Country 31: Canada - Maple Salmon & Poutine
I'm getting slack. All I can say is that I've started a new job recently where I look after kids during the day and I come knackered. Unfortunately I don't have the time/motivation/energy to write the blog - some days I can barely cook because I've got no energy. I cook Canada over a week ago, maybe even two weeks ago now, and I'm just typing up the blog. It's unlikely that it will get any better than this, and the blog posts I do put up will be undoubtedly shorter. Some days it may just be the recipes.
Canada is a bit like Australia: colonised by the Europeans who brought all of their food with them. There is of course the Indigenous cultures and with everything that is going on in the world at the moment (specifically the Black Lives Matter movement) I do think that I would have liked to have showcased some of their recipes, but unfortunately I couldn't find any recipes that would have worked for us - my partner's allergies also include shellfish (he can eat fish, but pretty much nothing else that comes from the ocean), which cut out a lot of the dishes available.
When I think of Canadian meals, I think of two things: maple syrup, and poutine. However, salmon is THE Canadian fish (apparently), so things took a natural pathway. I was curious to make poutine as well - typically it is made with cheese curds, which is near-impossible to find, so I went with some mozzarella instead which worked out fine.
I also threw in some green vegetables for good measure, which I think was the right thing to do. Looking down at the meal, I announced to my boyfriend that it looked like the least-exotic dish we'd eaten as part of the project. He agreed.
But it was pretty bloody delicious. The salmon was excellent, and easy/quick to make (original recipe here). I used oven chips from the shop for the poutine as I couldn't be bothered to chop up potatoes, and this actually made it significantly easier. With the chips and the salmon in the oven at the same time, I could focus solely on the poutine.
I adapted a recipe I found online that called for chicken wings and chicken stock, and just omitted the wings completely and used vegetable stock instead. I wasn't sure how much water to use so I just kept adding it as the gravy thickened. I wouldn't actually be able to say how much water I used total, so just keep adding it as required. Whatever I did worked though, we both thought the poutine was delicious. And also fairly simple so I think if I was ever in the mood for chips and gravy, this would be a winner.
Canadian Maple Salmon
Serves 2
Ingredients
Poutine
Serves 2
Ingredients
Instructions
Canada is a bit like Australia: colonised by the Europeans who brought all of their food with them. There is of course the Indigenous cultures and with everything that is going on in the world at the moment (specifically the Black Lives Matter movement) I do think that I would have liked to have showcased some of their recipes, but unfortunately I couldn't find any recipes that would have worked for us - my partner's allergies also include shellfish (he can eat fish, but pretty much nothing else that comes from the ocean), which cut out a lot of the dishes available.
When I think of Canadian meals, I think of two things: maple syrup, and poutine. However, salmon is THE Canadian fish (apparently), so things took a natural pathway. I was curious to make poutine as well - typically it is made with cheese curds, which is near-impossible to find, so I went with some mozzarella instead which worked out fine.
I also threw in some green vegetables for good measure, which I think was the right thing to do. Looking down at the meal, I announced to my boyfriend that it looked like the least-exotic dish we'd eaten as part of the project. He agreed.
But it was pretty bloody delicious. The salmon was excellent, and easy/quick to make (original recipe here). I used oven chips from the shop for the poutine as I couldn't be bothered to chop up potatoes, and this actually made it significantly easier. With the chips and the salmon in the oven at the same time, I could focus solely on the poutine.
I adapted a recipe I found online that called for chicken wings and chicken stock, and just omitted the wings completely and used vegetable stock instead. I wasn't sure how much water to use so I just kept adding it as the gravy thickened. I wouldn't actually be able to say how much water I used total, so just keep adding it as required. Whatever I did worked though, we both thought the poutine was delicious. And also fairly simple so I think if I was ever in the mood for chips and gravy, this would be a winner.
Canadian Maple Salmon
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 400g salmon fillet, skinned
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- Preheat oven to 200 C.
- In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, soy sauce and mustard. Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and spoon the glaze over the fish.
- Bake in the oven until the fish flakes easily, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve.
Poutine
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 500g oven chips
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 300mL vegetable stock
- Extra water, as required
- Mozzarella ball (or cheese curds if you can get your hands on them!)
Instructions
- Cook oven chips according to packet instructions.
- Place medium-sized saucepan over a moderate heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, saute until translucent. Add flour and stir well. Add carrot, bay leaf and vegetable stock.
- Bring to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, adding water when the gravy becomes too thick.
- Strain mixture through a sieve into another pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until thick. Season to taste.
- Place chips on plate and top with gravy. Add shredded mozzarella (or cheese curds) and serve immediately.
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