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Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl Season 1 Episode 4
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00:01This week on Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl,
00:03we're on the rock,
00:05and I'm eating my way through Newfoundland's capital city.
00:08Whoa, gosh, that's good.
00:09Where Chinese food reflects a remote, rugged history.
00:13That's Newfoundland.
00:14When they opened the restaurant,
00:15ingredients were scarce.
00:17I dig into some prime island protein.
00:20What is moose like?
00:21It's delicious.
00:22Then it's back home to fry up one of my mom's
00:24Newfoundland childhood favorites.
00:26So warm, so comforting.
00:28My goodness.
00:31I'm Andy Hay, and I'm on a mission.
00:34To explore the incredible food on Canada's East Coast.
00:39Getting up close and personal with the land,
00:42the sea, and the people.
00:47I was born and raised here.
00:49It's in my heart, and it's what fuels my cooking.
00:52Ooh, baby!
00:58I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.
01:00Ooh!
01:01And I'm finding it.
01:03Right here, in my own backyard.
01:07There's a reason why they call Newfoundland the rock.
01:09Case in point.
01:10It's rugged, it's remote, and features a landscape as breathtaking as it is harsh.
01:15On this North Atlantic island, the water is cold, the weather is fierce, and the people are as tough as
01:21the environment.
01:22My mom's from here, and I've always had a super strong connection to Newfoundland.
01:26Its history may be shaped by isolation and scarcity, but today, the capital city of St. John's is vibrant.
01:33Jutting out into the ocean as the easternmost city in North America, its half-busy port town, half-Celtic fishing
01:40village, and its humor and hospitality are legendary.
01:43I cannot wait to dive into the local food scene.
01:46But first, I've got to get screeched in, bye, because that's the way things are done around here.
01:51Newfoundlanders are famous for their hospitality, and the screech-in is a welcome meets initiation ceremony for us come from
01:57a ways.
01:59Screech is Newfoundland's slang for rum, and here at Christian's Pub, the oldest on George Street, MC Skipper Lukey pours
02:06the shots and calls him.
02:07Hear ye, hear ye.
02:09We have a whole bunch getting screeched in here today, becoming honorary Newfoundlanders.
02:15Newfoundlanders, the oldest settlement in North America, the youngest province in Confederation, and the only rock that you could party
02:20on.
02:21My name is Skipper Lukey, and I is a Newfoundlander.
02:26But we won't be down in shots on an empty stomach.
02:29The first three words that I want to introduce you to is Prague, puttick, and glutch.
02:32Prague is a Newfoundland word for food.
02:35It's for your puttick, your stomach, and you're going to glutch it back.
02:38It means that you're going to eat it.
02:39This evening, your Prague is what I call Newfoundland steak.
02:42It's bologna.
02:43The reason why we call it Newfoundland steak is years upon years ago.
02:47The kid that would have this would be a rich kid.
02:49The kid that had lobster growing up would be considered a poor kid.
02:53Bologna used to be one of the few meats shipped in from the mainland.
02:56Today, it's a symbol of Newfoundland roots.
02:59I cook this with a lot of love.
03:01Step one, the screech.
03:03Skipper Lukey burns off the alcohol, adds Cajun seasoning for a bit of heat,
03:08deglazes the pan with port, then finishes it off with just a pinch of saffron.
03:13Who does that to a bologna?
03:16I need you all to take a small little bite.
03:18Do not worry if you're vegetarian or vegan, as there's absolutely no meat in it.
03:25Joking aside, it's beef, pork fat, and a lot of curing salt.
03:29Pretty good, eh?
03:30Yeah.
03:30Enough to get me on the Food Network.
03:34Long before any meat was shipped to the island, Newfoundland's diet and entire economy revolved around cod.
03:40Kissing the fish is a tradition that honors its place in history.
03:44So in keeping with that time and honored tradition, I need you all to pucker up and give this fish
03:49just a little kiss.
03:50Of course.
03:52Good for you.
03:55We used to trade our fish with the Jamaicas for their rum, and it was a very strong barrel of
04:00rum.
04:01Now, I never got you to sign any wave or form, so for heaven's sake, just try not to get
04:05any of this on your skin.
04:08Off to the lips, over the gums, look out gullet, here it comes.
04:12Before I let you go, I have to teach you one small little phrase.
04:17Deed I is.
04:18Deed I is.
04:20Me, oh .
04:21Long may your big jib draw.
04:23Long may your big jib draw.
04:25By the power vested in me, I now declare you all honorary Newfoundlanders.
04:36Now that I've kissed the cod, I'm checking out one of North America's oldest fishing villages.
04:41Petty Harbour is about 20 minutes outside of St. John's, and people have been fishing here for over 400 years.
04:47I'm heading to the legendary Chase Landing, where much of the menu is pulled fresh from the cove in front
04:52of the restaurant.
04:53But there's also something for meat lovers, and it's more abundant than cod.
04:58In 1904, four moose were released onto the island.
05:02Today, they have one of the densest populations of moose in the world.
05:06So for Newfoundlanders, moose meat is just part of everyday life.
05:09Now I've tasted it before, but I've never had the chance to cook it.
05:13My moment has arrived.
05:15I'm joining Chef Chantal Lavandier to cook up some moose.
05:18This is our moose.
05:19Smells incredible.
05:20Right?
05:21I feel like this is something a lot of Canadians have never tried and definitely don't see a lot of
05:25in restaurants.
05:26What is moose like?
05:27It's delicious.
05:28It's nice and tender.
05:29There's hardly any fat on a moose.
05:31Moose meat is something a lot of Newfoundlanders would eat all the time.
05:34Absolutely.
05:35How do you even get moose?
05:37Our owner, actually, him and his brother hunt moose in the fall.
05:40And then we're able to serve it in the restaurant.
05:42Yeah.
05:42How lucky.
05:43That's not something that's allowed in most of Canada.
05:45But here, wild game isn't just something to eat.
05:48It's about survival and tradition.
05:51Today, we're going to make our moose melt.
05:52Okay, put me to work.
05:53So we're going to pull this meat.
05:55Look how tender that is.
05:56That's amazing.
05:57We slow cook this overnight.
05:59This is beautiful.
06:00So we got our meat all shredded up.
06:02We're going to make a gravy out of the lacquer here now.
06:04Flour.
06:05A little bit of oil.
06:06Going to whisk that together.
06:08Bring that up to heat.
06:09So when tourists come in here, they see moose on the menu.
06:12Are they nervous?
06:12Yeah.
06:13A lot of people, you know, don't know how to respond to moose.
06:15That smells absolutely incredible.
06:18Add some of the gravy to this.
06:20The meat really absorbs the gravy, too.
06:22It really does.
06:23It looks so rich.
06:25It's all mixed up now.
06:26So we're just going to sauté off some onions and mushrooms.
06:30So how many guests are coming through each day?
06:32Between 450 and 600.
06:34That's unbelievable.
06:35Where are they coming from?
06:36All over the world.
06:37Yeah.
06:37All right.
06:38So we're going to throw a little bit of this mousse in with the onions.
06:40Oh, yeah.
06:41This is what I'm talking about.
06:41Just to heat this up.
06:44Top that with some cheddar cheese.
06:47Oh, yeah.
06:49Side fries.
06:50This looks so good.
06:52And there you go.
06:52Our mousse melt sandwich.
06:55Oh, my goodness.
06:59That is incredible.
07:01Cheesy.
07:02So tender.
07:03The mousse, that is so satisfying.
07:04It's just a lovely flavor.
07:05I feel like this is something that the average Canadian would really love.
07:09For our next dish, we're going back to the sea and the fish that founded this village.
07:14We're going to do cod tongues.
07:16Because of overfishing, cod is no longer plentiful in Newfoundland.
07:19But it's still a beloved dish.
07:21And cod tongues are a big part of that history.
07:24Fun fact, cod don't have tongues.
07:27But they do have two small tender muscles at the base of their throat.
07:31And eating them is a way to use every part of the fish.
07:34How do you serve them here?
07:35We're going to pan fry them.
07:37Chef Chantelle does a traditional light flour dredge before popping them in the hot oil.
07:42And the texture of these are?
07:43It's definitely a different texture.
07:45A lot of people prefer the smaller tongues for that piece of jelly.
07:50It's definitely more gelatinous than fish.
07:52More like a scallop?
07:53Yes.
07:54So we can add some scrunchions to your pan now.
07:56What's scrunchions?
07:57Scrunchions are salted pork fat that we render down.
08:01So what I've got here are the cubes of the pork fat crisping up in their own fat.
08:06Classic as Newfoundland gets.
08:08Scrunchions is really salty.
08:09And as Newfoundland tradition, we're going to add a little bit more salt and pepper.
08:13Perfect, yes.
08:14And this would be fresh cod.
08:16Just came off the wharf this morning.
08:18Does not get fresher.
08:19The cod tongues are getting golden and the scrunchions are crisping up.
08:23I feel like I can serve these to my kids and sell them as chicken nuggets.
08:26It's crispy, crunchy.
08:28These are ready now, Andy.
08:31Cod tongues with pork scrunchions.
08:32I'm excited.
08:33This is cool.
08:37So good.
08:38Crispy, salty, fried.
08:39Some different textures in there.
08:41That's lovely.
08:41Thank you for having me.
08:42I see what all the fuss is about.
08:43Thank you for coming, Andy.
08:46Coming up, two of the country's finest put Newfoundland
08:49at Center Plate.
08:50Mmm.
08:57St. John's is famous for its jelly bean roe.
09:01Legend has it that these candy-colored houses help sailors find their way home through the fog.
09:06Today I'm heading to Portage, one of St. John's best restaurants.
09:10Here, a husband and wife team are embracing their diverse backgrounds to create extraordinary dishes.
09:15Chef Ross Larkin grew up in St. John's where he got his start peeling potatoes at his grandparents' fish and
09:21chip shop.
09:22Chef Celeste Ma was raised in Vancouver's Chinese community and honed her skills as a pastry chef in the country's
09:28finest restaurants.
09:29The couple got married in 2014 and opened Portage in 2022.
09:35Here, they're taking local ingredients to a whole new level, and I can't wait to get into the kitchen with
09:39them.
09:46I'm stoked to be here.
09:47What a beautiful spot you got.
09:48Thanks.
09:49Welcome.
09:49So what's Portage all about?
09:50The name came from literally pushing equipment across Water Street.
09:55So we Portaged across Water Street.
09:57Cool, that's amazing.
09:58We just wanted an intimate, fun, neighborhood restaurant.
10:02Lots of seafood.
10:03Yeah.
10:03And mostly vegetables.
10:05What are we cooking?
10:05We've got a couple dishes for you to try.
10:07First one, we're going to do buffalo blue cheese carrots.
10:10Incredible.
10:10We always want to cook things that we like to eat, and we also want to show people that vegetables
10:14can be done in different ways.
10:15So why not make a carrot taste like a chicken wing?
10:17Yeah.
10:18Yeah.
10:19Where do we start?
10:20We're going to make buffalo sauce.
10:22We have hot sauce that we make here in-house.
10:25That's beautiful.
10:25So we'll heat this up, and add that butter, and licking that in.
10:30We'll get some carrots going here.
10:32Get a nice sear on these.
10:33These are Newfoundland carrots.
10:34Yep.
10:35Newfoundland's an island.
10:36It's pretty far north.
10:37What's it like sourcing ingredients?
10:39Growing things here is really difficult.
10:40We know this from our own backyard.
10:42You're pulling out rocks the size of my head sometimes.
10:46Yeah.
10:46But there's so many great things here.
10:47The fish, the wild game, the vegetables, the boiler bag, they call it.
10:51Yeah.
10:51Carrot, parsnip, rutabaga, cabbage.
10:54Cabbage.
10:55And that's what we'll have in the winter, because they'll sell that for us.
10:58But Ross's dream is white asparagus growing on the island here.
11:01I've been asking farmers to grow white asparagus for years.
11:04Every time.
11:04They're like, oh, it takes so long.
11:05It's like, I asked me seven years ago.
11:07I could have had like one bunch of white asparagus by now.
11:10Not easy.
11:11Let's put this together.
11:13Carrots.
11:14We've got our buffalo sauce.
11:15We've got some blue cheese, crispy onions, crispy garlic.
11:19We want to do scallions.
11:20Lemon balm and basil.
11:21Good.
11:22Lemon balm and basil.
11:22Buffalo, blue cheese, carrots.
11:24Oh, heck yeah.
11:25Let's eat it.
11:26Yeah.
11:27Yes, please.
11:28Oh, thank you.
11:30Whoa.
11:31Oh my gosh, that's good.
11:32Creamy, salty, get a little bit of the heat.
11:34Mm-hmm.
11:35You're still clearly eating carrots.
11:36Yeah.
11:37But then that blue cheese and the sauce give you that vibe of a chicken wing.
11:40And who doesn't like chicken wings?
11:41If you don't like chicken wings, I don't know if I can trust you.
11:43Maybe try the carrots.
11:44Maybe.
11:46Those carrots are incredible.
11:47What else you got?
11:48We're going to do a beautiful steamed cod dish.
11:51A friend of mine caught this a couple nights ago.
11:53You said steaming.
11:54It's a really nice way of showing how good the cod is.
11:57Chinese wedding banquets, there's always a course of steamed black cod.
12:01It's different from how everyone else is doing it.
12:03It shows how delicate the fish is.
12:06So cod and Newfoundland go hand in hand.
12:09I know that there has been stock issues in the past.
12:12Yeah.
12:12We've definitely had a bit of a rough history with overfishing.
12:15And then the cod moratorium completely stopped the fishing in Newfoundland for quite a while.
12:20But it's on the rise.
12:21Knock on wood.
12:22Yeah.
12:22We're back.
12:23Yeah, for sure.
12:25Fish, ginger, scallions, sauce, some nice hot oil.
12:31And that releases all the aromatics.
12:34Oh, yeah.
12:36And then more fresh scallions on there.
12:39A beautiful steamed cod dish.
12:41It's gorgeous.
12:44Mmm, that's beautiful.
12:45Very delicate.
12:46You get that depth from the sauce.
12:48The fish is so good.
12:49Yeah.
12:49It's just like I'm at a wedding.
12:51This was absolutely incredible.
12:53I'll be back again.
12:54Put you to work.
12:57Coming up, the unique history of Chinese-Canadian food on The Rock.
13:02I love it.
13:03Ooh.
13:03Ooh, baby.
13:04Surprise.
13:10Much of urban Canada has a big Chinese-Canadian population.
13:14That's not the case in St. John's.
13:16But while the Chinese community here is small, it's always packed a big culinary punch.
13:21And no place tells that story better than the Magic Walk in St. John's.
13:25That's where I'm sitting down with Francis Tam and Jerry Lee.
13:30Francis is a chef and self-described Chinese restaurant baby.
13:33His Newfoundland childhood revolved around the family business.
13:37Jerry, on the other hand, was born in China.
13:39He took over the Magic Walk in 2015 and found the food a little different to what he grew up
13:44eating.
13:45Growing up here in the land of Canada, this seems so familiar.
13:48Yeah.
13:49But is this traditional Chinese food?
13:52Not really.
13:52Not entirely, yeah.
13:53Canadian Chinese food is a cuisine in itself.
13:56The chicken balls, I never heard that before.
13:58I moved to Newfoundland, so this is totally new for me.
14:02Where does this dish come from?
14:03The oranges is lost in history.
14:06People say it came from Ontario.
14:08Some say it came from Montreal.
14:09I think they thought locals would like it because they saw the battered fish.
14:13Yeah, and the bright red sauce.
14:15Every fresh one does their own take on the sweet sour sauce.
14:17Yes.
14:18Sugars, vinegars, ketchups, that's the Canadian style.
14:23Something you could never take off the menu here.
14:24No way.
14:26Cheers.
14:28That is so nostalgic for me.
14:31With the meal off to a fantastic start, I'm pumped to learn more about this table full of iconic dishes.
14:36What did you call this one?
14:38We call them Captain Chicken, but some places call them General Tau's Chicken.
14:42Okay.
14:43The Cantonese General Tau's Chicken.
14:45So in Newfoundland it goes by Captain because there's a lot of fishermen.
14:47Yes.
14:48A little bit local texture in the dishes.
14:50I love it.
14:52Andy, how's your chopstick skills?
14:53Not so bad.
14:55Showtime.
14:56Exactly, no pressure.
14:58The flavor of the crunch.
14:59It's that balance of sweet, spicy, a little bit sour.
15:03Mm-hmm.
15:03So satisfying.
15:05So we're in Newfoundland.
15:07We can't have a meal without some cod.
15:09Jerry, can you walk through this dish?
15:11This is fresh Newfoundland cod in black bean sauce.
15:13Chopped into small pieces and put a little bit flour breaded, very light.
15:17And black bean sauce.
15:19For Chinese people cooking fish, two ways to cook it.
15:22First one is just the steam, a little bit of sour sauce on top.
15:25Yeah, I actually had it that way over at Portage.
15:28Yes.
15:28The second way is just the black bean sauce.
15:31Both a Chinese classic and a real Newfoundland dish.
15:34Oh, yeah, for sure.
15:36Oh, yeah, that's lovely.
15:37Yeah, good black bean flavor.
15:37Great texture.
15:38Yeah, a lot of black bean flavor coming through there.
15:41Savory, really subtle cod flavor.
15:44This is chicken chow mein.
15:45Chicken chow mein?
15:46I'm not seeing any noodles in here.
15:48That's Newfoundland.
15:49Newfoundland chow mein have no noodles.
15:50Chow mein actually means fried noodles.
15:53Noodles, yeah.
15:53I get people confused all the time.
15:55Newfoundland chow mein have no noodles.
15:57The history is back to 60s when they opened the restaurants.
16:00There's no noodles available.
16:02Ingredients were scarce, right?
16:04Yeah.
16:04It's nappa cabbage cut into strips to simulate noodles, stir-fried, and they called it chow mein.
16:10So this is a dish out of necessity?
16:12Yes.
16:12Interesting.
16:12All right, we got to try this.
16:16Super light.
16:17Yeah.
16:17Very fresh.
16:18Is this how chow mein would be served across the whole island?
16:21Slight variations, but most places you will find the cabbage.
16:26I got one more dish for you, Andy.
16:27A surprise dish.
16:29Whoo!
16:30Look at that.
16:30Surprise.
16:31Flambe beef.
16:32Yeah.
16:33Is this the famous sweet and sour sauce going on there, too?
16:36Yes.
16:37Look at that.
16:38Wow.
16:38That looks beautiful.
16:40Beef is so tender.
16:42Very tender.
16:42Yeah, it's really nice.
16:44What does the future of Chinese cuisine look like here in Newfoundland?
16:48It's transitioning.
16:49I have friends in Newfoundland that have taken over their parents' restaurant, and they
16:54have a chance to put their own flair and evolve the menu even further.
16:58So I'm looking forward to that.
16:59Yeah.
17:00To seeing the evolution of the Chinese food menu.
17:02Thank you so much for having me.
17:04This was great.
17:05No problem.
17:08Coming up, I'm making a classic for my mom's Newfoundland childhood.
17:12Ooh, these are looking done.
17:20There's something special about St. John's.
17:23Located at the breathtaking edge of a rocky and remote island, St. John's is a food culture
17:29born of both abundance and scarcity.
17:31Back home in Dartmouth, I'm inspired to draw on that resourceful spirit in my own kitchen.
17:37So, I'm heading to one of my favorite daily hangouts, the grocery store, to gather some
17:42fresh, local ingredients to prepare a hearty and economical Newfoundland classic.
17:47Traditionally served with breakfast, but delicious any time of the day.
17:51Here's to making my mom proud with baked beans and toutins.
17:55So, I soaked these beans overnight, and now I'm straining off the water.
17:59I'm using Compliment's white navy beans, but any white bean would work.
18:03That looks good.
18:04Now we got bacon.
18:06This bacon here is wood smoked.
18:08It's going to give it that deep, rich, smoky taste.
18:11I'm going to add a whole other element to my beans.
18:16So, I'm just going to let that crisp up here, and then I'm going to prep up the onions and
18:19the garlic.
18:20One medium white onion, and then two cloves of garlic.
18:28The bacon has crisp up a little bit.
18:31Add in that onion and garlic.
18:33We want the onions to stay translucent three or four minutes.
18:37Baked beans and toutins to me is snow day food for sure.
18:40Brings me right back playing in the snow or shoveling the driveway.
18:43You come in, you're hungry, you're tired, and my mom would have a big pot of baked beans,
18:48and then should be frying up some toutins.
18:51All right, the onions are looking great.
18:53So now we're just going to add in the rest of the ingredients.
18:55A tablespoon of tomato paste.
18:57One cup of ketchup.
18:59A half cup of 100% Canadian maple syrup, of course.
19:02Two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
19:04Quarter cup of brown sugar.
19:06A couple of bay leaves.
19:07A teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
19:08A big old pinch of salt.
19:11And a nice crack of black pepper.
19:13Give this a quick mix to make sure all the ingredients get in there.
19:17And then I'm going to add in about a liter of water.
19:20Oh, I've got to add beans first.
19:22Oh my goodness.
19:22I forgot the beans.
19:23A key ingredient to baked beans is beans.
19:27And now that liter of water.
19:30I like this version of beans because you're getting the acid from the ketchup and the tomato paste,
19:34but then the sweetness from the brown sugar and maple.
19:36It's really, really beautiful, the combination.
19:39Turn up the heat.
19:40I want to bring that to a boil.
19:41For this recipe, the most important ingredient is thyme.
19:44T-I-N-E.
19:46It's just going to do its thing in the oven.
19:47You get the rest of your day to go shovel the driveway, make a snow fork, whatever you want to
19:51do.
19:52So that's at a boil.
19:53Cover it up.
19:56I'll let that go in my 300 degree oven for three to four hours or until the beans are nice
20:00and tender.
20:01Have a good bake.
20:03I've got about 30 minutes left on those beans.
20:05So I'm going to kick on to some toutins.
20:07My mom used to make them.
20:08You'll find them all over Newfoundland.
20:09Fried dough.
20:10Perfect with baked beans.
20:11Great for breakfast with eggs.
20:13I've got some leftover white bread dough.
20:15Cut it into four.
20:16Then I'm just going to kind of form that into a little bit of a ball.
20:19Shape it into almost like a hockey puck shape.
20:22Give it a little press down.
20:23Doesn't have to be perfect.
20:27Now we're just going to fry these on the frying pan with a little bit of butter.
20:31Actually, a lot of butter.
20:32I'm just going to turn the pan onto medium.
20:35You don't want it too hot or it's going to burn the butter.
20:37I'm going to add in a good amount of butter.
20:40They'll be swimming in it.
20:42And we're just going to lay the toutins in.
20:45And you want to fry them until they're golden brown on both sides.
20:48Probably five-ish minutes per side.
20:52Oh, that one's looking pretty good.
20:53I'm going to give that one a flip.
20:54Nice golden brown.
20:55Oh, yeah.
20:56Brownness on that one.
20:59Ooh, these are looking done.
21:07Whoa, run away touting.
21:10And then I say the beans are done too.
21:12I'm going to haul them out.
21:14Let's serve this up.
21:17Oh, it looks so good.
21:18Oh, that smells like home.
21:20That is nice.
21:20That beautiful red color coming in from the tomato.
21:27So for touting, I'm definitely going to serve this with a little bit of butter.
21:31And by a little, I mean a lot of butter.
21:32Get melty and cozy on top there.
21:35And then some molasses.
21:36Oh, yeah.
21:37That's what I'm talking about.
21:38Whew.
21:39I'm going to dig in.
21:43Mmm.
21:44So warm.
21:45So comforting.
21:46And then a touting.
21:49My goodness.
21:56Yes.
21:56Bye.
21:58That is a scoff.
21:59Mm-mm-mm.
22:01Oh, my God.
22:01Those are so good.
22:03Making Mom proud.
22:05Next time on Andy's East Coast Kitchen Crawl, I'm heading into the heart of Prince Edward Island,
22:09grabbing comfort food on the go.
22:11Oh, my goodness.
22:13And filling up on potato pie.
22:16Hauling in all kinds of seafood.
22:18Or at least trying to.
22:20I think we're going to get fired.
22:21Oh, for three.
22:22Are we going to get fired here?
22:23Back home, I'm bringing it all together for a lunchtime treat.
22:27I am very excited.
22:29Look at that.
22:39The Spanish doing.�도
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