Category: Types of Foods

Posted in - Seafood/Fish

Gunflint Walleye

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Summer at the lake is as Minnesotan as one can be. And, fishing for walleye, well, that’s a true Minnesota experience.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, walleye is the most sought-after fish in Minnesota.

On of the best places to fish walleye is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the most northern part of the state.

Walleye lovers are always looking for a great recipe to showcase the thick white fillets, whether it is baked, broiled, fried or grilled.

I’ve prepared the Gunflint Walleye in the past and it’s a special treat for those who prefer not to fry their fish. The recipe comes from the Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marais in northern Minnesota. The lodge has been sold since I acquired this recipe, so I’m not sure if it’s still served in their restaurant anymore. Anyways, this tasty dish lives on!

Gunflint Walleye

Serves 6

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 -3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 -2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless walleyed pike fillet or 2 1/2 lbs other lean white-fleshed fish fillets
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup grated romano cheese
  • 1 cup fine dry breadcrumb
  • green onion (optional)

Spray a 15X10X1 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In small saucepan, melt butter and stir in garlic and lemon juice. Rinse fillets. Cut into 6 servings, if necessary.

Sprinkle fish with Romano cheese and cover with bread crumbs.

Drizzle the fish with any remaining garlic-lemon butter. (Fish may be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated up to 1 hour).

Save the leftover garlic-lemon butter for serving in case you want a dipping sauce.

Bake in 450 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until flakes easily.

Transfer fillets to warm serving platter and enjoy!

Posted in - Pork

Iron Range Porketta

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Iron Range Porketta

Now you ask, what is Porketta? Porketta is a traditional seasoned meat from the Iron Range in Minnesota. It’s savory, fatty, and a moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood. Porketta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs. Evidently, if Porketta is done correctly the outside skin is crunchy and flavorful, and the inside melts in your mouth, providing an outer body experience as the garlic, rosemary, sage, and fennel explode in your mouth.  

Things I’ve learned so far when preparing and cooking a proper Porketta…

Use a Pork Shoulder Roast.

Have the Roast taken off the bone and cut so it lays flat.

There are some great Porketta recipes in various cookbooks; but my favorite is…

  • 3-4 lb. Pork Butt/Shoulder
  • ½ T. Salt
  • 2 T. Smoked Paprika
  • 2 T. Onion Powder
  • 2 T. Italian Seasoning
  • 1 T. Sugar
  • 12 Peeled Garlic Cloves, chopped
  • ⅓ cup Fresh Fennel greens, chopped
  • 2 T. Fresh Fennel Bulb,chopped 

Butterfly Pork Roast by making a vertical slice and then slicing on the left and the right bottom sides to open up roast. (If your not comfortable with butterflying ask your butcher to do it for you.) In a bowl combine salt, paprika, onion powder, Italian seasoning and sugar. Rub on all sides of the pork. Stuff pork with chopped garlic, fennel greens and fennel bulb. Then tuck up roast and tie with kitchen twine.

If you can get a Roast with the skin on do so. If not, usually you can buy the skin separately. Once the Roast is rolled you can use toothpicks to adhere the skin to the Roast or you can tie it on with butchers twine.

Sear the Roast in the oven at 450° for thirty minutes.

Place the Roast on a ceramic grill such as a Big Green Egg or in a smoker and cook it at about 300° F for several hours until a meat thermometer reads 180° when inserted into the thickest point of the roast.

Let the Roast rest for 30 minutes, slice.

Making a really good Porketta takes a bit of time and effort; however, you will be richly rewarded. So, the next time you have a long rainy weekend and you are looking for something worthwhile, fun and delightfully delicious to do, this might just be it.

Enjoy! 

NOTE: If you’re ever in Iron Range near Nashwauk, Minnesota pick up a delicious pre-seasoned Porketta roast at Fred’s grocery store. It’s delicious!

Posted in - Pork, Breakfast, Uncategorized

Breakfast Mini Baguettes 

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

I think I may found my new favorite thing to serve at any brunch I host or cater. Simple, easy to accommodate dietary needs, and super tast! 



Breakfast Mini Baguettes 

Serves 4

4 frozen mini baguettes, thawed (I use Rhodes brand)

4 eggs

2 tablespoons cream

8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

¼ cup finely shredded Italian cheeses

2 green onions, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

extra cheese to sprinkle on top

Cut top off baguettes and pull out bread to make a deep hallowed depression in each one.

Mix all ingredients except extra cheese and pour equally into each of the 4 baguettes. Once filled with the egg mixture put back two or three big chunks of the bread into each of the baguettes to soak up some of egg mixture. Cover and let them sit in the fridge overnight. 

Next day bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle more cheese on top of hot baguettes. Serve warm