During the war, my grandfather was a part of the navy, working as a chef. He brought his experience home with him, becoming a chef for his kids; and his clients. He would always make the best dishes for us, as we were always spoiled by him! Like many of the dishes he would make, we grew up on the Fricassee. The Fricassee is really a simple stew with meat and potatoes and takes very little time to make. This is a simple but very cultural recipe that my grandfather made for my close relatives, including myself and my brother, when we were very young. This recipe has continued from generation to generation since his mom made it for him etc, etc. We obviously still have this recipe passed down and it is still made by some of our younger chefs in the family. Everyone in Quebec has their own version but the reason people made this dish is that it was very cheap to make and the big families didn't have much money at the time. Everyone added other things such as leftovers from their fridge so everyone’s version is different. My uncle and brother; also, have made different versions of it, using stock instead of water and adding vegetables like carrots, etc. Even my grandfather had other versions which would include dumplings. Made with ground beef, potatoes, onions, soy sauce and water, here is how my grandfather made it.

THE RECIPE

· Procedure

1. Dice a small onion and fry in a pot with butter until translucent.

2. Add one pound of ground beef and brown with a bit of salt and pepper.

3. Add 4 or 5 potatoes in small cubes and fill the pot half way with water (at least 4 or 5 cups).

4. Add about half a cup of soy sauce, a little at a time, and taste as you go so that it's not too salty

5. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are cooked.

6. Towards the end, mix about 2 tablespoons of corn starch with a bit of water in a bowl so that it's almost the consistency of water.

7. Bring the stew to a boil and add the starch while stirring quickly so to not make lumps. This will thicken the stew.

8. Turn off the stew, add more salt and pepper to taste and voila! It’s done.

· Source

Cultural Food & Recipes