Our huge feast was very succesful last night! The roasted bison (cooked all day with vegetables in a slow cooker) turned out well, despite it being the first time that I've attempted a roast. It pulled apart easily and remained moist, which is always a challenge with bison, since it is a lean (read more healthy than beef) meat . We peeled and chopped up a butternut squash, a huge sweet potato, some carrots and onions, and roasted these at 225°C in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with rosemary and salt and pepper on top.
Celeste led the way by teaching up how to make bannock. Some had made versions of this bread before, and had fond memories of cooking it over a fire. Bannock can be made with a variety of flours, such as flour from bulbs, nut flour, corn flour, or regular wheat flour. Some recipes call for baking powder, some use yeast, and others do not use leavening agents and simply make flatbreads. Interestingly, the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Food Guide points to bannock containing baking powder as a source of calcium for those who do not consume dairy products (note however that bannock is not a good source of Vitamin D, which milk is often fortified with). The bread can be fried or baked (baking being the healthier option), and can contain lard or oil.
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Here is Celeste's recipe, from the Swan River Valley, Manitoba Cookbook:
3 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil or lard (we used corn oil)
Preheat oven to 190°C. Mix flour, baking powder and salt well with a fork. Mix oil into flour mixture. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Work mixture with hands until well mixed. Turn onto floured cookie sheet and pat to 2-3 cm thickness. Bake 15-20 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped with fingers, and is browning on top.
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We also put an apple and blackberry crisp in the oven for dessert. While it's hard to eat in season in March, at least the berries had been lovingly picked last summer and waiting in the freezer ever since!
All these dishes came out of the oven right around the same time conveniently. We enjoyed the food together and leftovers were carried home. Thanks to everyone who came out for a lovely evening of food and community!
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Some great information on bannock can be found at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/rsi/fnb/FNB.htm#frozen
ReplyDeleteAlso, I should have mentioned that the vegetables take around 45 minutes to roast. It's a good idea to stir them occasionally, so that the olive oil works its magic. You can tell the veggies are done when they are the softness you would like them to be.