This recipe, featured in East Coast Living magazine, is provided by Evelyn Ernst co-owner of Terra Beata Cranberry Farm.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup (125 ml) Terra Beata cranberries, fresh, frozen, or dried
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
21 oz (600 g) pork tenderloin (from Meadowbrook or The Pork Shop)
½ cup (125 ml) Fox Hill Cheese House feta
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
¼ tsp (1 ml) dried Farmer John’s summer savory
additional summer savory, garlic powder and salt to season the roast

DIRECTIONS
1) If using fresh or frozen cranberries, cut them in half into a small bowl, sprinkle them with sugar, stir and set aside for about 30 min.
2) Preheat the oven to 500 °F (230°C).
3) Place the roast in an open pan and make a lengthwise slit on the side, so it will open like a book.
4) In a bowl, mix feta, onion, garlic and savoury. Add cranberries, discarding any juice in the bottom of the bowl.
5) Stuff tenderloin with cheese mixture, and close it with string in several places. It will try to open during cooking.
6) Sprinkle the top of the roast with more savoury, garlic powder and then salt.
7) Sear for 15 minutes at 500 °F (230°C)., then reduce temperature to 275 °F (135°C) for half an hour, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 °F (71°C)
8) Let stand 5 minutes, remove string, slice and serve.

Cranberry Feta Stuffed Pork Loin, Photo by Dennis Evans evansphoto.ca

Ingredients:
4 oz (125 g) (6 yolks) egg yolks                                  
4 oz (125 g) sugar                                                           
8 oz (250 g) Nova Scotia Icewine or late harvest wine    
1 tbsp (15 ml) Lemon, lime or orange juice          

Procedure:

1) In a stainless steel bowl, beat the yolks until foamy.

2) Beat in the sugar, wine and juice.  Place over a hot water bath and continue beating until thick and hot.

3) Serve hot as a dessert/pudding or as a sauce for fruit or fritters.  Serve without delay, it will lose some foaminess and begin to separate if it is allowed to stand

4) For this preparation place assorted fresh berries on a plate or in a shallow soup bowl.  Cover with the sabayon, serve with a crisp cookie or biscuit, lady finger, etc.  Garnish with mint.

Ingredients
6 eggs (separated)
4 cups Farmers Heavy Cream
2 cups Farmers or Fox Hill Cheese House milk
1 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
Ironworks Rum (to taste)

Preparation
1) Put egg yolks in large bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in sugar.

2) Stir in cream and milk.

3) Put in fridge to chill for several hours.

4) Just before serving, whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form.

5) Add rum (to taste) to yolk and cream mixture. Fold in egg whites.

6) Serve chilled – Happy Holidays!

Preparation
1) Soak dried mushrooms in 3 cups warm water. Once re-hydrated, remove mushrooms and carefully strain water from any sediment. Discard sediment. Reheat water to a simmer.  

2) Add Avondale Sky Tidal Bay and bring back to a simmer.

3) In a 2 quart saucepan (on low heat), add olive oil and minced onion. Cook until translucent. Do not brown.

4) Add rice and stir for approximately one minute ensuring all grains are well coated with olive oil. Add mushroom water/wine blend in approximately ¼ cup increments, stirring until liquid is absorbed between each new addition. Stir frequently. Continue until ½ cup of the liquid remains to be added.

5) Roughly chop the mushrooms and add to the risotto with the last of the liquid. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6) Add the Parmesan and stir well.

7) Serve immediately and enjoy with a glass of Nova Scotia wine. 

This is a vegetarian dish. Recipe provided by Avondale Sky Winery

Fish cakes are a classic Nova Scotian dish. One of the joys of eating fish cakes is that nearly every recipe is different. This particular recipe features a breaded fish cake with haddock and lobster. It’s crispy exterior is complemented by a rich smoked salmon mayonnaise. Delicious.

Ingredients

5 medium potatoes, peeled
6 large shrimp, peeled
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
¼ cup (50 ml) onion, chopped
½ small red pepper, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
¼ tsp (1 ml) parsley, chopped
¼ tsp (1 ml) dried or fresh thyme
¼ tsp (1 ml) Cajun seasoning, or to taste
4 oz (125 g) lobster meat
4 oz (125 g) haddock fillet

Breading
1 egg
¼ cup (50 ml) milk
1 cup (250 ml) flour
2 cups (500 ml) panko bread crumbs

Boil potatoes until soft; mash, but not too finely. Let cool. Cut shrimp into medium dice and sauté in melted butter along with the onion, red pepper and garlic, until the shrimp is just cooked, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice, parsley, thyme and Cajun seasoning, and stir to combine. Drain in colander and let cool. Chop lobster; drain and stir into cooled shrimp mixture. Steam or poach haddock fillets. Flake haddock and combine with potato, shrimp and lobster mixtures. Cool. Form into patties, using about ¼ cup (50 ml) mixture for each.

Beat eggs; whisk in milk. Dip patties in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture until well coated , then dip into bread crumbs. Deep fry in canola oil for about 3 minutes, until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and serve with a dollop of smoked salmon mayonnaise.

Smoked Salmon Mayonnaise
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
¼ cup (50 ml) julienne of smoked salmon
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped capers
1 tbsp (15 ml) fine diced red onoin
zest of ½ lemon
lemon juice to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

For 6 people (makes 12 fish cakes)

Recipe provided by:

Chef Sean Murphy

Lakeside Restaurant at Inverary Resort
Baddeck, Nova Scotia

This easy and delicious dish is from Fid Resto in Halifax. Owners Chef Dennis Johnston and Monica Bauché host a Supper Club on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights for culinary enthusiasts and wannabees (reservations required).

What’s a supper club?  It’s an evening of learning and watching and rolling up your sleeves to cook a three-course meal of three Fid Resto signature dishes, in the kitchen with Dennis and Monica guiding you every step of the way.  Did we mention that as you cook you also get to sit down at a communal table and consume the dishes you’ve just prepared? Click here for more information about Supper Club and this easy halibut recipe.

Ingredients
90g (approx 3oz) fresh Nova Scotia  halibut
1kg of Tomatillos (or tomatoes as a substitute)
1 finely diced onion
1 bunch cilantro
100-200ml rice wine vinegar
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
sugar (to taste)
ancho oil (or basil oil)
50ml (2oz) olive oil (for cooking fish)

Preparation:
1. Wash and dry roast the tomatillos
2. Peel husks off tomatillos and  chop finely
3. Wilt the onions in salt, sugar and vinegar
4. Strain off vinegar once wilted
5. Wash and finely chop cilantro – roots and all
6. Combine the tomatillos, onions and cilantro and season with salt and pepper
7. Heat the oil in pan and season the fish (both sides) with salt and pepper
8. Add fish to pan, cook to your preference
9. Place tomatillo salsa on plate, drizzle ancho oil around tomatillo salsa and place cooked halibut on top
10. Bon Appetit!

Chef Glen Wheaton of Bare Bones Bistro competed in our Canada AM Chowder Cook-off last week in Parrsboro. The competition was part of the promotion to support Bay of Fundy’s quest to become one of the New7Wonders of Nature. With the fall season sneaking up on us – what better way to celebrate the harvest then to curl up with a good bowl of Nova Scotia chowder? Happy cooking!

Ingredients
1 lrg spanish onion, brunoise
2lrg head of fennel, brunoise saving the fronds for garnish
2 cups mirepoix ( Celery, Onion, Carrot)
2 bay leaves
6-8 red skin new potato, hard ball size – quartered and sliced
White wine (dry Nova Scotia wine of course)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4c unsalted butter
8oz fresh halibut, cubed
8oz fresh flounder, cubed
8oz Bay of Fundy lobster meat, coarsely chopped
8oz fresh NS mussels cooked and removed from shells
8oz Bay of Fundy scallops
Fresh halibut or flounder stock to cover about 2-3 L
500ml Farmers whipping Crcam 35%
Small amount of olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions

1) In a pan large enough to sear all of the white seafood, coat bottom of pan with enough oil to cover the bottom.

2) Season fish with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once pan is at medium high heat gently place all the scallops, flounder and halibut in the bottom of the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Get a nice golden sear on one side of the fish then turn and repeat. When fish is just about cooked remove and set aside.

3) Deglaze pan with the white wine  and set these pandrippings aside for later.

4) In the pot you have chosen for the chowder, melt butter and add garlic, mirepoix and fennel until translucent. Deglaze this pan with the pan dripping from the fish, and add a bit more wine if needed. 

5) Add the sliced potato then cover with the fish stock.  Add bay leaves and continue cooking until potatoes are just fork tender. Add all of the prepared seafood and the shelled mussels, add 500ml of the Farmers 35% whipping cream and season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. 

6) Some folks may like to add a dash of  Zambuca or Pernod for a little extra twist. Serve garnished with fennel fronds.

Serves about 20 people

4 tbsp Bacon fat
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo
2 Onions (peeled and sliced)
12 Ears of Corn (shucked and lightly grilled)
1L (4 cups) Chicken stock
1L (4 cups) 35% Cream
1oz/person Smoked Haddock (thinly sliced as garnish)
1 tbsp Coriander seed (ground)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Arugula as garnish
Green onion as garnish

In a relatively large pot, sweat the onions and the peppers in the bacon fat.
Remove the kernels from the corn and add to the onions and peppers.
Once all is up to temperature, add the coriander seed, the chicken stock and the 35% cream.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes and process with a hand blender until relatively smooth and most of the corn has rendered its starch.
Adjust the consistency with more chicken stock or cream.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place some sliced smoked haddock in the bottom of your bowl, fill with soup and garnish with arugula and green onion.

Bon Appétit !

Looking to impress your next dinner guests? Why not try this classic dish that brings together some beautiful fresh flavours of summer. Don’t forget to pair this with crisp Nova Scotia white wine!

Ingredients

5½ cups (1.25 L) Chicken stock
1½ tbsp (20 ml) Olive oil
3 Shallots, finely chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1½ cup (375 ml) Arborio rice
1 cup (175 ml) Dry white wine
1½ cup (375 ml) Cooked lobster meat, coarsely chopped
5 tbsp (75 ml) Butter
½ cup (125 ml) spring peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp (30 ml) Flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) Chives, chopped
½ cup (125 ml) Asiago cheese, grated
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a separate large saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of Celtic sea salt and sauté for two minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another two minutes. Turn the heat up to moderately high, add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Simmer peas in salted water until tender, about two minutes. Drain and set aside.

Turn heat down to medium low, add the wine and continue stirring. When almost all the wine has absorbed into the rice, add a ladle of hot stock, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and continue cooking, stirring often. Continue adding ladles of stock, stirring often until liquid has been absorbed into the rice before adding more and until rice is tender with some bite and risotto is creamy. Remove the rice from the heat. Gently stir in the chopped lobster, butter, Asiago, peas, flat leaf parsley and chives.

Serves 4 – 6

Recipe provided by:

DesBarres Manor Inn
Guysborough, Nova Scotia

This recipe is being featured by Chef Peter Dewar at this weekend’s Nova Scotia Ontario Expo.
Serves 4 people

Ingredients:
8 8inch rice paper sheets
100 grams cooked, peeled, baby shrimp
125ml rice wine vinegar
50ml honey
10 pieces of Hana Nori
5 pieces of Chives
25 ml Olive Oil
20 sprigs of Cilantro
250 ml cranberry juice
20 grams Soy Lecithin powder
1 avocado
75 ml sour cream
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
Micro greens

Method:

For the Pickled Apples:

Cut apple into a small dice and place into a bowl. Bring rice wine vinegar and honey to a boil and pour over apples, let cool and refrigerate.

For the Hana Nori Salad:

Place the Hana Nori in 250 ml of water to rehydrate, leave in the water for one minute and remove the Hana Nori. Squeeze out any remaining water and place into bowl. Add olive oil and chives and a small amount of pickling liquid from the apples.

For the Cranberry Foam:

Add soy lecithin to cranberry juice and froth with a hand blender to order. Make sure you froth in a square container not a round one as you will get more volume in a square one.

For the Avocado Cream:

Remove the skin and seed from the avocado. Puree the sour cream and the avocado together. Add salt, Tabasco and pepper to taste. place mixture in a squeeze bottle and refrigerated.

Soak one piece of rice paper in warm water till soft about three minutes. Place paper on cutting board and dry with paper towel. Scatter shrimp, apples, cilantro, and Hana nori on rice paper. Soak another piece of rice paper till soft and place on top of the mixture. Cut the rice paper into a square. Using a lifter place rice paper onto a plate. Add dots of Avocado cream on top of the rice paper, and watermelon foam on the side. Sprinkle with micro greens and serve.