Moose Maple Stew with Bannock Topping

When the Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge announced March’s month as Maple, I think everyone smiled!

March is sugaring season locally and I have indulged in tapping the tree’s and learning how to boil it down, I have helped friend doing it over big open fires, leading to super dark smoky flavoured syrup, I have boiled it over a clean burning wood stove and then finished it on Propane stove to get that stunning lighter first run syrup.

I felt pretty sure that other bloggers would cover the basic’s, Maple Taffy in the snow, Maple sugar, Sugar Pies and tarts, and of course Pancakes..

Locally, everyone makes super thin crape like pancakes, where I show my western roots with Flapjacks. So I had better share my favorite flapjacks recipe in case you want to try them

Our Flapjacks are high and fluffy!

My current recipe is this..

3 Cups of milk (whole), 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. of melted butter, 3 cups of flour, 2 tbsp. of baking powder, a good pinch of salt.. Mix and cook on a med hot griddle..

My mother says the traditional one is this.

2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, one and half tbsp. of sugar, mix together in a bowl, then one egg in a well in the middle, large mixing spoonful of oil (approx. quarter cup) and then milk to make correct thickness of batter.

While we are talking about local fresh real Maple Syrup, its worth sharing my dear Grandmas pancake syrups recipe from the farm. They could not afford to buy Maple Syrup so Grandma did what she did best.. find a way 🙂

Two cups of brown sugar, one cup of water, bring to boil, and simmer for five min, remove from stove and add half a tsp of maple flavour, can be used hot or cold.. Very running but good flavour

The Second must have when it comes to Maple syrup.. Fried Corn Bread.. Heavenly!

This is a nice and easy recipe to make a cornbread that you are going to slice and fry up golden to be served with butter and syrup..

1 1/2 cups buttermilk ( you can use powdered buttermilk, really buttermilk or whole milk with two tsp of lemon juice in it to turn it)
1/3 cup oil
1 large egg
1 cups yellow cornmeal flour or cornmeal
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4th cup of sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 half teaspoon salt

Mix in order, wet to be added to dry, Do not over mix, grease pan or spray it, 350 time depends on what you cook in, cool in pan, cut into squares, lift out and slice in the middle fry in bacon fat or dry or in a touch of butter till golden brown and serve as fried cornbread instead of pancakes.

However I wanted to talk about using Maple with meats.. it’s a delight to add some rich Maple Syrup and use it to make a truly Canadian Recipe.

Moose Maple Stew with a Bannock Top.

1 Pound of stew cubed Moose or Venison or Lamb or Beef
2 large Onions
3 cloves of Garlic
3 large potato – Peeled and cubed
1 Large Carrot-Peeled and cubed
3/4th cup of maple syrup
1 tsp of fresh cracked Black Pepper (you need the pepper to cut the sweetness and add a depth of heat to the sauce)
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of Montreal Steak Spice
1 tsp of Salad Herb Blend
1 tsp of Basil

Add the above and mix it together, then pour into your baking pan and add enough water to cover everything, cover with lid or tinfoil and bake for an hour at 350

Make a Basic Batch of Baking Powder biscuit for the top, if you have extra, bake them on a sheet afterwards, mine nicely grew together forming a solid top.

One cup of flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of sugar (if you want) 1 tbsp. of cold butter or lard or tallow and half cup to 3/4th of a cup of cold whole milk.. it’s a tricky one, half a cup is not enough, and 3/4th is too much but if you have to pick on, then go with 3/4th a cup..

Cut your butter with a knife into little pats, then blend it with your fingers in the same way I taught in regards to your pie dough mixing, or use a pastry cutter, your choice, DO NOT Mix this with a spoon Once rubbed in and all the above are mixed well together, then make a well in the center of your flour and add your milk

Mix together with a wooden type spoon till it comes together enough to clear the sides of the bowl.. Do not overmix, do not knead, do not turn out onto a floured surface and work it.. REPEAT.. just till it comes together! I know, I know but its important

At this point, you can do it two ways, you can do a spoon drop style cut and put on top of the stew (which if you covered it, would come out dumpling style) or you can just lightly flatten the dough into the shape you need, cut it into squares and move them over to the top. Bake for 30 to 40 min till Golden Brown and wooden stick comes out clean..

Allow to sit for a few min and then serve up together, ideally to be put with a green salad on the side.

This recipe is a favorite among my friends and I get asked to bring it to potlucks and get together’s I make it more often with lamb than with moose or Venison. It is sweet and savory with its own built-in Biscuit Crust.

Enjoy the spring Maple Season of 2017