Regional kitchen to add to the menu!
The history of certain dishes….
Flacatoune: most popular of all ancient drinks was “la bagosse”. The years of the prohibition in the United States stimulated the production and the distribution of this illegal water-of-life. The peasants would put their potatoes in a barrel; fermented, passed to the still and there you have a dozen litres of “Bagosse”. Aromatized of a wine sweetened type of Porto, bottled in a “flacon” probably by the women, it becomes the base of “La Flacatoune”.
Ployes and “cretons” (pork pate): A meal for the poor; how to calm the appetites of the hungry men who returned from the work fields? – It was the hour of the PLOYE! This pancake made from whole wheat and buckwheat flour which rather has an odd name, comes from the fact that ployes would “plug” quickly a stomach. Formerly, one would generally make it starting yeast that was preserved from one meal to the other. Made on the wood stove, it was used especially as substitute for the bread. True a “ploye” should not be turned during cooking. Meal of the poor before becoming that of the tourists, the stock of “ployes” had formerly, the place of honor on the table of the large families. Accompanied by “cretons” (pork pate) molasses, maple syrup or quite simply of homemade butter… what a delight!
Homemade bread and butter: which other explanation can one give that this homemade bread was made daily by the women and was accompanied by homemade butter of which you will be likely to taste this evening.
Baked beans: the portion of the St-Jean River which remained to be crossed to arrive in the Madawaska River was the most advanced part and most flourishing of the river. The grounds are beautiful there and fertile, the hay, the grain, the potatoes come in abundance. From there, our famous baked beans commonly used Saturday evenings with the stock of “ployes”.
Fricot: with perfect agriculture land, the poultry breeding was practical. This complete meal was composed of poultry and potatoes rich in calories in order to provide energy to the field workers. When one wanted to invite people to a meal or to an evening, one said: “You are invited to the fricot”.
Six pastes: The term used in the past was “sea pie”. The origin of this meal is Quebec influence. In the first receipts, one found alternate basic fish with onion lines and pastes. The “Brayon” modified this meal by replacing fish for hunter’s meat and interpreted the name like “six pâtes” (six pastes).
Brook trout and accompaniments: the most commonly fish fished in the area were the Brook trout and the salmon. The Indians were the pioneers in this daily fishing. The “Brayon” adopted cooking with the buckwheat flour type miller rather than with salted water. The vegetables of the day were the local corn and the fern (fiddlehead) gathered close to our rivers. The “mioche” was manufactured in the form of mashed cooked vegetable remains, that is to say carrots, turnips and potatoes. It is supposed that the Bernard’s potatoes are origins are from a logger (perhaps named Bernard) which composed this receipt of simmered potatoes with salted bacon grills. This meal for the poor ensured the survival of the loggers during the winter.
Molasses cookies: no festive meal was complete without the molasses cookies. The molasses cookies, which one was eaten at the end of the meal as a treat, were always accompanied by a good cup of tea. In ordinary time, a treat would be a bread section with bacon and molasses.
“Pets de sœurs” (Cinnamon Rolls): France of origin, known under the name of “pets de soeurs” (cinnamon rolls), these fritters of cabbage pastry, large like a nut, cooked in a crackling not too hot, gave a light and very inflated ball. The “Brayon”, supposedly modified this recipe by using remainder of tart pastes, powdered with brown sugar which one probably said: “It’s a fart to do!”.
Bon appétit!