TRADITION

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Recipes for the Holidays

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The Native people of North America have a tradition of cooking that follows the rhythm of nature and satisfies the soul; as well as the body. In one phrase, Natives cook with spirit.

The First Nations Drum presents a feast for the holiday season: traditional recipes and their modern adaptations that any home cook can make for the holiday season.

May your holiday season be filled with they joy that Native cooks have felt in presenting their dishes to their brothers and sister, friends and family. Merry Christmas!

Shellfish Bake(Traditional)

Dig a pit in the sand 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide. Line the pit with stones and build a large fire on the stones and burn hot for four to five hours.

When coals have well heated the rocks, brush the coals aside. Cover stones with a 4 inch layer of rockweed or seaweed.

Lay shellfish on seaweed layer ..... clams, chunks of seal, crabs, mussels, limpets, periwinkles, sea urchins. Cover seafood with a layer of seaweed.

Lay branches of brush on top of the seaweed to hold in steam. The steam will have cooked the shellfish in an hour's time, but can be left for as long as two hours in the pit without drying out.

Smoked Herring (Modern)

Clean and gut herring, leaving head on. Tub with a mixture of:

1 lb. Coarse Salt
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Saltpeter
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Whole Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tbsp. Crushed Bay or Murtle leaves
2 Tbsp. Onion Powder

Let herring cure in mixture for 7 days at 35° F.

Reapply mixture when needed, so that fish always remains full coated.

After seven days rinse in fresh water and hang until thoroughly dried. Smoke at 70° to 85° in home smoke for seven days. Will keep refrigerated for one year or frozen for several years.

Nootka Poached Salmon (Modern)
5 lbs Fresh Salmon (cleaned with head and tail removed)
2 Lrg. Onions, chopped
2 " Celery Stalks
2 " Carrots, scraped
2 " Bay Leaves
1 tsp. Salt

Place fish in a large roasting pan. Place half of the chopped onions in the cavity and the remainder around the fish.

Place celery and carrots on fish. Add bay leaves and salt, plus sufficient water to cover fish. Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes, then 350° F, covered for 30 minutes.