. (you can add some more aromatics at this point if you like)

Ø While chicken cooks, peel your spuds, placing them in a clean sink covered with water. Brian recommends “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen to get through this part. (Get into it, I know you want to)

Ø Heat a pan and add the bacon fat or butter, the chopped onions and salted green onions. Cook till golden (about 15-20 minutes) on medium-low heat. Reserve. (I like the slightest bit of browning on the onions)

Ø If your chicken is not cooked by now, relax and use this time to clean up a little in the kitchen. Preheat your oven to 375F and place your roasting pan inside. (If you plan ahead, start the cooking before you start anything)

Ø Now it's time for the dodgiest part. When chicken is tender, carefully remove the chicken from the pot into a large bowl. I have heard of people being seriously burnt by dropping the chicken back into the pot and being hit by a tidal wave of boiling broth! (For god sakes just be care full!)

Ø Do not dump broth down drain! Shred all the meat, discarding skin and bones.

Ø You should now have a pot of broth, a pan of cooked onions, a bowl of shredded chicken and a sink full of peeled potatoes.

Ø Measure your broth - you will need 13 cups. Add hot water or other stock to make up the amount needed. 13 cups is roughly the amount of juice you will squeeze from the potatoes.

From here on out everything happens pretty fast and you need to really move. Have ready a food processor with a fine grater, 1 large clean bowl, one medium bowl and a clean white tea towel or pillow case. Keep the broth simmering. (I used cheese cloth with good results last time)

Ø Working in batches, start shredding potato through your food processor (or, painfully, use a box grater). Place grated potato in towel and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the potato, into the medium bowl.

Ø Discard juice. Place the squeezed potatoes in your large bowl. Add onions to potato, and add the broth a couple cups at a time, stirring to incorporate. Taste the mix and adjust the seasoning. It will need salt and pepper. The mix will be slightly wet and turning translucent.

Ø Pull hot pan out of the oven, brush with bacon fat and ladle in half of the potato mix. Add the shredded chicken in one even layer.

Ø Ladle the rest over the chicken and smooth the casserole. (at this point you can lay slices of salt pork or bacon on top if you like)

Ø Place in oven and turn down to 300F and cook for 3-4 hours till pie has set slightly and crust is nice and golden.

Ø If needed, turn up to 375F for 30 minutes to brown more.

Serve with pickled beets, chow-chow and butter biscuits.

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays Everyone! Xmas ham was stellar this year, as was the turkey. Decided instead of glazing the ham in the oven, to through it out on the rotisserie, basted with maple syrup for a hour and a half. Would have to say, I would DEFINITELY do this again! Also frees up the oven for other things. This year, I brined a organic turkey with black cardamon, mustard and coriander for 24 hours. Removed the legs, wings and back. Roasted the breasts on the bone low and slow for 3 hours at 200-250f. Smoked the legs and wings with applewood for 4 hours, then crisped them up on the grill over high heat and glazed with birch syrup. Made a gravy from the roasted back, neck and pan fried liver. Used the giblets and heart in the stuffing with sage, thyme, chorizo, dried fruit, pecan, sweet onion, pork belly and homemade molasses 9 grain bread. Moistened the stuffing with turkey stock and a bit of egg. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and pickle sides. Made some buns for late night sandwiches.

Been doing a little writing on the side for the local paper the past few weeks as well. You can check out the articles and feel free to comment on them here.. http://www.whatsupyukon.com/index.php/component/content/article/224-decemer-23-2010/2667-the-cutting-board-acadian-as-rappie-pie.html

and here http://www.whatsupyukon.com/index.php/component/content/article/222-december16-2010/2656-have-pig-will-travel.htmlI

will also be posting some more info and tips for the rappie pie here soon. Until then, enjoy your new years and hope that 2011 will be as amazing as 2010 for you all!

Smoked Venison And Bison Sausage

My sweet jelly bean is buried! I thought that since I wasn't going anywhere today. . I should find something to do with myself this morning. Had pulled some venison and bison a couple days ago.

So I made some heavily spiced sausages. I wanted something I could put on some fresh baked bread and chow down on!
I smoked them for 3 hours with a mix of birch, alder and willow. Air temp outside was -25c at the time. Cold but warmer than last night!

The finished sausages..... This was normal sized batch for at home. I do 5lbs at a time, which is perfect for the size of stuffer and mixer I have . I also made two large "meat" rings.

My lord! soooooo juicy and delish! Im having these tonight, with some fresh baked ciabatta, mustard, caramelized pears, and rhubarb habanero ketchup . I will have to wait a while though.... "product testing" has me full at the moment!

Pumpkin Pie Is Good!

In Canada’s restaurant industry and in some homes we have a strange but good occurrence that only happens once or should I say twice a year. Thanksgiving in Canada is great because we get a double feature. If you mess up Canadian thanks giving you can always make up for it at American Thanksgiving. As we scan the Canadian magazine rack about a month before Thanksgiving we see Halloween and thanksgiving special issues. There’s a bit of a build up, it comes and just when you think its over, you return to the news stand to find now that bon appetite, and the like are starting there Thanksgiving issues.

Seems like a epic harvest year every year in Canada, although by the 4^th week of November most of us are curled up to our wood stoves or shovelling snow instead of frolicking in apple orchards and pumpkin patches. For 3 months of the year it seems to be all about ham, turkey goose or large joints of meat. We get a 2 week break and all of a sudden there pounding the Xmas stuff at us. Cookies, cakes, more ham, more turkey, more goose etc…. Tires me out just thinking about it.

One traditional item that could be at the Canadian or Americans Thanksgiving, Xmas or Easter table is pumpkin pie. Now I don’t claim to have the most die hard, rare, family heritage, forget me not, heirloom variety, 100 mile recipe….but I do have one that works and has been receiving minor tweaks multiple times a year.. Feel free to freak out the on the recipe yourself and go bananas. Or play it safe and follow the instructions..

Pumpkin Pie (the heirloom, family, 50th generation, sustainable, die hard, no fail, Julia Child, jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, Thanks giving, Xmas or Easter version)….with a Yukon twist.. lmao!

The key to my pie is slow roasting sugar pumpkins and processing the pulp in house rather than buying tinned pumpkin puree. But if your in a pinch I would rather see you use tinned than buy those pies at the grocery store that seem to be able to sit a room temperature for years without spoiling. Something is seriously wrong with that picture. Again, as much as I would like you to make your own pastry, use frozen if you must. They don’t ask, you don’t tell!

For one 9-10 inch pie

• 3 cups cooked pureed pumpkin (or tinned)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup Yukon birch syrup (sub molasses if Berwyn has not hooked you up)
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp minced ginger (or 2tsp dried ginger powder)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 beaten free range eggs
• 1 ½ cups evaporated milk (use full fat versions)
• 1 9inch tart or pie crust “blind baked” (for instructions on blind baking http://www.wikihow.com/Blind-Bake)

Pasty dough

• 1 ¼ all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tbsp home made lard (or add 2 more tbsp butter)
• 1 egg yolk (save white for the crust glaze)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Method

For the crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 350f.

2. With your fingers rub the butter and lard into the flour till it resembles sandy pebbles.

3. Add sugar and salt.

4. Make well in center of flour and add egg yolk and a bit of water.

5. Mix to from a ball. If necessary add a bit more water to bring dough together. The key is to work it as little as possible.

6. Roll the dough out and fit into your pie or tart pan.

7. Bake to pastry off to a light golden color. Don’t go crazy and cook it till its right brown, the pie is returning to the oven later. Brush with left over egg white and return to oven to set the white.

8. When done turn your oven down to 250f.

For the filling:

1. Place pumpkin puree in your blender.

2. Add everything but the eggs and blend until ultra smooth.

3. Add eggs and pulse 3 or 4 times to incorporate.

4. Pour filling into prebaked pie shell.

5. Bake in a low 250-275f oven till filling has set in the middle when lightly shaken. About 1-1 ½ hours.

6. Cool to room temp or even better fridge temp before serving.

Serve with vanilla flavoured whipped cream and warm birch syrup drizzled over.

From top to bottom: Carving up Thanksgiving dinner, sous vide breasts and smoked legs/wings, one of the dogs at the shelter just saying "Hello!"

Back In The Home Slice

Park Farm...An amazing setting

After a 3 week journey to England and a 2 week visit to River Cottage Park Farm I am back home. A great trip was had, meeting lots of great people, cooks and chefs. Most of my time was spent in Dorset and East Devon in England's southwest, an area that is known for amazing produce, pork, lamb and organic products. The country scenery was absolutely incredible. It was like living in "the shire" from Lord of the Rings. Not to mention some wicked strong cider and real ales out the pie hole! Most of my time was spent with some great people at River Cottage's Park Farm.

In the kitchen there was various whole animals coming in and out including, Gloucester old spot pigs, wild venison, rabbits, pheasants, and various fish including herring, mackerel and pollock. There was a good amount of charcuterie going on as well which included, various salumi, prosciutto, terrines, pate, bacon, hams and pancetta all of which were amazing. The whole operation is looked after by Chef Gill Meller, who does a great job and has a real touch for good taste and texture combinations and rustic English country style cookery. He is also a master of pork crackling. mmmmm crackling (drooling now) Whole beast cookery is part of the norm at Park Farm so I was not surprised to find myself swimming in pork spleens, livers, heads and trotters and of course copious amounts of caul fat to wrap almost everything in. The produce was world class with a good variety of items to work with and grown by people who really care about what they’re doing in the veg patch.

Although the Brits have a large amount of traditional fair and puddings to choose from, I found it quite funny that some of the boys in the River Cottage kitchen seemed very interested in Canadian and American style pumpkin pies (which recipes are random and so ample that you can argue for days over the "right way" to make one). So I'm putting together a recipe of the pie I made at Thanksgiving this year that was REALLY good. The boys in the Queens land will appreciate the non complexity and shear simplicity of this "western" dessert/pudding... lmao You never know, they might even give a recipe for rarebit in exchange..??? Post for the pie will come soon!

In Whitehorse, its been snowing and fairly mild so Ive got the x country skies out and I’m waiting for my boots to arrive. Went down to the spruce bog craft sale tonight. Lots of great goods from many Yukon personalities. I got a couple of prints for my wall and left a happy camper. Now to deal with summers bounty of berries etc in full force. More to come on that……

From top to bottom: The good ole wood fired oven...love it!, The chicken run, Spleens please!, Some local produce at the washingpool farm in Bridport, The boys "taking care of business"

Slacker Bread ie No knead steez

Been enjoying some time off from the kitchen these last few weeks. Planning and conspiring for next spring work projects, and getting ready for England next week.

On a trip to Dawson City a couple weeks ago I met a master Artisan bread maker/baker who was working a batch of "no knead bread" Watching and pretending not to take to many notes I watched her work her magic on the loaf. Since returning to Whitehorse ive been making alot. Ive termed it slacker bread by actually making it several times!

Using Jim Layhey's recipe from the new york times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Ive converted it to grams for simplicity's sake, mostly because I hate baking with teaspoons, cups, etc... I also have been tweaking it out in different ways as well. Multigrain, rye bread, ciabatta, pizza dough, etc... Here's the weights that I use.

• 390g flour


• 300g water


• 7g salt


• 5g traditional dry yeast

Combine all ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, let sit for 20hours, shape it, proof it for 2ish more hours and bake it for 30 minutes in a preheated pot with a lid @450f. Uncover for another 15mins if necessary to brown crust some more.

(note the recipe above is not the exact recipe used by the master bread baker in Dawson's back forty)

For more details follow link above. Its good bread that requires very little attention.

I just received 6kg of Manitoba creamed honey from a little town called Anola. A friend of mine from Winnipeg (wink wink) was kind enough to pick it up and mail it out to me. So it comes down to the slacker bread toasted, room temp salted butter, and a huge heap of the most amazing creamed honey. Few things in life make me as happy as this!

Other projects to come include, working my summer harvest of rhubarb, lowbush, highbush cranberries, black currents, red currents, moss berries, alpine bear berry and blueberries. A few angles im thinking of working.

• Rhubarb ketchup
• Low brush cranberry ketchup
• Rhubarb, habanero and sweet onion sauce
• Rhubarb bbq sauce
• Various vinegars with all the berries
• Various schnapps with all the berries
• Highbush cranberry and alpine bear berry juice reduction
• various fruit leathers and candy bars
• Granola bars with semi dried berries
• Low brush cranberry brownies

Most of this will be done when I return from England as im running out of time here!

Done at Dalton Trail Lodge, River Cottage On the Horizon

The season is over at the fishing lodge I was working for the last 4 months. I'm heading up to Dawson for one last low brush cranberry round up and some big potluck feasts. Then I'm off to stage at River Cottage(http://www.rivercottage.net/) in Dorset, England for a couple weeks. I have a week and a bit after the stage to do some exploring in London and eat at St.Johns (http://www.stjohnrestaurant.com/home) etc...

Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall of River Cottage is a culinary icon in the world of seasonal, ethnically produced natural foods that has earned him a tremendous following in England and North America. Ive been following Hugh since his days on the road as "cook on the wild side" a self produced t.v. series where he converted a old land rover into a "gastrowagon" where he planned on leaving the city in search of wild foods and self sufficient living. He also has wrote numerous cook books (all of which I can personally recommend)

http://www.amazon.ca/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=books&field-author=Hugh%20Fearnley-Whittingstall

I’ve always loved Hugh's philosophy and way of eating, sharing and respect for the food. I’m extremely stoked to say the least to be part of the crew for a few weeks this fall. Counting the days now…..

(Memories form the DTL) From to to bottom, 1) Go fish, 2) scoping out the smoke house, 3) red currents, 4) braised lamb with gnocchi,stunted peppermint and Swiss mountain cheese, 5) Roasted pork belly with uncle berwyn's birch syrup, white sweet potato, grilled wild onions and Dowdell's sweet fennel slaw