Ok Guys, It’s Bannock

The History of Bannock

The Aboriginal staff of life, Bannock and Fry Bread, is common to the diet of virtually all North America's Native population. The European version of bannock originated in Scotland and was made traditionally of oatmeal. The bannock of Aboriginal people was made of corn and nut meal, and flour made from ground plant bulbs. There were many regional variations of bannock that included different types of flour, and the addition of dried or fresh fruit. Traditionally, First Nation groups cooked their bannock by various methods. Some rolled the dough in sand then pit-cooked it. When it was done, they brushed the sand off and ate the bread. Some groups baked the bannock in clay or rock ovens. Other groups wrapped the dough around a green, hardwood stick and toasted it over an open fire. Early fur traders introduced leavened wheat or oat flour breads to the Aboriginal people. The use of leavened breads spread and adapted from there. Prior to the introduction of baking soda as a leavening the native population used wood ash. Fur traders and pioneers also introduced cast-iron frying pans that made cooking bannock quicker and easier. Today, bannock is most often deep-fried, pan-fried and oven-baked. Bannock is one of the most popular and widespread native foods served at pow wows, Indian cowboy rodeos, festivals, and family gatherings in the Canadian First Nations and parts of the northern United States.

First you take flour, baking powder, salt, oil or lard and sugar and mix then make a hole in center and crack in an egg (optimal) and add water or milk and mix to a sticky firm dough. Add any fruit such as raisins you wish. One caution high sugar content from fruit or fruit pulp will cause the bannock to overly brown fast if deep fried. So if you plan on a sweet dough bake or dry pan fry the bread. You can change direction and make a savory dough with the addition of spices and vegetables and or meat.



The next step is to pat down the dough or roll it out and cut the forms you wish to produce. You can roll it out in thick strands to wrap around a stick. It can be hand formed or cut out biscuit style.

If you have produced a dough with little or no sugar you can deep fry it, otherwise bake it, pan fry it or roll it on a stick and place in front of a fire. It can even be rolled in small balls and used as dumplings.

Now for the best. The eating part

There are as many Bannock recipes as there are ideas on how to make it. We have provided a few for you to get an idea of the wide nature of this staple dough product. Chef David Wolfman produces a new type of Bannock almost monthly on his TV Cooking with Wolfman show.

Basic Bannock Recipe (Fried or Stick-cooked)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp margarine/butter
2 tbsp skim milk powder (optional)
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (at this point it can be sealed it in a ziplock bag for field use). Grease and heat a frying pan. Working quickly, add enough COLD water to the pre-packaged dry mix to make a firm dough. Once the water is thoroughly mixed into the dough, form the dough into cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Dust the cakes lightly with flour to make them easier to handle. Lay the bannock cakes in the warm frying pan. Hold them over the heat, rotating the pan a little. Once a bottom crust has formed and the dough has hardened enough to hold together, you can turn the bannock cakes. Cooking takes 12-15 minutes. If you are in the field and you don't have a frying pan, make a thicker dough by adding less water and roll the dough into a long ribbon (no wider than 1 inch). Wind this around a preheated green, hardwood stick and cook about 8 inches over a fire, turning occasionally, until the bannock is cooked.

Shuswap Bannock (Epanigishimog Pakwejigan)
(Baked)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup blueberries
Mix the dry ingredients together, add the blueberries and stir. Add the water quickly and continue to stir.
Spread the batter on a pie plate and put in a preheated oven heated to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut in pieces and serve hot or cold. Excellent served with mint tea.
- This recipe comes from the Cappilano Reserve, Chilliwack, BC and belongs to the Shuswap people.

Sunflower Bannock (Missiiagan-Pakwejigan)(Fried)
3 1/4 cups sunflower seeds
3 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp corn flour
2/3 cup corn oil
Put the sunflower seeds, water and salt into a pot, cover and let simmer for 11/2 hours. When well cooked, crush the seeds to make a paste. Add the corn flour, 1 tbsp at a time to thicken. Work with your hands; cool a little.
Make small, flat pancakes of approximately 5 inches in diameter. Heat oil and fry both sides, adding more oil if necessary. Drain well and eat.

Manon's White Woman Bannock!(Baked)
DO NOT PREHEAT YOUR OVEN!!!!!
6 cups of flour
2 tbsp (heaping) baking powder
2 tsp (heaping) salt
1 inch wide (or so) of lard
sprinkle of white sugar (optional)
2 cups of very warm water (warm enough so the lard will melt when mixing everything together)
Mix dry ingredients together, add lard, using your hands to blend it together. Add water and form a big ball and let sit in the bowl for a minute or two with a clean tea towel over it. Pat it out until the shape of a pizza (not too thin or you will have hockey pucks for bannock!). Use one of your biggest glasses to cut out your bannock and put in ungreased pan. Using a fork, poke your bannock twice (uncertain why but Manon's mother in law does it!)
Turn the oven to 425°F and bake for 25 minutes. Raise the rack to the top for the last 5 minutes. - Manon Metz

Thelma's Lazyman Biscuit/Bannock (Baked)
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp margarine
1 cup milk
1 cup water
Mix ingredients together and pour onto a lightly greased (with margarine) cookie sheet. Bake in oven at 450°F for 20 minutes. Cut it right away into squares. It is good with soup or as a snack. Thelma Blackstock

Prince Edward Island Baked Bannock (Baked)
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening and then stir in milk. Form a ball of dough using flour to prevent sticking to hands. Roll into a square approximately 2" thick. Mark with squares (by making shallow cuts into the dough so cutting is easier after it is baked) and bake at 350°F for about 1/2 hour. Confederation Bridge

Bella Coola Bannock Recipe (Fried)
4 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 can milk, mix with water
1/4 cup margarine/butter
2 eggs
pinch of salt
Combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Pinch some of the dough and shape it. Fry it in hot oil until golden brown. Greg Mazur

Lichen Bannock
# Pit cook or steam black tree lichen (Bryoria fuscescens)
It turns into a hardened licorice tasting "bannock". It can be cooked with berries like saskatoons to add sweetness and flavour.Mary Thomas - Elder - Neskonlith Indian Band

Whole Wheat Bannock (Pan-fried)
1 1/2 cups white flour
4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
canola oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sugar
water
Heat frying pan with 1/4 inch of canola oil. Combine all dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and add water. Stir until the dough is a thick batter (It will be a gooey mess). Drop a generous tablespoon of dough into the heated pan; spread the dough to 1/2 inch in thickness (use a spoon and fork for this step).
When the bannock is puffed and brown on one side (yes, peek if you wish), then flip it over and brown it on the other side. Smother with favourite toppings - Roger's Golden Syrup, honey, peanut butter, jam or jelly or even a taco filling. You may also sprinkle it with a sugar/cinnamon mixture (1part cinnamon to 10 parts sugar).
Louise Framst in A Tahltan Cookbook

Corn-Flour Bannock (Fried or Baked)
2 3/4 cups corn flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lard
2/3 cup water
Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease lightly a cast iron frying pan, or baking sheet. Stir and blend together the flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, finely cut in the lard. Then gradually stir in the water. Stir with a fork to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Roll out or pat 1/2 inch thick, or flatten dough to fit frying pan. Cook in frying pan on hat ashes over an open fire (turning to brown both sides), or on a baking sheet in oven for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut and serve with butter. Makes 1 loaf.

Bannock Buns (Fried)
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup lard
1 cup soured milk*
Lard or shortening for skillet
In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Cut in lard until mixture resembles a fine meal. Make well in centre, pour in soured milk and stir using light strokes, just until liquid is absorbed. Knead lightly 5-6 times to make a smooth dough; set aside.In large heavy skillet, melt just enough lard to thinly coat bottom of pan. Heat pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 6 portions; shape into flat, round buns about 3/4 inches thick. Arrange in pan (in batches if necessary). Cover and cook for 6 minutes or until bottoms are deep golden brown. Turn buns, replace cover and cook for 6 minutes longer. Remove to rack and let cool before serving.*To sour milk: Add enough milk to 1 1/2 tsp vinegar to make 1 cup.

Blackfoot Fried Yeast Bread (Pan-fried)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/4 ounce package of active dry yeast
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached flour
oil or shortening, for deep frying
Place water in a mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Add butter, sugar, and 2 1/2 cups of flour and salt. Knead, adding enough flour to form a stiff dough. Allow to rise for one hour. Place oil in a deep saucepan and heat to 350°F. Form dough into cakes approximately 4 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick and deep fry for about one minute per side or until golden brown. Makes 8-10 pieces.

Merry Christmas From Indian Country

                                     OKI-   I'TAAMOMAHKATOYIIKSISTSIKOMI

GREETINGS - - HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY       NEW YEAR FROM INDIAN COUNTRY

 

Click Here For a Cherokee Nation Greeting

NOW YOUR INVITED TO A NATIVE AMERICAN CHRISTMAS        DINNER

PAN-ROASTED MEDALLIONS Of TURKEY BREAST

1 10 to 12 pound turkey breast (have your butcher cut the eat from bone and skin and slice it into 2- to 3-ounce medallions. save and trimmings for the sauce.)
2 yellow onions, skin on, cut into eighths
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch; lengths
3 ribs of celery, washed and cut into . 1-; inch lengths
5 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups apple cider
1 cup dried currants
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup toasted pinion nuts (or substitute pine nuts)

Turkeys were among the few animals domesticated by early Native Americans. These birds provided meat and acted as sentinels, using their noisy gobbles to warn of approaching danger. In this recipe, cranberries, indigenous to the Northwestern tribes, are blended with the piñon nuts of the Southwest to create a tart, nutty sauce.

Preheat oven to 350oF. Place bones and trimmings from turkey in a heavy roasting pan and roast until they turn mahogany in color, about 1 hour. Transfer them to a heavy stock pot and cover with water. Add onions, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim the foam from the surface and turn down heat to a slow simmer. Cook for 3 hours. Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer or cheese cloth, and chill overnight. In the morning, remove all the congealed fat from the surface of the stock. Reserve two cups of the stock for the Cornbread-Sage Dressing.

Return the defatted turkey stock to the stove and add the cranberries, apple cider and currants. Cook over medium heat until reduced in volume by half, about .4 cups. Season to taste with a pinch of salt.

While the sauce reduces, prepare the turkey medallions. In a pie plate, combine the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Dredge the turkey medallions in the seasoned flour and sauté in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat until golden on both sides.

Remove the cooked turkey from the pan and place the turkey on a paper towel-lined heated plate. Drain the oil from the pan, add the cranberry sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the piñon nuts. Simmer until ready to serve.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of the Cornbread-Sage Dressing on a dinner plate. Top with 2 or 3 turkey medallions and ladle some of the sauce over the turkey. Contributor: Loretta Barret Oden. Yield: serves 8 to 12 Preparation Time:4 hours

CORNBREAD-SAGE DRESSING

for the cornbread:
1 cup organic, stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1 cup skim milk
1 cup fire-roasted corn kernels(can be found in Korean/Asian stores under teas)
2 tablespoons canola oil for the dressing
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 ribs of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 tablespoons poultry seasoning
4 tablespoons minced fresh sage

Before Europeans introduced wheat to the New World, most tribes used cornmeal as a major bread-making ingredient. This recipe calls for the addition of flour and leavening's to the cornmeal, which results in a lighter version of this Native American bread.

Preheat oven to 325oF. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, corn and canola oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until most of the lumps are removed.

Pour batter into a 2-inch-deep baking pan and bake about 25 minutes or until the interior of the cornbread reaches 200oF. Remove cornbread from the oven and let cool. Scrape the cooled cornbread from the pan and crumble it into a large bowl.

Heat the canola oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the celery and onion with the poultry seasoning and sage until the vegetables become translucent.

Add vegetables to the crumbled cornbread and mix well. Add reserved turkey stock if the mixture is too dry. Transfer dressing to a baking dish and bake 20 to 30 minutes until heated through. Contributor: Loretta Barret Oden Yield: serves 8 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

PECAN STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

6 medium sweet potatoes
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/3 cup apple juice or cider
1/4 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 nonfat milk
6 tablespoons chopped pecans

Gathered in large quantities by the Iroquois, pecans were added to breads, trail mixes, and all sorts of stuffing's. Preheat oven to 375°. Wash sweet potatoes, wrap in foil, and bake until tender, about one hour. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook apple in apple juice until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in currants, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and set aside.

Cut a thin slice off the top of each sweet potato and scoop out most of the
flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving about 1/2-inch of flesh on the insides of the skins. Place potato shells in a baking pan and set aside.

Add apple mixture and milk to sweet potatoes and mix well to combine. Fill shells with potato stuffing and sprinkle the top of each with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Yield: 6 servings.

THREE SISTERS SUCCOTASH

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped summer squash
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup defatted chicken broth
2 tbsps. chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
2 cups frozen baby lima beans, thawed

Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. Add corn, red pepper, onion, and cumin; sauté 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly blackened. Add summer squash, olive oil, and garlic; sauting and additional minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, add broth and remaining ingredients. Cook 3-5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Yield: 8-10 1/2-cup servings

BACON SAGE CORN BISCUITS

8 bacon slices
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled butter; cut into pieces
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 3/4 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 cup thawed drained frozen corn kernels
1 egg, beaten
freshly ground black pepper

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter heavy large baking sheet. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Crumble bacon into small pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon dripping; discard remainder. Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 2 eggs, buttermilk, sage and reserved 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in medium bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture and stir until moist dough forms. Mix in corn and bacon. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead gently until smooth, about 8 turns. Roll out dough on work surface to 10x8-inch rectangle (about 3/4 inch thick). Cut rectangle into 12 squares. Place squares on prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Brush biscuits with egg glaze. Sprinkle lightly with ground pepper. Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with lots of fresh butter!

AMERICAN INDIAN COLD CHRISTMAS CAKE

1/2 lb pecans, chopped
1/2 lb walnurs, chopped
1 lb shredded moist coconut
1 lb raisins
1 lb vanilla wafers
1 regular can sweetened condensed milk

Combine dry ingredients well. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and work through with hands so that dry ingredients are thoroughly saturated. Press into spring foam pan. Refrigerate for 2 days. My Cherokee ancestors used hazelnuts, dates and thick goats milk, then wrapped the cake in watertight leaves bound with vine and placed in cold running stream for several days. This is delicious and easy. Contributor:Ruby M. Harper. Yield: 4 servings

CHEROKEE JICAMA COLE SLAW

3 strips bacon
1 head shredded jicama, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 celery rib; thinly sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika

Cook bacon until crispy in oven or on top of stove. While bacon is cooking, in large bowl, combine jicama, Carrots and celery. When bacon is done, let cool. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cream, sugar, vinegar and salt and pepper. Stir until sugar dissolves. Crumble bacon into jicama mixture. Mix well. Pour cream and sugar mixture over jicama/bacon mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Approximately 6 minutes.

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