Simple, unpretentious, delicious - Rendez

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