Spruce Grouse and Mushroom Pie

Serves 4 as an appetizer

1 tablespoon bacon fat
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 spruce grouse legs
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bottle of beer or cider
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 sheet puff pastry
​1 egg, beaten
Chopped parsley, to garnish

1. Set oven at 400 degrees. In a skillet heat the bacon fat over medium high heat until shimmering. Season the grouse legs with salt and pepper then add to skillet and cook until brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and place skillet back over heat.
2. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes then add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have begun to brown, about 8 minutes. Add grouse back to skillet then pour beer or cider over the grouse and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium low heat until grouse is tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Strain liquid from the skillet, reserving both the liquid and the grouse and vegetables separately. Pick grouse meat from the bones and discard the bones. Return skillet to medium heat and melt the butter, when butter has melted add the flour and cook for 2 minutes then whisk in the reserved liquid, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return reserved meat and vegetables to the thickened sauce and allow to cool.
4. Place puff pastry on a lined  baking sheet then place grouse filling in the centre of the pastry leaving a 1 inch border of pastry. Brush the border of the pastry with beaten egg and fold border up around the filling. Brush remaining egg over the pastry. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling. Garnish with parsley, slice and serve.

WEST LAKE MOOSE SOUP

Serves 4

32 ounces chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds ground moose
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 green onion, finely sliced
A handful of cilantro, finely chopped
4 eggs, beaten
Salt to taste

1. Bring stock to a simmer, then add moose, soy, fish sauce and sesame oil and cook breaking up ground moose with the back of a wooden spoon until moose is fully cooked. About 10 minutes.
2. Add half the green onion and cilantro, then while soup is simmering slowly drizzle in beaten eggs. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes then remove from heat. Serve garnished with additional green onion and cilantro.

BISON ADOBO

Serves 4

Vegetable oil, for searing
1 1/2 pounds bison stew meat
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
6 bay leaves
8 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 inch ginger, slivered
Sliced scallions, to garnish
Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

1. Set oven at 325 degrees. In a large dutch oven with a lid, heat a large drizzle of vegetable oil until shimmering, then working in batches sear the bison until it's browned on all sides. Once all the bison has been seared place it back in the pan then add soy sauce, white vinegar, bay leaves, garlic, black peppercorns and ginger and bring to a simmer.
2. Once simmering cover with parchment paper then place the lid on top. Place in the oven then cook for 1 hour, or until bison is tender. When the bison is tender remove from the oven and take off the lid and remove the parchment. Cook uncovered in the oven for an additional 30 minutes, the liquid should begin to thicken. Serve on steamed rice garnished with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

MOOSE AND BACON PÂTÉ

Makes 1 large pâté (enough to serve 8 as an appetizer)

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground moose
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon scotch
1/2 pound bacon, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg plus one egg yolk, beaten

1. In a saute pan over medium heat melt the butter then add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes then remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl mix together moose, bacon fat, thyme, nutmeg, mustard seed, scotch and bacon until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add cooked onion and season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning by frying a little piece of the meat mixture and tasting it. Once you're happy with the seasoning cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.
3. Set oven at 325 degrees, then add egg mixture to meat and using you hands mix until well incorporated. Place meat mixture in a loaf pan then cover with parchment paper followed by foil. Place the loaf pan in a larger roasting pan then add boiling water to the roasting pan until it's half way up the loaf  pan. Cook until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 1 hour.
4. Remove from heat then place a foil wrapped piece of cardboard cut so that it just fits inside the roasting pan on the parchment paper. Place a few cans on the cardboard to weigh down the pâté and when it's cool enough transfer the weighted pâté to the fridge and let sit overnight before slicing and serving.

*While there aren't any dungeness crabs wandering around the Yukon, all residents can have a reciprocal fishing license with Alaska. And in season crabs are easy to find in Whitehorse.

CURRIED CRAB AND COCONUT SOUP

Serves 4

CRAB STOCK
Shells and bodies of 4 dungeness crabs
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 onion, halved
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, quartered
Water, to cover

1. Combine crab bodies and shells, black peppercorns, onion, garlic and carrot in a large pot and cover with water. Bring t a simmer and cook for 90 minutes. Strain and allow to cool.

CURRIED COCONUT CRAB SOUP

*If you have a food processor combine the onion, chili, ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro in the processor and pulse until finely chopped. 

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 thai bird chili, finely chopped
1, 2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 cups crab stock
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Sliced scallions, to garnish

1. Heat coconut oil until shimmering in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, chili, ginger, lemongrass and cilantro and cook stirring often until the onion just begins to brown and everything is very aromatic. Add curry powder and continue to cook until curry powder begins to toast,a bout 5 minutes.
2. Add crab stock and bring to a simmer, cook for 45 minutes then strain. Place infused stock back in a clean pot and bring back to a simmer. Add coconut milk and fish sauce then season to taste with salt and lime juice then serve garnished with cilantro and lime juice.

BROWN SUGAR SMOKED PAPRIKA GRAVLAX

Serves 4

8 ounces dark brown sugar
8 ounces kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1, 2 pound salmon filet (skin on)

1. Mix together sugar and salt and spread half the mixture in a pyrex pan big enough to hold the salmon. Place salmon skin side down on salt mixture then the top of salmon with smoked paprika. Cover the salmon with the remaining salt mixture then cover with plastic wrap and place two or three cans on top of the salmon to press it down. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove the salmon from the salt mixture and rinse under cold water to remove any excess. Pat dry with paper towels then slice thinly and serve.

BISON SSAM

Serves 4

Vegetable oil
1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground bison
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (or other chilli sauce)
Salt, to taste
Iceberg or bibb lettuce, to serve
Sliced scallions, to serve
Chopped cilantro, to serve
Chopped mint, to serve
Chopped basil, to serve
Chopped peanuts (or any nut you'd like), to serve
Wedges of lime, to serve

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat a large drizzle of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add ginger, garlic, half the chopped cilantro, and shallot to the pan and cook until soft - about 4 minutes. Add the bison and cook until bison has fully browned, stirring often - about 7 minutes. Add the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and chilli sauce and mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Cook until mixture is almost dry, but not quite, about 4 minutes and season to taste with salt. Serve with lettuce cups and any of all of the fresh herbs.