Saturday Nights Are All Right for Frying

A party in the kitchen is all that it takes to bring together friends and family for a wonderful meal. Why not try something easy and fun and encourage your guest to help out in the kitchen. A simple menu of Home Made French Fries and Beer Battered Manitoba Pickerel along with tangy coleslaw and delicious crepes will complete the night. Have each guest look after a course. Someone can cut up the Manitoba potatoes, or sweet potatoes, or even beets and someone else can be in charge of breading and cooking the pickerel. The coleslaw can be made ahead of time. Then for dessert, crepes can be made ahead or have a few pans available for crepes to be made and served warm to the guests. Crepes, thin pancakes, are waiting for you to fill with delicious fillings from sweet or savory such as fresh fruit, a simple sprinkle of granulated sugar or smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Watch Great Tastes of Manitoba on CTV Saturday October 18, 2003 to see how easy it is to create these delicious recipes. Special Guest Edgar Scheurer, a canola producer, is helping out with Ellen and Jim making crepes and talking about farming.

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Beer Batter Manitoba Pickerel and Chips
4 servings

8 cups (2 litres) CANOLA OIL

Chips:
2-4 Manitoba red potatoes, russets or sweet potatoes

Fish Batter:
Lake Winnipeg pickerel 1 lb (500 g)
1 cup (250 mL) all purpose flour
1 bottle of Fort Garry Ale
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) onion powder
1/2 (125 mL) cup all purpose flour for dredging

Chips:
Cut potatoes into desired lengths. Make sure that potatoes are uniformed in length and thickness for even cooking. Fry for 4 -6 minutes to blanch. Remove potato chips from canola oil with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Fry a second time for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chips from canola oil with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels and season to taste.

Batter:
Mix flour, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add beer and mix until smooth. Set aside for 15 minutes. Dredge pickerel fillets in flour before dipping in batter. Place in hot canola oil to deep fry. Cook until golden brown. Remove from canola oil with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels.

Tips for Frying:
Canola oil optimal deep-frying temperature is 375 F. Preheat the oil to about 15 F higher than its optimal deep-frying temperature to ensure that the oil remains at optimal frying temperature when you place the food in the oil. Canola oil has a high smoke point of 475 F. For storing used oil, wait until the oil has cooled, strain through paper towels or coffee filters into a clean, glass jar. Do not mix it with unused oil. Store the oil, tightly in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator.

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Tangy Coleslaw
10 servings

6 cups (1.5L) pre mixed cabbage slaw
2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup (125 mL) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (50 mL) CANOLA OIL
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) celery seeds
1/4 tsp (1 mL) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 mL) caraway seeds
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dill weed
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried mustard
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, apples, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, CANOLA OIL, sugar, celery seeds, paprika, caraway seeds, dill weed, dried mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, toss with sunflower seeds, reserving a few to sprinkle overtop.

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Crepes
8-10 crepes

1 cup (250 mL) all purpose flour
1 Tbsp (15 mL) CANOLA OIL
1 1/4 cup (300 mL) milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp (30 mL) sugar
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

In bowl combine flour, milk, egg, sugar, oil and salt; beat until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of thin cream. Heat a lightly greased 6" or 8" skillet. Remove from heat. Spoon 2 Tbsp of batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat, brown on one side. Invert pan over; remove crepe. Repeat to make other crepes.

Crepes are thin pancakes that can be wrapped around just about anything from savory to sweet fillings. Some suggested fillings are spinach and feta, Saskatoon berries, or just simply sprinkle with granulated sugar. Roll and Enjoy

For more information,
Ellen Pruden, Education and Promotion Coordinator
Tel: (204) 982-2107
Email: mcga@canola.org