Semiserious Chefs

I know, I know. You’re going to ask, “AGAIN?!” but seriously yes, I have again been inspired by ‘Chef’s Table.’ I see repeatedly the use of ingredients indigenous to the land where the foods are being prepared. I live in Alaska for crying out loud! It’s hard to find any place where that is more possible than my home state. That being said, I do live in the city. Yes, I know that Anchorage hardly passes as a ‘city’ with it’s measly three-hundred thousand people, and that its close proximity to truly wild nature doesn’t help the cause. So perhaps that is what I’m trying to share here today.

I’ve been a bit of a plant geek ever since I was taught that many of those wild weeds in the woods of Glennallen could actually be eaten. At the age of 12 I was given free use of the book, “Discovering Wild Plants” and it changed my  life. Since then I have purchased, and thoroughly marked, my own copy. Although a little rusty at this point, I still know at least one medicinal or food use for around 150 plants in Alaska and possible places to find them. One of my favorite discoveries dates back to my early years of marriage… I think even before that; high school. I lived in a trailer park in the more densely populated east end of Anchorage, but happened to be right on the edge of a pretty large wooded park. Here I was able to search for forest finds and creek plants, and then I discovered a bog.

There is probably no greater joy than finding – for the first time – a plant you have never seen but can completely identify from previous studies. The first of these for me was Sweet Gale. I think because of this, I could probably label my relationship with this herb as ‘romantic.’ Now Labrador Tea, with it’s fuzzy orange undersides and deep flavor might have been my first love, but I certainly own my not-so-secret affair with Sweet Gale.

*Edit from Andrew*

I just want to say that Vanessa doesn’t know I’m adding to her post, but I’m confused and bewildered as to what’s going on right now. There’s talk of love and romance with plants… I’m not sure how I should take this.

Just brushing against the bushes as you make your way down the sloppy path releases it’s inviting fragrance. There are many uses for many leaves in Alaska, but I feel like it isn’t very often that you run across one that can hold up to the intense flavors of European favorites like tarragon, thyme, and rosemary. Though I hadn’t cooked with it for way more than a decade I could still taste and smell its fresh, deep, nuttiness in my mind and was able to accurately pinpoint exactly where it could be found without having been back there in as many years.

 

I don’t know which came first for this ‘project,’ the desire to use sweet gale or the choice of Cornish game hens as the subject. Either way I brought home a generous bundle of my beloved beautiful sweet gale and three hens. I began crushing, rubbing, sniffing, soaking… generally exploring the nuances of my ‘mistress,’ and found it reminded me a little of sage. It was quickly decided that I would stuff the hens with sweet gale and caramelized onion sausage and use the wild, lemony sorrel [weeds] from our yard in a rub for the birds. It would be a kind of mini version of a turkey dinner.

It was a great idea on paper, but if any of you have ever tried to ‘stuff’ a game hen I’m sure you will agree… you can’t. There is no cavity to stuff!

• Plan B: cut them down the breast; splay; ‘stuff’ with sausage; tie back together like a stuffed pork loin.

I’m not going to lie, it seemed a little abusive to the little birds, getting ripped down the middle only to later be hogtied back together with your crevices stuffed. But misery for one?… pleasure for another!

Now about the sorrel. This plant, just like the dandelion, is probably not known to be edible by many, and only known as a weed by most. It looks a lot like a mini rhubarb, and actually has many similar qualities. The leaves however contain tannins that produce a strong burst of almost citrusy flavor. It is great as a pot herb with boiled meat, used fresh in a salad, dried as an herb, and even crushed in a refreshing drink.

I picked out a few choice specimens from our side yard (free of pests and pets!) and decided to chop it for a rub paired it with garlic, crushed black pepper, and a heavy percentage of salt. I like salty crispy skin on my baked poultry.

Nathan had decided he wanted garlic bread with a vinaigrette, and rice to go with his meat so I used the sorrel again, along with some chopped leeks and cilantro, to make an oil and balsamic vinegar dressing that would pair great both on the bread and the chicken and rice.

As with any meal, there are certain things one might change if they had the opportunity. For this meal I chose to use Cornish game hens and pork sausage from the store. This was in part because that is what I have available, but also out of ease. However, it would be very easy to turn this meal into something TRULY Alaskan simply by replacing the birds with ptarmigan or spruce hens, and the pork for a game sausage.

As for the sweet gale? That can easily be found in Anchorage at the corner of Reka and Pine, where the bike path takes a turn. I strongly suggest wearing mudboots.

 

Nathan actually took several of the pictures from the post above. He is learning the blogging trade as we go along. It was particularly helpful when I had my hands full of meat. Here are some of his other takes:

And of course he got a few shots of himself along the way: