| Issue #33, November 10, 2006 |
An Algonquin Table
There is no question as to why the museum café at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., is the highest-grossing museum eatery in the world – Native American food is just delicious. And, as the Hamptons are situated in Algonquin country, whipping up a scrumptious Algonquin-inspired meal should be a snap.
The one constant in almost every Native American kitchen around dinnertime is the big bubbling pot of soup on the stove. You can simmer up some piping hot Paganens (Algonquin wild nut soup) while preparing the rest of the meal. To make Paganens, combine 24 ounces of crushed hazelnuts, six whole shallots, three tablespoons of parsley, one teaspoon of salt and one quarter teaspoon of black pepper with six cups of vegetable stock. Place all of the ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer on medium heat for one and one-half hours, stirring occasionally.
At the famous Shinnecock Indian Pow-Wow in Southampton, one tasty morsel keeps the food stands humming all day long, the “Shinnecock Taco,” one of the most delicious foods on the planet. The base of a Shinnecock Taco, is sweet, fluffy, easy-to-make fry bread. Simply combine four cups of flour, one tablespoon of double-acting baking powder and one teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl. Then, gradually mix in one and a half cups of water by hand. You know that there is enough water when a ball of dough “crawls” off of your downward-facing hand. Knead the dough on a floured surface, and let it rest for at least fifteen minutes under a towel – if you can let it rest overnight, your fry bread will be even better. Then, simply melt one cup of vegetable shortening or heat one cup of vegetable oil in a skillet and form the dough into about eight saucer-sized rounds. Poke a hole in the center of the dough, in order to create a nice well for your toppings, then drop them into the oil - if they rise to the surface in four to five seconds, your oil is the perfect temperature. When they turn golden brown on one side, flip them over and brown the other side. Remove the fry breads from the oil and let them drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
If you like your fry bread a little sweeter, try this recipe: one cup of white flour, one half cup of whole wheat flour, one tablespoon of sugar, one half teaspoon of baking powder, one quarter teaspoon of salt and one and one-half cups of water. For richer fry bread, replace the water with milk, or try using half water and half condensed milk.
To complete the “Shinnecock Taco,” pile Native American-style chili, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded sharp cheese, sour cream and hot sauce on top of each disc of fry bread.
There are many different Native Americans chili recipes, but the ingredients that give it its distinctive flavors are sweet, fresh corn (from the cob, not the can), and chunks of venison or buffalo meat instead of beef. To make a simple Native chili, first cut two pounds of venison or buffalo meat into one-inch chunks, then brown in oil. Add two cups each of chopped onions and water, one half cup of barbeque sauce and one teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer for one hour. Then, stir in two cans (16 oz.) of un-drained beans (speckled beans are the best if you can find them), and the kernels from four ears of corn. To make corn more flavorful, try roasting it in the husk in a hot oven, then scraping the kernels off the cob with a knife when they are cooked. Stir the chili for fifteen minutes until the meat is tender and the ingredients are coated in the broth.
Of course, no Native-style meal would be complete without some fresh vegetables, and an Algonquin Ojawashkawegad, or wild green salad, is just the sort of fresh dish needed to balance out delightfully decadent “Shinnecock Tacos.” To make the salad, toss together one cup of well-chopped wild onions or leeks, one quart of watercress, one quarter cup of Sheep or Wood sorrel, and one and one half cups of dandelion leaves. For the dressing, combine one third cup of sunflower seed oil, one third cup of cider vinegar, three tablespoons of natural maple syrup, a pinch of salt and pepper, and mix well.
For dessert, top any extra fry breads with honey, nuts, maple syrup, fruit, powdered sugar, or even chocolate syrup and ice cream. Anything that you could put on a tortilla, waffle or pancake will taste even better on some fresh fry bread.
For more Native American recipes, pick up a copy of Native Harvests by E. Barrie Kavasch.
– Sabrina C. Mashburn
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