Whale Recipes
CAPE FLATTERY WHALE MINCEMEAT PIE
Joan Goddard, Victoria, Canada
The following recipe is adapted from one used by James Swan for Christmas dinner, 1861. Swan had invited three of his fellow "Boston men", that is, American non-aboriginals, to dine with him at the trading post on the newly established Makah reservation on the Pacific shore of Washington Territory, USA
The gift of a fine piece of whale meat from his Makah friends months earlier had inspired him to preserve it as traditional American mincemeat for a future special dessert. He had boiled it, cut it into very small pieces, and added to it chopped apples, wild cranberries, raisins, currants, salt, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Packing the mixture into a ten-gallon stoneware jar, he added a quart of New England rum and sealed it for future use.
On Christmas day he baked mincemeat pies, hoping that his guests would not turn up their noses at whale when they were used to mincemeat made from venison. His fears were unfounded. The small portions he had cautiously served were quickly consumed and second servings demanded by all. Having all the required spices with him had been the key to his success, he claimed later. But the beautiful piece of red whale meat had been the inspiration.
Adding a few things Swan lacked in his larder, one can make a similar mixture as follows:
Boil until tender 1 pound of whale meat in salted water. Chop it finely and combine it with ¼ pound finely minced suet (hard animal fat). Add 4 cups of tart apples chopped, 2 cups of firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 and 1/3 cups currants, 2/3 cup chopped citron, and 2/3 cup chopped candied orange peel. Mix well and season with 1 tablespoon cinnamon, ½ tablespoon ground cloves, 1/2 tablespoon allspice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, the juice of 1 lemon and its grated rind. Moisten with ¾ cup molasses, ¾ cup of the broth from boiling the meat, and add 2 ½ cups of brandy or rum and ½ cup of sherry. Pack in jars, cover and store in a cold place from 3 weeks to 2 months. Stir once a week until used. This will make 2 ½ quarts, or enough for two large 9-inch pies. The pies should have a double crust, ie, top and bottom. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F, then for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. When partially cooled, carefully pour into the center ¼ additional cup of brandy, using a funnel to keep the top crust dry.
Joan Goddard (with help from Lucille McDonald's Swan Among the Indians, Life of James G. Swan, Binfords and Mort, Portland, 1972.)