Salmon Steaks with Crab Sauce

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Wendy Atchison
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

2 cups water
2 thin slices lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dill weed
small piece bay leaf
6 salmon steaks 3/4" thick
1/4 cup cold water
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. butter
dash of nutmeg
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1-6 oz. can crab, drained

In a frying pan, boil the water, lemon, bay leaf, salt, dill weed. Add the salmon and cover. Simmer until fish flakes with a fork. Lift salmon out, keep warm.

Strain liquid. keep one cup. Mix cold water and cornstarch. Stir fish liquid into cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stir until smooth, and turn down heat. Stir in sour cream, butter, nutmeg, parsley and crab. Heat gently.

Serve Salmon topped with sauce.

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Diane Louie
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

1 pint oysters
3 tbsp. onion, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
1 cup water
2/3 cup celery, diced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 quart milk
parsley

Fry onion in butter until slightly brown. Add water, celery, potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until vegetables are tender. Add milk and let it come to the boiling point. Simmer oysters in their liquor [juice] about 5 minutes or until edges curl. Drain. Combine with milk and vegetables. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Serves 6.

Seaweed

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Joyce Leask
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

Gather black seaweed. Dry it outside in the sun, turning often to dry thoroughly.
When dry, flavour with sugar, or salt water or clam juice. Then put it into the oven to roast. It is done when crispy. Store in jars.

Cajun Halibut

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Cheryl Murray
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

1/2 lbs. halibut steaks
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. maple syrup
4 tbsp. salad oil

Wash halibut. Pat dry with paper towel. Mix together next 4 ingredients, on a flat plate.

With a pastry brush, coat one side with syrup and dredge in pecan mixture. Repeat with other side.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in skillet. Fry halibut on high heat for 10 minutes per inch thickness, turning once. Serves 4.

Fish and Chips

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Ruby Merrison
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

Fillet halibut, cut into chunks 2"x2"x2". Flour, dip in batter, let drip an hour or so on a rack.

Batter:

1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 cups water
2 tsp. vinegar

Dip fish and deep fry at 375 to 400 degrees Farenheit.

Peel 6 potatoes, cut into chips. Pan fry, keep in oven. Fry halibut 5 or 6 minutes, keep warm while deep-frying chips.

Alternate Short Cut Batter
1 cup Aunt Jemima Pancake mix
dash salt
1 cup water
capful of vinegar

Location: Port Hardy
Date: 1976
Informant: Joyce Leask
Source: Port Hardy Figure Skating Club. Port Hardy Figure Skating Club Cookbook. Port Hardy, B.C.: 1976.

6 cups cooked rice
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 6-oz. can sliced mushrooms
3 strips bacon, cut up
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 2-lb. can abalone or 1/2 doz. pre-cooked abalone
Fry bacon. Add oil to the drippings. Cook celery and onion, then add mushrooms and green pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add rice and sliced abalone. Stir fry.

To Prepare Abalone

Remove abalone from shell. Trim edges with scissors. Scrub well. Pound meat well with a meat pounder (or piece of 2x4 [wood]). Fry lightly in butter seasoned to taste with lemon juice and garlic.

Clams
Open live clams by cutting open with a sharp knife right by the hinge. Open up and scrape out dark mass and discard this and the neck.

Scrub shells under running water until free from sand. Place in pot with small quantity of water. Cover. Cook over low heat until shells open. Place clams on platter and serve with melted butter, seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Live crabs
Plunge into large pot of rapidly boiling water (2 tbsp. of salt to 2 qts. of water) or use sea water. Boil rapidly for 15 mins. Cool. Pull back off crab. Discard all spongy tissue and pieces of shell. Use white meat from the back of claws.

If you tap claws sharply before removing meat it will come out in one piece. Use hammer or nutcracker to open claws.