You better be hungry for this episode! Artemis Program Manager Annita Lucchesi shows Artemis Coordinator Paige McMahon and YOU how to make contemporary recipes with Indigenous ingredients such as steelhead, elk, huckleberries, and wild rice.
RECIPE
While these recipes are not traditional to any tribe, they do utilize traditional Indigenous foods. The goal in sharing these recipes is to remind folks that Indigenous foods are more accessible than we realize, highly versatile, easy to work with, and usable in a wide variety of cooking styles. Whether you’re Indigenous or not, Indigenous foods belong in your kitchen! Every ingredient used is Indigenous to the Americas.
Note: I am a home cook that does not believe in precise measurements. For that reason, you won’t see specific measurements in the ingredient lists below. Instead, I use descriptions of texture to give you a feel for what it should look or feel like as you go. As always, do what feels right for your palate and the size of the party you’re cooking for.
Prickly Pear Glazed Steelhead
Ingredients:
Steelhead filet
Prickly pear jam
Sunflower oil
Coarse sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, mix sunflower oil, salt, and prickly pear jam until evenly blended. Consistency should be similar to a thick salad dressing – thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to lather onto the fish.
Place steelhead filet in an oven-safe pan. Spoon prickly pear glaze over the fish, making sure to spread a medium-thick layer evenly.
Bake steelhead in the oven until it is cooked to desired texture.
Wild Rice & Elk Meatballs
Ingredients:
Ground elk meat
Huckleberries
Wild rice
Mixed wild mushrooms (chanterelles recommended)
Flat (mountain) cedar
Bear root (or osha root)
Coarse sea salt
Directions:
In a large deep pan, add mushrooms, small chunks of bear root, and a pinch of cedar to water. Fill level should be deep enough to create a broth to cook the meatballs in, but not so deep that it will boil over once you add the meatballs. Place the pan on the stove on medium heat, high enough to create a flavored broth.
In a large bowl, mix ground elk, huckleberries, wild rice, a pinch of flat cedar, and salt. The final texture of the mix should be sticky enough for the meatballs to hold shape, but wet enough to remain moist after cooking in the broth.
Form meatballs by rolling between your palms – they should be approximately 1” thick.
Place meatballs directly into the broth on the stove. Turn as needed, and add additional water as needed (the rice will soak up the broth as they cook; the pan should always maintain broth in it because the rice needs the moisture). Cook thoroughly, until meat and rice are fully cooked.
Roasted Maple Chili Sweet Potatoes & Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Diced sweet potatoes
Chanterelle mushrooms (or other wild mushrooms)
Maple syrup
Guajillo chili powder
Sunflower oil
Coarse sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place diced sweet potatoes and mushrooms in an oven-safe pan (cast iron preferred).
In a small bowl, stir sunflower oil, salt, guajillo, and maple syrup until evenly mixed. Feel free to taste as you go and modify the sweet/spicy level to your preference.
Pour the glaze over the potatoes and mushrooms, and stir to ensure pieces are evenly coated.
Bake until potatoes are soft and easily broken with a fork.
As sportswomen, we don’t fit into any box or stereotype but enjoy being our full, authentic selves. There is no one definition of a sportswoman – Artemis celebrates the million ways to be one, and uplifts sportswomen as unique leaders of the sporting world and conservation. We are a nationwide community reflecting the diversity, leadership, expertise, and sisterhood of women hunters and anglers. Artemis sportswomen encourage one another in their growth and success as hunters and anglers, and role model women’s leadership in caring for the lands and waters we harvest from and know so well. Join us in our work to elevate sportswomen as sporting and conservation leaders today!
Learn more: https://artemis.nwf.org/