Top 5 foods from Canada.
1. Poutine
- Poutine is a dish originating in Quebec, Canada, made with french fries, topped with a brown gravy and cheese curds.
- 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1(10 1/4 ounce) can beef gravy
- 5 medium potatoes, cut into fries
- 2 cups cheese curds
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365°F (185°C).
- Warm gravy in saucepan or microwave.
- Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them.
- Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately.
2. Beaver Tail
The deep fried pastry resembles the shape of a beaver’s tail and is served hot with a variety of toppings including the classic sugar and cinnamon topping, butter and jam, chocolate, apples – basically, whatever you want.
3. Tourtière
- 1⁄2 cup warm water
- 5 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1⁄3 cup sugar
- 1 1⁄2teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄3 cup oil
- 4 1⁄4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- oil (for frying)
- granulated sugar (for dusting)
- cinnamon
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water and pinch of sugar.
- Allow to stand a couple of minutes to allow yeast to swell or dissolve.
- Stir in remaining sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt, and most of flour to make soft dough.
- Knead 5-8 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook), adding flour as needed to form a firm, smooth, elastic dough.
- Place in a greased bowl. Place bowl in a plastic bag and seal. (If not using right away, you can refrigerate the dough at this point).
- Let rise in a covered, lightly greased bowl; about 30-40 minutes.
- Gently deflate dough. (If dough is coming out of the fridge, allow to warm up for about 40 minutes before proceeding).
- Pinch off a golfball-sized piece of dough. Roll out into an oval and let rest, covered with a tea towel, while you are preparing the remaining dough.
- Heat about 4 inches of oil in fryer (a wok works best, but you can use a Dutch oven or whatever you usually use for frying). Temperature of the oil should be about 385°F.
- Add the dough pieces to the hot oil, about 1-2 at a time.
- BUT -- before you do, stretch the ovals into a tail shape, like a beaver's tail - thinning them out and enlarging them as you do.
- Turn once to fry until the undersides are deep brown.
- Lift the tails out with tongs and drain on paper towels.
- Fill a large bowl with a few cups of white sugar.
- Toss the tails in sugar (with a little cinnamon if you wish) and shake off excess.
- Divine with a bit of jam or apple pie filling!
3. Tourtière
Traditionally enjoyed during autumn and winter holiday celebrations, tourtière is a hearty French Canadian meat pie.
Ingredients
1 pound ground organic pastured pork
1 pound ground organic pastured beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium-large baked potatoes, mashed with skins removed (or about 1 cup of mashed potatoes)
3/4 cup beef or vegetable broth (or just water)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
For the Butter Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cup flour of choice (I use a mix of spelt and whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup ice cold water
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
Directions
In a large skillet or wok, combine the finely chopped onion with the olive oil and sautée for about 10 minutes on medium heat, until onions are soft and golden. With your hands, mix the ground pork and beef together in a bowl. Add the mixed ground meat to the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring it to break up the meat so it doesn't clump together. Add all the remaining ingredients (broth, spices, mashed potato, salt and pepper) and mix together. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Taste the meat mixture and add a bit more salt, pepper, or spices, to suit your preferences. Cool in the fridge for about 2 hours, until completely chilled.
To make the pastry, cut the butter into small cubes and chill them so they are very cold. Using a food processor or a pastry blender, chop up the butter into the flour and salt until it is small and crumbly, the size of very small peas. Pour in 1/2 cup of the ice cold water and mix into the flour. Add more water, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball. I find using my hands works best for bringing the dough together and judging whether or not to add more water. The dough should not feel dry and should be pressed into a ball fairly easily. But it should not feel sticky either. Form two balls and flatten them slightly into discs. Wrap and cover them in wax paper or plastic, and let them rest in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll out each disc on a floured surface to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
Line a 9 inch pie plate with the first circle of dough. Spoon in all the meat filling, patting it down lightly to compress it a bit. Brush the pie rim with water and place the second circle of dough on top, pressing the edges together to seal. Trim and flute as desired.
The egg wash is what will give your tourtière a golden glow, so don't skip this step! Beat the egg and water together and brush the mixture all over the top of the crust and around the edges.
Cut some steam vents on top of your pie.
With the rack in the bottom third of the oven, bake at 375F for about 50 minutes or until the top of the crust is golden.
Yield: Makes 1 meat pie, about 8 servings
4. Canadian Bacon
Ingredients
1 pound ground organic pastured pork
1 pound ground organic pastured beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium-large baked potatoes, mashed with skins removed (or about 1 cup of mashed potatoes)
3/4 cup beef or vegetable broth (or just water)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
For the Butter Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cup flour of choice (I use a mix of spelt and whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup ice cold water
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
Directions
In a large skillet or wok, combine the finely chopped onion with the olive oil and sautée for about 10 minutes on medium heat, until onions are soft and golden. With your hands, mix the ground pork and beef together in a bowl. Add the mixed ground meat to the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring it to break up the meat so it doesn't clump together. Add all the remaining ingredients (broth, spices, mashed potato, salt and pepper) and mix together. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Taste the meat mixture and add a bit more salt, pepper, or spices, to suit your preferences. Cool in the fridge for about 2 hours, until completely chilled.
To make the pastry, cut the butter into small cubes and chill them so they are very cold. Using a food processor or a pastry blender, chop up the butter into the flour and salt until it is small and crumbly, the size of very small peas. Pour in 1/2 cup of the ice cold water and mix into the flour. Add more water, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball. I find using my hands works best for bringing the dough together and judging whether or not to add more water. The dough should not feel dry and should be pressed into a ball fairly easily. But it should not feel sticky either. Form two balls and flatten them slightly into discs. Wrap and cover them in wax paper or plastic, and let them rest in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll out each disc on a floured surface to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
Line a 9 inch pie plate with the first circle of dough. Spoon in all the meat filling, patting it down lightly to compress it a bit. Brush the pie rim with water and place the second circle of dough on top, pressing the edges together to seal. Trim and flute as desired.
The egg wash is what will give your tourtière a golden glow, so don't skip this step! Beat the egg and water together and brush the mixture all over the top of the crust and around the edges.
Cut some steam vents on top of your pie.
With the rack in the bottom third of the oven, bake at 375F for about 50 minutes or until the top of the crust is golden.
Yield: Makes 1 meat pie, about 8 servings
4. Canadian Bacon
A lean pork loin is soaked in a sweet maple cure then smoked, sliced, and pan fried. The end result is a Canadian bacon with a great sweet and salty mixture that is more pronounced and complex than what you get off the shelf.
Prep Time:15 Minutes Inactive Time:3 Days Cook Time:2 Hours Total Time:3 Days 2 Hours 15 Minutes Yield:One 4- to 5-pound loin, serving 12 to 18 people
Ingredients
1 gallon water, divided
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pink salt (aka InstaCure, Prague Powder)
4 bay leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat (about 4 to 5 pounds)
1 to 2 fist-size chunks of light smoking wood, such as apple or cherry
Procedure
To make the cure, combine 1 quart of water, Kosher salt, maple syrup, brown sugar, pink salt, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve salts and sugar. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Transfer to a large container and stir in remaining 3 quarts of water. Place in refrigerator until completely chilled. Fully submerge pork loin in cure and let sit in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Remove pork from cure and place in large container. Add enough fresh water to fully submerge loin. Let sit for 30 minutes, then remove pork from water and pat dry with paper towels.
Fire up the smoker or grill to 225 degrees, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place pork in and cook until an instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the pork loin, about 2 to 3 hours.
Let pork cool for 30 minutes. Slice and pan fry before before serving.
5. Nanaimo Bars
Prep Time:15 Minutes Inactive Time:3 Days Cook Time:2 Hours Total Time:3 Days 2 Hours 15 Minutes Yield:One 4- to 5-pound loin, serving 12 to 18 people
Ingredients
1 gallon water, divided
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pink salt (aka InstaCure, Prague Powder)
4 bay leaves
3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat (about 4 to 5 pounds)
1 to 2 fist-size chunks of light smoking wood, such as apple or cherry
Procedure
To make the cure, combine 1 quart of water, Kosher salt, maple syrup, brown sugar, pink salt, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve salts and sugar. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Transfer to a large container and stir in remaining 3 quarts of water. Place in refrigerator until completely chilled. Fully submerge pork loin in cure and let sit in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Remove pork from cure and place in large container. Add enough fresh water to fully submerge loin. Let sit for 30 minutes, then remove pork from water and pat dry with paper towels.
Fire up the smoker or grill to 225 degrees, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place pork in and cook until an instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the pork loin, about 2 to 3 hours.
Let pork cool for 30 minutes. Slice and pan fry before before serving.
5. Nanaimo Bars
The Nanaimo bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin popular across North America. It is a bar dessert which requires no baking and is named after the west coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Ingredients
BASE:
¾ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (*see note for substitutions)
1 cup coconut
½ cup chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
MIDDLE LAYER:
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
6 tbsp milk
4 tbsp custard powder
4 cups icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar)
TOP LAYER:
8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate
1 tbsp butter
Instructions
BASE: Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Heat and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
Stir in graham crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. Pack firmly into ungreased 9x13” pan. Chill while you prepare the middle layer.
MIDDLE LAYER: Beat all 4 ingredients together in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over first layer. Chill for 45 minutes.
TOP LAYER: Melt chocolate and butter in a small bowl at 50% power in microwave. Microwave for about 1½ minutes, stir and microwave another 30 seconds or longer if needed, stirring frequently. Spread fairly evenly over middle layer. Chill for 1 hour, then score chocolate with a sharp knife and return to fridge to chill completely before cutting into bars.
Ingredients
BASE:
¾ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (*see note for substitutions)
1 cup coconut
½ cup chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
MIDDLE LAYER:
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
6 tbsp milk
4 tbsp custard powder
4 cups icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar)
TOP LAYER:
8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate
1 tbsp butter
Instructions
BASE: Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Heat and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
Stir in graham crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. Pack firmly into ungreased 9x13” pan. Chill while you prepare the middle layer.
MIDDLE LAYER: Beat all 4 ingredients together in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over first layer. Chill for 45 minutes.
TOP LAYER: Melt chocolate and butter in a small bowl at 50% power in microwave. Microwave for about 1½ minutes, stir and microwave another 30 seconds or longer if needed, stirring frequently. Spread fairly evenly over middle layer. Chill for 1 hour, then score chocolate with a sharp knife and return to fridge to chill completely before cutting into bars.