We share four recipes from Prairie: Seasonal, Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies, a gorgeous cookbook with over 100 Canadian recipes.
It doesn't always get the recognition it deserves, but the Prairies have so much culinary talent to shout about. Home to some of Canada's most important agriculture, from crops to animal products, it's no surprise that the region has turned out some of the country's best chefs and recipes. To celebrate the culinary hotspot and its flavours and traditions, Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell have created Prairie: Seasonal, Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies.
Prairie: Seasonal, Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies, $37.50, penguinrandomhouse.ca
Delve into the cookbook and you'll find more than 100 recipes from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba's best chefs and restaurants. Longtime pals, Clapson, The Globe and Mail restaurant critic for the Canadian Prairies, and Campbell, CBC Edmonton Radio’s restaurant reviewer, wanted to create a cookbook that shared their regional pride. The pair of "Saskatchewan transplants living in Alberta" worked together on The Prairie Grid Dinner series, Canada's only travelling pop-up restaurant celebrating all aspects of Prairie food. Some of the recipes in Prairie are from the chefs involved in those dinners, while others are from chefs they've written about or friends they've met over the course of their culinary careers.
Featuring Prairie ingredients like sorrel, sea buckthorn and haskap in both modern and traditional recipes, like Saskatchewan succotash salad and perogies, Prairie was created with home cooks who are looking to embrace the season in mind
Dan Clapson's Roasted Squash and Halloumi Salad
The salty halloumi cheese balances out the sweetness of the squash, apple and maple syrup in this salad.
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt, plus more as needed
3 grinds fresh black pepper, plus more as needed
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp honey
½ cup canola oil
Roasted Squash and Halloumi Salad
¼ small acorn squash, cut into ½-inch slices (peeled if desired)
½ small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
8 fresh sage leaves
4 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 tsp salt
18 oz halloumi, sliced 1 inch long and ½ inch thick (preferably Chaeban Artisan)
4 cups red leaf lettuce, hand-torn
1 mcintosh apple, cored and thinly sliced
¼ cup salted white pumpkin seeds
½ cup apple cider vinaigrette
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Method
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
In a small jar, add the garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, honey and oil and shake until emulsified. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Store the vinaigrette in a lidded container in the fridge and use within 1 week.
Roasted Squash and Halloumi Salad
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the acorn and butternut squash and the sage leaves in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of the oil and the salt and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast until the squash is tender, 22–25 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the halloumi pieces, leaving space between each. Working in two batches, cook until golden-crispy on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Working quickly so the cheese is still served warm, place the squash, lettuce, apple, pumpkin seeds, vinaigrette and maple syrup in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Transfer to a large serving platter or individual plates and top with the halloumi.
Christie Peters's Strawberry Mint Radicchio Salad
Popping with seasonal colours, this salad has the perfect crunch to balance out the fruit, while well-chosen herbs accent the sweetness of the produce.
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 minutes
Ingredients
Crab Apple Poppy Seed Dressing
½ cup honey
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 crab apples, cored and peeled
½ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup canola oil
½ cup poppy seeds
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Strawberry, Radicchio and Mint Salad
2 medium heads radicchio, cut into bite-sized pieces, approximately 3 cups
1½ cups strawberries, trimmed and quartered
⅔ cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp picked fresh thyme or oregano leaves
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Method
Crab Apple Poppy Seed Dressing
Place honey, mustard, vinegar, crab apples and salt in a blender and purée until smooth. Continue to purée while slowly adding the oil to emulsify.
Transfer to a sealable container, and stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt, and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Strawberry, Radicchio and Mint Salad
Place radicchio, strawberries, herbs and hazelnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with the salad dressing (about ⅔ cup) and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Twyla Campbell's Spatchcocked Paprika Chicken
Spatchcocking flattens the chicken for a crispier top with more moist meat underneath.
Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes
Ingredients
Spatchcocked Paprika Chicken
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 medium Savoy cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick slabs
4 carrots, unpeeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 roasting chicken (4 lbs)
2 tsp flaky sea salt
1 lemon, cut into 8 pieces
Spice Blend
1 Tbsp mild Hungarian paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed coriander seed
Method
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
To make the Spice Blend: Combine the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and coriander in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the oil on a large baking sheet or shallow roasting pan (18 × 13 × 2 inches), making sure it’s coated, then lay down the cabbage and carrots, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
To spatchcock the chicken, place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and with kitchen shears cut up along one side of the backbone, starting at the tail and working your way up to the neck. Repeat the process on the other side of the backbone. Save that backbone for broth by placing it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Flip the bird over and press down on the breast to flatten.
Rub the chicken with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil and cover it with the spice blend. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and place the baking sheet in the oven.
Roast for about 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. The skin should be golden brown and crispy, and juice from the thigh, when pierced with a fork, should run clear. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Place the pan in the centre of the table, on top of a wooden cutting board or metal trivets. Finish the bird with a scatter of flaky sea salt. Serve the lemon on the side, to spritz on the chicken after pieces are cut and served.
NOTE: To crush seeds, use a mortar and pestle, but if you don’t have one, place the coriander seeds on a cutting board and use the flat side of a large knife to crush them.
Gail Hall's Raspberry Clafoutis
The unique tartness of raspberries cuts through the rich sweetness in the base of this delectable dessert.
Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
2½ cups fresh raspberries
5 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
¾ cup whole milk
3 eggs
1 Tbsp amaretto liqueur
2 Tbsp melted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup heavy (35%) cream
2 Tbsp icing sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F and butter a 10-inch pie plate.
Distribute the raspberries in the prepared pie plate and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of the sugar.
In a small bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, amaretto and butter. Add the flour, another 2 Tbsp of sugar, baking powder and salt, and beat to a smooth batter. Pour over the raspberries and bake until golden brown and set in the middle, about 30 minutes. The batter will puff slightly.
While the batter is baking, prepare the whipped cream. If using a stand mixer or hand mixer, pour the cream into a large bowl, add the icing sugar and vanilla, and whisk on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until medium firm peaks are formed. If using an immersion blender, pour the cream, sugar and vanilla into a 4-cup jar and blend for the same time, until medium peaks are formed. Cover the container with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.
When the clafoutis has finished baking, remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with the whipped cream.
