Matson recipes from Lake of the Woods

Bob Matson of Ely shared with us a lovely book written by his mother, Kathryn Matson, about summer living, cooking, and fishing at the family’s island retreat on the Canadian side of Lake of the Woods. The book, “Discovering an Island Paradise in Lake of the Woods,” recounts how generations of the Matson family spent summer days on the island, which was accessible only by a 10-mile boat ride. And the person responsible for planning, shopping, cooking and feeding of all those Matsons was Bob’s mother. Here are a few of her recipes, in her words.

Potato Soup a La Rue
• 8 red potatoes
• 1 ½ quarts water
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt
• About 2 Tbsp. butter
• Freshly grated pepper

Peel the potatoes, cut into about one-inch cubes – not too small, as you want the pieces to hold their shape. Put potatoes into a heavy kettle. Add water, plus 2 tsp. salt. Toss in the onion and celery. Heat over medium heat until potatoes become tender. Reduce heat, simmer another 15 minutes. Stir gently. If water cooks down, add a little more. Taste, and add more salt, if you desire. In a small bowl, combine flour, raw egg and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mash this into tiny riblets, then drop into the hot soup (they will stay on top). Cover loosely with a lid and simmer on low heat for about seven minutes. If the soup is too thick, add a little water, stir. Before serving, add butter and swish it through the soup. Serve very hot, in heavy bowls, and top with a tiny piece of butter and pepper. Voila! Your hungry eaters are going to love you. Tags: soup, potato

Liver Pate a la Rock (a “surprise” food)

Frequently, as a cook, you need to serve what I call “surprise” foods in order to set your reputation in concrete. These are concoctions that one does not expect to encounter at a lake place. This is where the grocery lists are even more imperative. You cannot serve liver pate if you forget the garlic and thyme. I have dazzled quite a few of my husband’s fisherman friends with a pate made from scratch. They tell their wives about it and months later at a Rotary party or whatever, their wives will take notice when I’m introduced and say, “Oh, so you’re the one who made that wonderful pate on an island!” I like to show them that I haven’t been on an island too long, as some people say, and that I can mush up a pate with the best of them. Try this. Fame will be your reward.

• 1 pound chicken livers
• 2/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. Cognac

Boil the livers, onion, salt, garlic, thyme and water. When just tender, remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Place solids in a food processor. Add three sticks of soft, unsalted butter and the Cognac. Spin until very creamy. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste. Pour into a decorative pot and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 hours, then add aspic topping and serve. Tags: pate, liver, appetizer

Beer Batter Fish

When you are in a well-equipped kitchen, that’s the time to deep-fat fry fish. Some hardy cooks take oil and deep cooking pots on shore lunches, but reasonable people reserve the deep fat treatment for their kitchens. Hot fat is dangerous. A shore lunch of fish is best done with an iron skillet with about one inch of oil. Whether you’re using deep fat or a medium amount in a fry pan, this batter does a thorough job of encasing the fish. It will cook crisply and crusty on the outside, but moist and tender on the inside.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. garlic
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 egg
• 1 cup beer

Combine dry ingredients; stir in egg and beer. Dry fish fillets with paper towels. Cut fish into two-inch pieces. Dip in batter. Place carefully in hot fat. If deep-fat frying, let fish rise to the surface and brown on both sides. Do not undercook. If pan frying, let fish brown well on first side, then carefully turn with a spatula and brown the other side. Fry until well browned and fish feels firm to finger pressure. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. A gift from Neptune! Note—fish simply dropped in corn meal and fried in a small amount of oil in a cast-iron skilled isn’t bad, and it’s much easier. Tags: fish, beer

Chocolate!

Do you love the velvety fingers of chocolate exploding in your mouth? Does chocolate give you “joy-feels all over,” as my little boy once said? If so, you are a true chocoholic. Most people can down a brownie quicker than saying “phenylethylamine.” This is the stuff, Dear Reader, of romance. Phenyl ethylamine is a substance in chocolate that is reputed to stimulate the same reactions in the body as falling in love. So if you can’t catch that elusive fish, if your loved one snapped at you, or you simply feel low – this is the time to partake of chocolate.

Love Balm Brownies
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup broken walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Beat the butter until creamy, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the nuts. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. Tags: dessert, chocolate, brownies

Golden Nuggets

These are little pearls of wisdom that I learned the hard way – by experience.

I know that it is difficult, but try to plan most of your menus before you go to the lake. Make detailed grocery lists directly from the menus that you have planned. Buy any special spices or ingredients that you cannot do without; as it is probable they will not be available in lake-edge towns. Buy what you can at the lake area, as these people need your business.

Try to condense everything as much as possible. For instance, dried vegetables such as onions and green peppers keep longer and are lighter and more compact to transport. Powdered milk, buttermilk, sour cream and fruit drinks take up less room than fresh. Buy fresh milk, cooking oil, ketchup, mustard, syrup, soap and cleaners in plastic bottles – much safer and lighter.

Apples and oranges wrapped individually in brown paper, left in a place in the kitchen where air circulates, keep well for weeks. Store bananas after ripening in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator. They come out delicious and not over-ripe.

Bring all meat completely frozen! Smaller stores do not always carry rib-cut roasts or premium steak. I fill up a portable refrigerator with one frozen ice pack, plus all the frozen meat, frozen condensed juices and butter. Buy milk and cream as close to dockside as possible. Bring the first meal to be served on your arrival at the lake already cooked. You’ll probably be tired and rushed from the trip – this is no time to be frying chicken or creating a fancy dessert. I usually bring a frozen baked lasagna made days before, a tossed salad in a bag, French bread, fresh fruit and cookies.

(Thank you to Bob Matson for sharing! - Jean Cole, Editor.)