Simple, Unpretentious, Delicious Traditional Acadian Foods Make Warmly Satisfying Meals by Sandra Phinney Barrett Barrett & Mackay
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Simple, unpretentious, delicious Traditional Acadian foods make warmly satisfying meals by Sandra Phinney Barrett Barrett & MacKay Nova Scotia Tourism Agency Nova Scotia Tourism hat do râpure, fricot, fish cakes and meat pies have in Canada. Don’t be shy; strike up a conversation with the locals and get From top: Le Village historique common? They’re all traditional Acadian foods—simple, the lowdown on both their lifestyle and the fishing industry. acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse Wunpretentious and delicious—and warmly satisfying, like Restaurants in the area include the Dennis Point Café in Lower (Historical Acadian Village of getting a hug, or watching the dying embers of a campfire. West Pubnico and the Red Cap Restaurant in Middle West Pubnico— Nova Scotia) in Lower West So join us for a food and culture hop, starting in the Pubnicos, where you’ll find not only great râpure, but also the freshest fish dishes Pubnico takes visitors back to NS—the oldest Acadian settlement still inhabited by descendants of imaginable. Want rappie pie to take home? Drop into D’Eon’s Bakery the early 1900s; one young its founding families. First stop: Le Village historique acadien de la where they make thousands a year. Ask how it’s made commercially; Agency Nova Scotia Tourism visitor enjoys a taste of rappie Nouvelle-Écosse in Lower West Pubnico. Every Wednesday morning fascinating! pie at Le Village; Le Centre de at 10, someone at the Maximin d’Entremont homestead starts the Now, we slip into the county of Clare, along the Bay of Fundy, locally la Mi-carême near Cheticamp process of making râpure. Also known as rappie pie, it’s an old Acadian referred to as the French Shore. Starting in Salmon River, NS, and explores the mid-lent tradition dish, rarely found outside Acadian communities in southwest Nova ending in St. Bernard, NS, it stretches about 50 kilometres (31 miles) that involves masks and Scotia. and includes 14 Acadian villages. Several have incredible churches, disguises. Râpure is made with finely grated potatoes. The liquid is extracted like Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point, NS. Built with the help of and replaced with chicken broth. Onions, seasonings and cooked 1,500 volunteers, it’s the largest wooden church in North America. The Le Village historique acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse chicken are added. Then it’s baked. As weird as it looks, it’s one of my outer walls feature 41 stained glass windows, shipped from France, in favourite dishes. crates of molasses for protection. You can also go into the visitor’s centre, pull up a chair in Café Although there are scores of stories to be found inside these du Crique and order dishes like râpure, fricot, or old-fashioned bread massive edifices, there’s much more in the area: farmers markets, Sandra Phinney pudding (see Bread Pudding with Nutmeg Sauce recipe, page 13). coastal hiking trails, Mavillette Beach, artisans’ studios, Acadian music Clockwise, from top, left: a scenic wharf along the French shore in the county of Another of my favourite haunts is the Musée des Acadiens des and festivals. As well, Rendez-vous de la Baie, also in Church Point, Clare; Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point—the largest wooden church in North Pubnicos et Centre de recherche. Housed in a homestead dating has an impressive cultural and interpretive centre, and yes, the Internet America; a comfy spot, painted in the colours of the Acadian flag, awaits visitors from the 1800s, it has a unique garden that shows what the Acadians Café (with free Wi-Fi) features fricot and râpure. It serves Evelina’s outside Inn, Arichat. grew in 1653. If the stars are in your favour, you’ll be able to sample Râpure (and it’s worth a side tour to the company’s 252-square-metre L’Auberge Acadienne treats like candied rose petals, nasturtium butter, or even “trash soup,” (2,800-square-foot) facility, located off the beaten path, close to made from a soup bone, veggies, barley or beans. Saulnierville, NS). I’ve often thought of those early Acadians; how feisty and resourceful they were. The interesting thing is that not much has changed. You’ll meet colourful characters everywhere, including at Dennis Point Wharf, Sandra Phinney in Lower West Pubnico, the largest commercial fishing wharf in Atlantic Bread Pudding with Nutmeg Sauce Courtesy Café de Crique, Pubnico, NS Acadian Meat Pie Courtesy L’Auberge Acadienne Inn 1 loaf day-old white bread 2 tbsp (30 mL) !our Arichat, NS In a large Dutch oven or crock pot, simmer meat, onion and 4 eggs, beaten ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt seasonings in about 5 cups of water for 3-4 hours, until 1 370 mL can (1½ cups) evaporated milk 1 tsp (5mL) nutmeg 5-7 lbs (2-3 kg) stew beef, cut into tender. Set aside. 1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes In a medium bowl, mix !our, salt and baking powder. Cut 2 cups (500 mL) milk 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 2-3 onions, chopped in the lard until well blended. Add liquid from the meat; mix 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla salt and pepper to taste into a dough. pinch nutmeg or cinnamon Break up bread into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes and place in an 8 x 12-inch (20 x 30-cm) 6 cups (1.5 L) !our Divide dough in half. Roll out both halves; with one half, ¾ cup (175 mL) raisins pan. Combine all other pudding ingredients and pour over the bread, making sure all 2 tsp (10 mL) salt line a 12 x 16-inch (30 x 40-cm) pan. Fill with meat mixture. Sauce bread is soaked. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. 3 tsp (15 mL) baking powder Cover with remaining dough. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 1 cup (250 mL) water Sauce: In a medium saucepan, bring water and vinegar to a boil. Add sugar, !our, ½ lb (250 g) lard 30-35 minutes, until top is browned. Cool before cutting. 1 tbsp (15 mL) vinegar salt and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add brown sugar and butter. 1 cup (250 mL) liquid from cooked meat Makes 12 servings. ¾ cup (175 mL) white sugar Serve warm over bread pudding. Makes 9-12 servings. 12 YOUR INTIMATE GUIDE TO CANADA’S EAST COAST YOUR INTIMATE GUIDE TO CANADA’S EAST COAST 13 Nova Scotia Tourism Agency Nova Scotia Tourism Sandra Phinney Barrett Barrett & MacKay La Cuisine Robicheau Clockwise, from top, left: Dancers perform during the Festival de l’Escaouette in Chéticamp; the Restaurant Acadien, which is part of the town’s Co-op Artisanale; fricot at La Cuisine Robicheau in Saulnierville; Les Trois Pignons Cultural Centre, Chéticamp. Aside from various kinds of rappie pie (including one made with a local diner bellowed, “What the heck is wrong with the fish cakes?” bar clams), at Evelina’s, you’ll find cold-smoked herring and haddock, My introduction to Chéticamp, NS, on the northwestern side of and salted shallots—an Acadian specialty. I put their shallots in soups, Cape Breton, was over lunch at the Restaurant Acadien—part of a stews, stir fries and my own rappie pie. Bonus: they can ship products co-op that also showcases world-famous Chéticamp rugs and a small almost anywhere. museum. I fell in love with the chowder. It’s made with the usual: lots of The newest restaurant in the region is La Cuisine Robicheau in fish, diced potatoes, butter, seasonings and a little water—but no milk! Saulnierville—an old homestead with cheery rooms and “oh-my-lord- Although this sounds odd, the fish really takes centre stage. that’s-good,” food. People travel miles to eat there. Owner Nadine There are several restaurants in Chéticamp, including Restaurant Robicheau admits that having access to a hefty supply of local fresh Evangeline. Nicole Aucoin’s mom and dad bought the restaurant 35 fish is wonderful, “although fishcakes seem to be a good seller too,” years ago and it’s still a going concern. I’ve always said that it’s smart she adds, noting that they are “an Acadian tradition.” I can vouch for to check out where the locals go, as they are often the best food critics. those fish cakes—and a belly-pleasing seafood lasagne. Fricot is a specialty, along with fish cakes. Now we’ll hop up to Arichat, NS, in Cape Breton. On my first visit, But there’s a lot more to Chéticamp than food! Enjoy a theatre I stayed at L’Auberge Acadienne Inn. Laura Lavandier, bartender performance at La Place des arts Père Anselme-Chiasson, or visit and occasional cook’s helper, explains: “Because the Acadians were Les Trois Pignons hooked rug museum and drool over Elisabeth hard-working people who lived off the land and sea, they needed a LeFort’s hooked rug masterpieces. hearty diet. They salted a lot of their foods to preserve them for use The summer-long Festival de l’Escaouette is loaded with cultural in the winter. They used these foods to make some of their popular activities during parts of July and August, and North America’s only Acadian dishes such as fish cakes, and put salt pork in their meat pies” water puppet theatre, Ti-Jean et la Sorcière de L’île de Chéticamp, (see Acadian Meat Pie recipe, page 12). is staged in September. I’ve stayed there three times; each time, I have meat pie for supper Before you leave, drop into Le Centre de la Mi-carême.