WILL ON THE GRILL
by Will Nicholls

All of the recipes below are made with traditional ingredients found in or around the Cree communities. You can substitute mussels for any of the clam recipes.

Clam and Corn Chowder

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the keepers. I love both corn and clam chowder. This combines both with easy-to-find ingredients. Most coastal and inland communities will be able to dig for clams, making this recipe a healthy countrified style food source.

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 can whole kernel corn (17 oz.), undrained

• 2 dozen clams (can use more if you dig for them yourself)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 4 slices crisply cooked bacon, chopped

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until golden. Add corn and liquid and cook for 6 minutes.

Open clams, reserving their liquor. Keep the meat in the refrigerator.

Bring clam liquor to a boil with cream. Purée onion, corn and cream mixture in a food processor and return to boil.

Cook bacon first. When it starts to crisp add clam meat. Cook for about two minutes.

Add to cream mixture and bring to a boil.

Remove and serve allowing each individual to salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste. You can top with parsley if desired.

Linguine with Roasted Garlic & Clam Sauce

This recipe will serve two people nicely. If you have no linguine you can substitute spaghetti. The taste is a surprisingly refreshing change to heavy pasta dishes and great for summer.

• 1 dozen little neck clams; scrubbed clean

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 3 tbsp. chopped parsley

• 1 cup white wine

•12 oz fresh linguine cooked and drained

Place garlic on square of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel garlic and coarsely chop.

Heat oil in a large pot and stir in garlic. Add pepper flakes and parsley. Pour in wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams and cover pot. Cook about 6-8 minutes or until clams are all open. Discard any unopened clams.

Stir in linguine and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Clam Hash

This is a breakfast recipe. It’s called running out of food and cooking whatever is in the fridge or cupboards. Just a little reminder: poached eggs are healthier for you than fried.

• 5 tablespoons butter

• 2 cups (approximately) minced or ground clams

• 2 cups (more or less) finely chopped peeled potatoes

• 1/2 cup minced scallions, green and white parts, or onion

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 4 poached or soft-boiled eggs (optional)

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Mix together the clams, potatoes, scallions, and garlic; when the butter foam subsides, spread the mixture in the pan and flatten with a spatula. Lower the heat, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until browned on the bottom, about 20 minutes (check by lifting a corner with a spatula).

Slide the cake onto a plate, top with another plate, and invert. Melt another 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and, when it melts, return the cake to the pan. Cook until browned. Spread with the remaining tablespoon of butter and serve, with or without poached eggs.

Steamed Clams with Beer and Bacon

This is a simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients.

• 4 slices bacon, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 pounds clams, scrubbed well

1 cup beer, water or chicken stock

Fry bacon in a medium pot until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the bacon is nicely browned and the onion is tender, about 4 minutes longer.

Stir in the clams and add the beer.

Cover the pot and steam the clams for 6-7 minutes, until they open. Discard any clams that do not open.

Stir gently to mix with the bacon, garlic and onion, and serve immediately.

Ann’s Family Pea Soup

Recently I got a call from an old friend. It seems she had lost her family recipe for pea soup. As she had given it to me years ago I was able to return it to her. To ensure that neither one of us ever loses it again, I am sharing it with our readers. For you ultra-carnivores you can add a ham bone with some ham still left on it.

• 4 strips bacon, minced

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

• 1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)

• 1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 leek, white and light green part, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 2 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

• 1/2 pound split green or yellow peas or lentils

• Sachet: 1 bay leaf, 1 whole clove, 1 garlic clove, 4 to 5 peppercorns enclosed in a large tea ball or tied in a cheesecloth pouch

• salt to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup tiny croutons

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels and set aside.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and leek, stir to evenly coat with fat. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, peas and ham bone (optional). Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sachet and simmer until the split peas are soft, about 30 minutes. Skim away any scum as needed during simmering.

Remove and discard the sachet. Remove the ham bone (optional) and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the ham off the bone, dice and set aside.

Strain the soup through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Purée the solids and return to the soup pot. Add enough of the reserved liquid to achieve a thick soup consistency. Blend well. Stir in the diced ham (optional) and bacon.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with croutons.

Aunt Margaret Tawatoy’s Elk Steak

I came across this gem while looking for traditional food and ways to cook the bounty of the land. It is a simple and utterly delicious recipe.

• Caribou, elk or moose

• Bacon, salt (or substitute) and pepper to taste.

• Onion

Note: can substitute caribou, moose or beef steak can be used, this is a layered dish so use amounts that work out for the amount of layers that are needed.

Using a hot cast iron frying pan, place steaks in it and quickly fry on each side, 30 seconds to a minute. When they are all cooked, place a layer of bacon on the bottom of a Dutch oven or a heavy baking kettle, then a layer of raw onion rings, then a layer of steak. Continue until you end with a layer of onions. Bake in an oven at 375 F until well done, approx. 60 - 75 minutes.

Serve hot with lots of fried bread or white bread to soak up the wonderful juices and grease. This is also wonderful to make and chill and take with you on a hunting or fishing trip to with white bread and salt for sandwiches!

Note: Aunt Margaret Tawatoy was the niece of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe. She was raised in Catholic school on the Umatilla Indian reservation on the Umatilla Indian reservation in Oregon and was a qualified cook in all areas, always incorporating our native foods into traditional meals.

Cooking Tip

You can substitute ground sunflower seeds for flour or corn starch when thickening soups, stews and sauces. This will make a nuttier flavour and is a great change to a recipe everyone has gotten used to.