5 minute read
Campfire Cookout
With Saralyn Mehta, Rob Stansel, and Leah Watkins
Photos by Ian McCausland
If this past year has taught us anything, it is to seek joy in simple pleasures. It has also been a year to explore the great outdoors, whether that be camping in our amazing Manitoba parks and campsites, finding peace at the lake, or gathering safely with friends and family in our own backyards. Doing a fire-side food and wine pairing seemed like a no-brainer for the summer of 2021!
These recipes are easy to prepare and transport if you are going camping—but they are just as easy to dress up as a gourmet spread for your backyard firepit. Leah created the perfect mouth-watering bison burger for your flames; Rob Stansel dressed up pie-iron gilled cheeses into something truly special; and Saralyn kept it deliciously simple with her seafood skewers. And don’t worry—we didn’t forget to pair the Jiffy Pop and s’mores!
FLAME-GRILLED BISON BURGERS WITH JALAPEÑO BLUE CHEESE AIOLI
Makes 6 patties
2 lbs ground bison 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp liquid smoke ½ small sweet onion, finely chopped ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs 2 cloves garlic, minced 1½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp steak spice ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp seasoning salt 2 eggs
Mix all ingredients together and form burger patties to be tossed into a cast iron skillet and flame-grilled over the fire. Cook through to the desired temperature.
Jalapeño Blue Cheese Aioli
10–15 pickled jalapeño slices 1–2 whole fresh jalapeños ½ cup mayo cup ½ crumbled blue cheese ¼ cup shredded parmesan ¼ cup shredded mozzarella 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp pickled jalapeño juice (from the can) Mix together by hand—or in a food processor to get a smoother, creamier consistency. Assemble burgers on a sourdough bun with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
SHOP LOCAL!
We asked Courtney at The Cheesemongers Fromagerie to suggest a melting cheese that wouldn’t compete with the blue cheese aioli. They set us up with L’Hercule de Charlevoix, a cow’s milk cheese from Quebec that was fruity, nutty and earthy. Sourdough buns from Mottola Grocery were perfectly sturdy on the outside and soft on the inside.
PAIR WITH:
Tenuta Sette Cieli 2017 Rosso Noi 4 Bolgheri, Tuscany Italy ($46.99) Bertolani Alfredo nv Lambrusco Rosso Oro Secco Emilia-Romagna, Italy ($18.99) El Grillo y La Luna 2016 12 Lunas Red Blend Somontano, Spain ($22.99)
PIE-IRON GRILLED CHEESE
Pie-iron grilled cheese is the pinnacle of campfire eating. It can be as simple or as gourmet as you want it to be! Mix and match your favourite fixings!
THE FIXINGS:
BREAD
Marble rye Pumpernickel Sourdough
CHEESE
Gruyère Goat Cheese Old Cheddar
MEAT
Bacon Serrano ham Spicy capicola
CONDIMENTS
Fruit chutney Mustard Caramelized onions
PAIR WITH:
Vinum Cellars 2018 The Insider Pinot Noir California, USA ($42.99) Benjamin Bridge 2020 Pet Nat Nova Scotia, Canada ($32.99) Staffelter-Hof 2018 Paradies Riesling Mosel, Germany ($22.99)
SHOP LOCAL!
We went on a cross-town shopping spree for this one! For bread, Harvest Bakery & Deli bakes marble rye and pumpernickel fresh every day. Our editor’s partner, Rylan Hart, provided quarantine-perfected sourdough bread (courtesy of starter and training from Eadha Bread). For cheeses, The Cheesemongers Fromagerie suggested some perfect melting cow’s cheeses from Sweden, England, and France. We got our Smak Dab mustards and Mrs. Bridges Date and Fig Chutney from Jones & Company. We also couldn’t resist picking up the MG Peroni Mustard when we grabbed our cured meats from Mottola Grocery’s deli counter.
GRILLED SEAFOOD SKEWERS
600 g Halibut fillets 15 raw shrimp, size 21/25 or larger 2 red bell peppers 2 cups pineapple, cubed ½ cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 limes, juiced 1 cup cilantro, separated Salt and pepper
Cut halibut into 1-inch cubes and red peppers into big enough chunks to skewer. Mix together the marinade: olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and half of the cilantro. Marinate the shrimp, halibut, and red peppers in a freezer bag or glass bowl (not metal) in the fridge overnight.
When the fire is nice and hot, skewer the halibut, shrimp, peppers, and pineapple chunks. (We recommend using metal skewers over the fire, as bamboo will burn to dust.) Season with salt and pepper. Place the skewers on a firetop grill (either directly or on a rack). Cook over the fire, flipping once until the shrimp is pink throughout. Do not worry about undercooking the fish, as curing it in lime juice overnight (ceviche style) makes it safe to eat right out of the marinade. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro to serve. SHOP LOCAL!
We sourced our shrimp and halibut from Gimli Fish Market. We got our skewer rack from the good folks at Luxe Barbeque Company.
PAIR WITH:
Selva Capuzza 2019 San Donino Chiaretto Rosato Lombardy, Italy ($22.99) Mas d’en Gil 2016 Coma Alta Priorat, Spain ($47.99) Enrique Mendoza 2018 La Tremenda Macabeo/Moscatel Alicante, Spain ($24.99)
SNACKTIME!
No fire is complete without s’mores and JiffyPop! When we asked what Saralyn would pair with her favourite campfire treat, Jiffy Pop, she replied without hesitation: “No brainer: Chardonnay.”
For your popcorn: Vinum 2018 Sierra Del Mar Chardonnay California Central Coast, USA ($26.99). For the s’mores: Union Wine Co. Underwood White or Rosé Bubbles (Oregon, $12.99/375 ml).
