Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl Season 1 Episode 1

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Embark on a culinary adventure with Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl, the inaugural episode of this exciting new series! Join us as we explore the vibrant and diverse food landscape of the East Coast, discovering hidden gems and beloved establishments that define regional flavors.  This episode delves into the rich culinary traditions that have shaped East Coast cuisine. We uncover the secrets behind iconic dishes and learn about the passion of the chefs and food artisans who keep these traditions alive. Prepare to be inspired by innovative approaches to classic recipes and the dedication to quality ingredients.  Experience a journey through bustling city markets and charming coastal towns, each offering a unique taste of the East Coast. From savory seafood specialties to delectable desserts, this installment provides an immersive look at the unforgettable flavors and culinary artistry that make this region a must-visit for any food enthusiast.  #EastCoastEats #FoodAdventure #CulinaryJourney

Transcript

00:00This week on Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl,

00:03we're sailing through the south shore of Nova Scotia,

00:06where I learn the ins and outs of lobstering.

00:09Well done, you're hired.

00:10Hit Peggy's Cove for some Acadian comfort food.

00:13Welcome home, Andy.

00:14And I help an old pal.

00:16Hey, Andy.

00:17Boil up the ultimate family supper.

00:19Ready to rock there?

00:19Ready to rock.

00:20Then it's back home from my take on a south shore classic,

00:24the iconic lobster roll.

00:26Look at that.

00:29I'm Andy Hay, and I'm on a mission.

00:32To explore the incredible food on Canada's East Coast.

00:37Getting up close and personal with the land,

00:40the sea, and the people.

00:45I was born and raised here.

00:47It's in my heart, and it's what fuels my cooking.

00:50Ooh, baby.

00:55I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.

00:58Woo!

00:59And I'm finding it right here in my own backyard.

01:07Nova Scotia's south shore is chock full of iconic postcard vistas.

01:11Working fishing ports, historic lighthouses, rugged Atlantic shores,

01:16and charming towns.

01:18It's also the birthplace of Canada's most famous schooner, the Blue Nose,

01:22as seen on the dime in multiple postage stamps.

01:26This region, just southwest of Halifax,

01:28is made up of a series of picturesque coves along the Atlantic.

01:32I mean, look at the view.

01:35But when I think of the south shore, I think about home.

01:39I was lucky enough to grow up in a tiny south shore area called Prospect.

01:43I still come out this way all the time.

01:46And the one thing I know for sure is no south shore adventures complete

01:50without swinging by the Light Ship Brewery here in Lunenburg.

01:53How are we doing?

01:54Good, how are you?

01:55Light Ship has the best selection of craft beers to choose from.

01:59Along with my favourite IPA, they serve up the most incredible view

02:03of Lunenburg's historic waterfront.

02:06Established in 1793, this perfectly preserved colonial-era town

02:11is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

02:13There you go.

02:14Wonderful. Enjoy.

02:14Take care.

02:19A cold beer, ocean breeze.

02:22What else could you want?

02:24Actually, I know exactly what else I want.

02:27A plate of something fresh out of the ocean.

02:29And there's no place fresher than Dory Mates.

02:32Hi there, how can we help you?

02:34At Dory Mates, you can pick up the daily catch to cook at home, or sit down for a plate

02:39of whatever catches your eye.

02:40I'm gonna go for the pan-fried haddock, please.

02:42Ah, good choice.

02:43Not only is haddock a local fish, but at Dory Mates, it's coming in fresh daily.

02:50The beauty of a dish like this is the simplicity.

02:53The haddock is coated in a seasoned flour dredge, popped into a ripping hot pan of sizzling butter,

02:59and served up with a super fresh cucumber salad and classic tartar sauce.

03:04Enjoy.

03:05I could not be more pumped to dig in.

03:11Mmm, yum.

03:12This is so good.

03:15Here in Lunenburg, the working waterfront is the heart of town.

03:19Known as the fishing capital of Canada for generations, these days a certain crustacean is king.

03:26That's right, I'm going lobster fishing, and I am hyped.

03:32Gail.

03:33Hey, Andy.

03:34Permission to come aboard.

03:35By all means.

03:36I'm super excited.

03:37Good.

03:38Nova Scotia has some of the world's most abundant lobster fishing grounds.

03:42Captain Gail Atkinson has been fishing them on the Nelly Row for over 10 years,

03:47and making her living on the sea for 20 more.

03:51Lobstering is at the heart of her business, and she once led the country's first all-female lobster crew.

03:57I've heard that lobster fishing is some seriously hard work, but with Captain Gail as my guide,

04:01I've got this, right?

04:05Are you a romantic about this?

04:07No, I'm a romantic.

04:08No, that's not a romantic.

04:10There is a freedom in it.

04:12You're hunting for a living, but in the winter, it's really intense.

04:18When you've got rough weather, heavy equipment, an icy deck, it must get pretty risky out there.

04:23It's the most dangerous industry in the country.

04:27But on this gorgeous spring day at the tail end of the season, the weather gods are smiling on us.

04:33We're heading out to the ovens.

04:35That headland right there, that's where they're waiting for us.

04:38Do you generally go to the same spots?

04:40I can tell you right now where I'm going to start this haul, and then I just move from there.

04:44Yeah.

04:44You just try to, I think like a lobster.

04:50All right, we're going to get our pants on.

04:52Let's get your pants on.

04:52Get your pants on, man.

04:57I'll just get you to gaff that first buoy, and you can just hand it to me.

05:00I'm just aiming for the buoy.

05:02Yeah, just gaff it and just haul it right up.

05:04Just gaff it.

05:04Don't think about it, just gaff it.

05:08Gaffing on a lobster boat means using this pole with a hook to secure the rope connected to the traps

05:12in the water.

05:15I'm going to put this in the hauler.

05:17Okay.

05:19Oh, here she comes.

05:20Look at that.

05:21Come on up.

05:24To board a trap, you grab the bridle like this.

05:27Sweet.

05:28And these are nifty little clips.

05:29Oh, cool.

05:30There.

05:30Look at that.

05:31Holy smokes.

05:31Look at that one.

05:35That's a beauty.

05:37So I think it's really important we put bands on these right away because they're going to be fighting.

05:42You can grab the big one at the back so they can't get you.

05:46Get a band on the end of here.

05:48Then you just do this, a little flick of the wrist.

05:51So you just literally poke it in there.

05:52Yep.

05:52Open it up, a little flick of the wrist.

05:57Okay.

05:58So just put it on and.

06:01I see.

06:01Oh, flick of the wrist.

06:02You got it.

06:03I see.

06:04I see.

06:04Put those in the crate and I'm going to head to the next trap then.

06:07Okay.

06:09Gail dropped these traps yesterday.

06:12Specially marked buoys along with high-tech GPS systems guide captains to their traps.

06:17I get excited every time.

06:18I've done this tens of thousands of times.

06:21It's like Christmas every day thinking I shifted these traps around.

06:24Are they going to have anything?

06:25It's exciting.

06:25Oh, beautiful.

06:26Well done.

06:27You're hired.

06:28Forget about the TV show.

06:30Yeah, it's done.

06:31During lobster fishing season from the end of November until the last day in May,

06:36Gail and her crew will drop and check as many traps as her license allows.

06:40Gail owns two licenses.

06:42At 250 traps per license, that's 500 traps she drops and checks daily.

06:48We got four.

06:49Yummy.

06:51We got it.

06:51We're laughing.

06:53There it is.

06:54Last but not least.

06:56Oh, that's another nice one.

06:58Oh, yeah.

07:00Oh, no.

07:01No, let go.

07:03Let go.

07:06That was amazing.

07:07You're a natural.

07:08I'll be here next season.

07:09Absolutely.

07:09Show up on time.

07:10That's it.

07:14Coming up, Acadian history is brought to life.

07:18It gets thick and gooey and just so good.

07:29We got a foggy one here today, folks.

07:32I'm en route to Peggy's Cove.

07:34But the South Shore's most photographed lighthouse is not on the menu.

07:40Instead, I'm hitting up Café La Cadie, where owner Gary set up shop to bring his rich

07:46Acadian food culture to as many people as possible, tourists and locals alike.

07:51Gary's known to be a font of information about Acadians, who are the proud descendants of 17th

07:56century French settlers.

07:58And I feel like I'm going to be eating history on a plate.

08:02Gary's Acadian roots go back to Shetty Camp, Cape Breton.

08:05And though he's been living out this way for over 20 years, his memories of home are ever present.

08:10My mom was an amazing cook of our cultural food.

08:14She knew how to get eight kids out of bed first thing in the morning.

08:18And the dishes that are on our menu are the dishes that I grew up on.

08:23One of the dishes is fricot.

08:25Fricot is kind of in the middle between a soup and a stew.

08:28But like a lot of Acadian dishes, fricot starts with the salt pork just to render the oil.

08:34Then we brown our onions and we brown our chicken.

08:37Once that's cooked, we add our diced potatoes and then we fill the pot with homemade broth.

08:43Simmer has salted green onions.

08:46Salted green onion is very traditional in Acadian culture.

08:51This looks very comforting.

08:52This must feel like home.

08:54This is a dish that just permeates through the house.

08:58Oh yeah, that one's lovely.

09:00I didn't grow up eating fricot, but this still reminds me of my mom.

09:04Food is so much more than just nourishment.

09:06It's memories, it's culture, it's history.

09:08It's connection.

09:09It is.

09:10Yeah.

09:15Welcome home, Andy.

09:17That's lovely.

09:18With my heart and belly warmed by Gary's phenomenal fricot,

09:22I want to know more about the culture that created it.

09:24Who are Acadians?

09:26They're the French that arrived here in the early 1600s.

09:29They flourished here.

09:30They built dike systems all up the Bay of Fundy and made land that was not fertile,

09:36very fertile.

09:37That all changed in 1755 when the English threw the French out.

09:42But the food really is what connects Acadians all around the world.

09:47One of the recipes that we make is 250 years old.

09:50Wrapie pie is an iconic Acadian dish of rehydrated potato and chicken baked under a layer of salt pork.

09:57The texture inside is very soft, and it's thick, and it's kind of gooey.

10:03Gary scoops the wrapie pie into balls, freezes them, and then coats the bites in batter before deep frying to

10:09order.

10:10Every Acadian wants a corner piece of the wrapie pie because that's where all the crust is.

10:15Yeah.

10:16So these, you've got that nice crisp all around the soft texture of the inside of the pie.

10:25Oh, wow.

10:26We dip those in a sour cream with salted green onions.

10:30That texture is amazing.

10:32That gooeyness, but then you get that crunch on the outside.

10:34The green onion is a perfect condiment too.

10:37Absolutely lovely.

10:39We can't leave the table without having something sweet.

10:42So I want to introduce to you some Poudin Chaumeur.

10:47Oh, hey.

10:48Directly translated, it means poor man's pudding.

10:51In Gary's Poudin Chaumeur, a traditional sauce of maple syrup and brown sugar is poured over a thick cake batter

10:58and baked in the oven.

11:00All of the maple that gets trapped under the batter, it caramelizes and it gets thick and gooey and just

11:07so good.

11:10Looks perfect.

11:11You've got that beautiful maple sugar sauce.

11:17That is beautiful.

11:19Dense and gooey and sweet, but not too sweet.

11:22It's got that smooth Nova Scotia maple.

11:25It's just a lovely way to end a lovely meal.

11:27Gary, thanks for having me here.

11:29What a beautiful place this is.

11:31Just to be in Peggy's Cove, it's pretty amazing.

11:35Coming up, I'm taking a crack at joining the Shore Club crew.

11:39Perfect.

11:40The juice.

11:41Nothing to it.

11:48Today's a fun one.

11:49We're heading to the Shore Club.

11:51This place is an absolute legend on the South Shore as the place to come for a quintessential Nova Scotia

11:58lobster supper.

12:00A boiled lobster, clarified butter, an array of classic picnic salads.

12:06And do not forget the steamed mussels.

12:08Owned by the Harnish family since 1946, it's also been a huge part of my life for years.

12:14My in-laws got married here, my wife and I threw our wedding after party here, and we even went

12:20to high school with Luke, who's taking over as the fourth generation owner-operator.

12:24Today, I'm going to be sneaking behind the scenes to actually cook their iconic lobster supper, and then serving it

12:29up to my friends and family.

12:36What's up, Luke?

12:37Hey, Andy.

12:37How are you, man?

12:38Doing great.

12:38Another season.

12:39Good to see you.

12:39Sir.

12:40You're putting me to work today.

12:41Yeah, we're going to be rocking later on, but let me show you out back.

12:44I don't think you've ever seen it out there.

12:45I've never been there.

12:46This is what we affectionately call lobster land out here, and this is our head lobster cook, Craig.

12:52How are you doing, Craig?

12:53I'm excited to be here.

12:54Right on.

12:54Good to have you.

12:55So how does this all work?

12:56We've got to get our ocean water in our pots first.

12:58Ocean water's key for a good lobster.

13:00Absolutely.

13:00And not just any ocean water.

13:02Luke does a weekly pickup from a nearby lobster fisherman to ensure Shore Club is cooking with cold, clean, fresh

13:09seawater.

13:12You're doing this every single week.

13:13You got it, man.

13:14Can't cook a lobster without water.

13:17Put it right on there.

13:19Now we're good to fill it.

13:21So people that aren't from around here might be wondering, why do you boil in seawater?

13:26From my experience, I find it adds like a real sweetness to it.

13:29Lobsters live in ocean water.

13:31And if you cook them in fresh water, they're just going to leach out all the salt that's in them.

13:36But if you cook them in the same substrate, you get this nice, sweet, juicy taste in the lobster that

13:41cranks in.

13:41I love that.

13:50I love that.

14:24I love it.

14:29I love it.

14:30I love it.

14:34And just in time, because the Shore Club is open and guests are coming in.

14:38We got the water up to a good boil.

14:39All right.

14:40We got our first order of the night.

14:41We're going head first.

14:42Head first, right into that water.

14:44Thank you for your service, Mr. Lobster, and straight in.

14:48Top back on.

14:49Top on, yeah.

14:49So we put them in for 15 minutes.

14:51Got another order.

14:52Drop some more lobsters.

14:53It's a controversial topic, but you guys do boil bands on.

14:57We do.

14:58One side argues that boiling band on leaves the lobsters with a rubbery taste.

15:02The other side thinks that's a crock of you-know-what.

15:06I've eaten a lot of lobsters in my life.

15:08I don't know.

15:09Makes no difference.

15:10All right.

15:11All right.

15:11Are we ready to rock there?

15:12They're ready to rock.

15:13Oh, yeah.

15:13A couple victims in lobster land.

15:16There will be more.

15:17Keep the lid on.

15:17Keep the boil going.

15:18Ready to crack them up.

15:20Craig's going to show me how to break down a lobster, Shore Club style.

15:23So first things first, we get the bands off.

15:25Okay.

15:26We want that meat nice and accessible for the customer.

15:28So flip it over onto its back.

15:30Kind of bum's facing towards us.

15:31Yep.

15:32And open up the tail.

15:33Yep.

15:33You want to grab your knife, pointy part right where the tail meets the torso.

15:37Dig it in and then go down with the wrist right to the end of the tail.

15:40Push straight through.

15:41And then you've got some nice tail meat.

15:44Perfect.

15:46The juice.

15:46Nothing to it.

15:47That's it.

15:47Yeah, you might get a little bit of splash up.

15:50Flip them on the side and about mid-claw.

15:52Okay.

15:52You want to just give it a little flick and dig it in.

15:55And then a little twist opens it up.

15:57And then the knuckle.

15:58That's a hard part to get into too.

15:59So you just give that a little smash.

16:02There we go.

16:02Then right in there.

16:05Come on.

16:08Look at the mess I made, Craig.

16:10Yeah.

16:11They're going to make it look messier in two seconds.

16:13You ready to be gobbled up?

16:16Craig and I better keep these lobsters coming because 18 members of the

16:20extended hate clan are descending on the shore club today.

16:25There we go.

16:26Perfect.

16:28Oh, there's my family.

16:32It's a family tradition we look forward to every summer.

16:36All right, go get my seat.

16:37I'll see you in there, okay?

16:38Go get all set up.

16:41While I live out my lobster dreams with Craig, my family settles into the dining room.

16:45Hard work makes for a good appetite and I am sure ready to join the party.

16:53Lobsters for everyone.

16:56Well, almost everyone.

16:57Did someone order the chicken?

16:58Yes, I did.

17:01What can I say?

17:02My mom loves the chicken.

17:04Now it's time to chow down.

17:06Oh, sweet lobster.

17:08Dip it in the butter.

17:09Oh, yeah.

17:13I like that there's some labor involved.

17:15You got to work for it.

17:17Dad will eat every crevice of this thing.

17:20Is baby G having any lobster?

17:22We'll wait a couple more months, but we'll be back.

17:25We'll be back, we'll be back.

17:29I've fished them, I've boiled them, and I've cracked them.

17:33Coming up, we're making my take on a classic lobster roll.

17:44The South Shore is where I was born and raised, and being back home hits every time.

17:50It's a region steeped in history, rich in tradition, and deeply tied to the hard-won bounty of the ocean.

17:59Now, back in my new hometown of Dartmouth, I'm inspired to draw on that bounty and a few of the

18:04lessons learned along the way.

18:09First, we shop.

18:13On most days of the week, I can be found at my local grocery store picking up everything I need,

18:18both for my family and for my socials.

18:22Today, I'm gathering some fresh and local ingredients to make an East Coast classic.

18:28How are we doing?

18:29I might grab two if I could.

18:31It's something that's been enjoyed all along the eastern seaboard from New England to Newfoundland for over 100 years.

18:37Wonderful.

18:38Thank you very much.

18:41And nowhere do I have fonder memories of its feature ingredient than on the South Shore.

18:45This is my take on the lobster roll.

18:48So for this recipe, you can use fresh or frozen lobster.

18:51It's lobster season here in Nova Scotia, so I grabbed a couple fresh guys, but I also have these frozen

18:56claws from Complements.

18:58Both have that sweet, fresh-out-of-the-ocean flavour.

19:01These ones come fully cooked, so it could save yourself a step.

19:04First thing I need to do is break down this lobster.

19:06Remove the tail.

19:08Pop off the claws at the same time as well.

19:11I like to put the tail right in my hand and just give it a little squeeze.

19:15Break open the shell and just remove the tail.

19:18In my lobster rolls, I like to use the tail and the claws.

19:21Tail meat has a bit more of a bite, while claws are sweeter and more tender.

19:25But if you only have the claws, that works great, too.

19:27All right.

19:28Now, the trick I learned from my buddy Craig at the Shore Club.

19:31You're going to take your knife and give it a little one-two crack.

19:35I did it, Craig!

19:36I did it!

19:36Pop that thumb out of it.

19:38See if we can get it out as one.

19:41Come on.

19:43There you go.

19:44That's what you're searching for.

19:45How exciting.

19:46And then I'm just going to do the same thing with the knuckle here.

19:49The knuckle meat is arguably the best part of the whole lobster.

19:53I love it.

19:53Super tender.

19:55And sometimes there's moments where a knuckle will disappear while you're making it.

20:00I can't explain it.

20:01It just happens sometimes.

20:15Our frozen lobster claws.

20:18Nice and clean.

20:19Beautiful.

20:20Those came out lovely.

20:21All right.

20:22So we got all our lobster meat here.

20:23I want these to be like about that size.

20:26I like a big chunk.

20:33Okay, now we're going to make the dressing.

20:35I'm a mayo guy.

20:36Add in a couple tablespoons.

20:38And then one thing that I love adding into my lobster rolls is some fresh herbs.

20:42Two tablespoons each of finely chopped dill and chives.

20:46Now we're going to season it up.

20:48Half teaspoon of salt.

20:49Half teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper.

20:52Half a teaspoon garlic powder.

20:54And just a little bit of onion powder.

20:56Now what I think makes my lobster roll different the most is lemon zest.

21:00This is going to brighten everything up, make it fresh and just so clean.

21:05Oh, that smells amazing already.

21:07Mix this up.

21:08That looks perfect.

21:09Okay, the final element is toasting the brioche bun to the stove.

21:14I'm toasting this in about a tablespoon of melted butter.

21:17I love using brioche buns.

21:19They're soft, they're slightly sweet, and they toast up perfectly in the pan.

21:23Yum.

21:24The toasting adds like a depth and butteriness, not a step to be skipped.

21:29The bun's looking perfect.

21:30Let's build a lobster roll.

21:31One of the key things about making a lobster roll is being as generous as possible.

21:37We're having a lobster roll, let's have a lobster roll.

21:40A few chives on top.

21:42Best side dish to serve with a lobster roll is salt and vinegar chips.

21:46So I'm adding a few compliments kettle cooked on the side.

21:49This is my favorite way to eat lobster.

21:52Look at that.

21:59It's simple, salty, sweet, just like the Nova Scotia South Shore.

22:05Next time on Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl, it's Prince Edward Island's Northeast Shore,

22:10where I eat clams.

22:12I mean, it's so fresh.

22:13That just tasted the ocean floor.

22:15Join a mussel farming crew.

22:16Don't be scared to jump on, they ain't gonna break.

22:18All right.

22:20Make a mussel dish of my own.

22:22The smell of these are outrageous, so good.

22:24And test my skills with a world famous chef.

22:27I can't believe you're here to cook with us.

22:29Are you ready for a day?

22:30I've been waiting years for this, chef.

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