Vikings, Pickerel Cheeks & Pönnukökur. Where The Whiskey Flows & The Viking Goes.

In the late 1800s, economic conditions in Iceland were as unstable as the environment. Eventually, both reached their breaking point in 1875 when a volcanic eruption blanketed croplands in ash, suffocating any final hopes of a brighter future for most of the country. In search of a better life, Icelanders fled across the globe, and by 1885 a large number of those migrants had made their way into Canada. Starting in Ontario, they took a boat to Duluth Minnesota, then trekked their way to Grand Forks North Dakota where they traveled by steamship to the Assiniboine River and eventually floated the rest of the migration to Lake Winnipeg. Here on the shores of the fish-rich waters, they established a settlement as part of New Iceland. The descendants of these great voyagers make up the largest population of Icelanders outside of Iceland and still live here today.

    Marked by a 15 foot high Viking statue on the edge of Lake Winnipeg, the area of New Iceland, or specifically the settlement of Gimli is known for its water activities like yachting and fishing. The town enjoys a brisk tourist season in the summer, has a beautiful promenade to enjoy and for the most part, the streets roll up at dusk. However, an incredible element hidden under the quiet streets is known the world over. 

A unique aquifer naturally filtered by limestone beneath the lake feeds the area's water supply and that of the nearby Crown Royal Whiskey plant. Tapping nearly 3.4 million liters of water for use in the Whiskey's production, locals say it's the area's remarkable water that makes Crown Royal what it is.  

Looking to uncover more of the town's hidden gems, I was able to track down local Keely Osland-Schellenberg, Viking descendant and the female equivalent of Andhrímnir, the mythical Viking chef of the Gods. Her ability to prepare Scandinavian and Canadian delights, notably Manitoba's pickerel cheeks from the bounty of Lake Winnipeg is otherworldly!

Are pickerel cheekier than other fish? 

A part of the fish I wasn’t aware could even be eaten are these loonie-sized cheeks of the pickerel. However, in Gimli they’re savored. The cheeks are popped out while fileting the fish and stashed away until there are enough to make into a meal all their own. This is quite a bit easier to do on the pickerel as opposed to say tiny trout cheeks.

    Keely agrees to conduct today's cooking class at her Aunt's house, a few houses down from where she lives. No stranger to the kitchen, her Aunt published a series of bestselling cookbooks; Wild & Wonderful as well as the Webber’s Northern Lodges collection. Keely worked at the Webber Lodge near Churchill Manitoba during the summers between college; this unique style of cooking still flows through her veins.

Today’s recipe; Maple Marinated Pickerel Cheeks, is a family creation. Inspired by the local pickerel cheeks delicacy, a recipe called “Gails maple marinated fish filets”, and a few adjustments Keely made to the recipe (including substituting gluten free flour for the typical wheat flour used to accommodate her son Tyler who is celiac). The culinary vibe is running high in Gimli today. 

     Keely and her three sons; Brandon, Tyler, and Owen (two by birth, one who showed up and liked them so much he adopted them), all know the recipe well and made the kitchen look like a playground for culinary expression. 

    Inside the kitchen, our fearless leader lays out an execution plan while Tyler gets to work on mixing up the ingredients and Owen organizes a pot, oil, and calculates the proper oil temperature for cooking. From his wheelchair positioned at the end of the prep table, Brandon has a plate-level view of what’s going on and assumes the role of food critic for today's class. Born with a mitochondrial disorder Brandon is unable to walk or talk, and communicates via Sign Language and his phone. For today, a clear hand gesture will sum up everything as the entire outcome of the cooking class rests on whether or not Brandon gives the dish a thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s all a bit daunting. 

    First, in the production line are the cheeks that have been marinating in maple syrup for 24 hours. Next is a mixture of gluten free flour (regular white flour will do), cornstarch, baking soda, salt & water. The batter is meant to be thick like a beer batter so it can stick to the cheeks. Keely grabs the cheek with one hand, drops it in the batter, then grabs it with the other hand to remove it and drop it in the oil. The idea is to keep from making a big mess of everything by using each hand for separate jobs. She points out that you shouldn’t rinse the cheeks, just remove them from the maple syrup and into the batter. 

    While the cheeks start to roll around in the oil, Keely notes that typically the first one or two are sacrificed until you understand how the oil is going to react. The oil should be right around 375oF, but more cheeks and cooking over a gas burning stove leaves a bit of room for error. Owen watches them cook, ensuring nothing sinks to the bottom or gets stuck on the side and points out that around here people like to venture out a bit with their pickerel cheeks and you can find locals putting cheeks on pizza or using them in fish tacos.  After 4-5 minutes, the battered cheeks become golden brown and have ballooned out to look like a slightly flattened Tim Bit. Then, out of the oil they come with a slotted spoon and onto some paper towel to cool.

    Waiting just long enough to avoid burning off our taste buds, everyone soon grabs a cheek and sinks their teeth in. I’m not sure what to expect. It reminds me of those shows that explore weird carnival foods and today we are trying fish-flavored mini doughnuts! 

    As my teeth make their way through the layers of dough to fish, then to sweet, it’s like a flavor surprise layer by layer. They’re delicious, no dip or add ons required, just batter, fry and eat. A fun little appetizer before a fish fry. Though it’s not really my opinion that matters here, as this is my first time eating them, it’s Brandon's expert opinion that this whole recipe rests on. If the results don’t match expectations and something is off, someone is going to take the blame. Maybe it will be Tyler for forcing us to use gluten free flour, or Owen who had the oil temperature wrong, maybe Keely didn’t have enough maple in the marinade, perhaps having an outsider in the room is bad luck. With so many options for error, only time will tell.

    Keely puts one slightly cooled cheek in front of Brandon and tells him to wait a minute as it’s still a bit hot. As you might imagine, just like the rest of us, he waits about 5-seconds before taking a bite. There’s a bit of a hushed angst that comes over the crowd while we wait for his verdict. The final fight scene in the movie Gladiator replays in my mind. A thumbs down equals certain death, but a thumbs up means you’ve won the crowd. Do we live or die by the recipe?

Brandon's verdict comes out within the first two bites. He looks at the cheek, and looks at us. Smiles, and gives us two thumbs up. We’ve won the crowd!

Chatting between bites we each chime in about our various love of food and more than half the room has worked in the food service industry. Owen mentions that Keely has a real love for steak and a smile of confirmation crosses her face. As the conversation flows, Keely explains the unsettling gap between her steak feasts. In her teenage years, she developed an autoimmune disorder that got considerably worse as she grew older and eventually required chemotherapy to treat the disease. In the midst of raising kids and dealing with the chemo, eventually, her intestines failed and at its worst, she was reduced to palliative care. The only option for “food” was IV nutrition. Not just as a short-term solution, but EIGHT YEARS of IV nutrition! 
    
As soon as Keely said she was on IV nutrition for eight years I had to repeat it back to her to confirm what I heard was correct. 
“I’m sorry, did you say you were on IV nutrition for eight years?!!!”

When I tried to look at the meal through her eyes I could see a wildly new appreciation for what I feel she must feel when staring down an 8oz slab of Montreal steak-seasoned grilled sirloin that's been left to rest on a plate in front of her. If you took away my ability to eat solid foods for nearly a decade, you would be taking away my identity, my way of life, and probably my sanity. I could not imagine her appreciation of food and food-related events like a holiday dinner with family. The one “solid food” she enjoyed for those eight years was, ironically, Lifesavers. 
 
    We wrap up the day with some brown sugar-laced pönnukökur, Icelandic Pancakes. They were described to me as a little thicker than a crepe, but thinner than a Canadian pancake. The recipe was passed down to Keely from her mother's great-grandmother when she came over from Iceland on the boat. An impressive lady who embarked on the journey along with 9 of her 10 children. At the last minute, her husband opted not to come and asked one of the children to stay behind with him. It’s a great story, a fantastic treat, and an excellent way to wrap up this Viking experience. People usually say about amazing places that “it’s something in the water”. If one of the country's premier Whiskeys has set up shop here and the largest population of Icelanders outside of Iceland were drawn to the area from half the world away, It looks like there’s some truth to that saying. 

                              Gimli- “A hall more fair than the sun, thatched with gold, Where people shall dwell in happiness forever.” 
As written in an ancient prophecy in the Icelandic writings of Elder Edda.

Recipe:

• 40 or about 1 Pound Of Pickerel Cheeks
  
• ½ Cup Maple Syrup
  
• ½ Cup of Flour or Gluten Free Flour
  
• ¼ Cup of Cornstarch
  
• 1 TSP Baking Powder
  
• ½ Cup of Water
  
• ½ TSP salt
  
• 2-3 Cups of Vegetable Oil For Frying
  

    To remove the cheeks, it’s easier to start right under the eye and cut them out with a knife. Then rinse them and marinade in maple syrup inside a Ziploc bag or covered bowl overnight. 

    Next, heat your vegetable oil to around 375oC. You can test the oil temperature with a thermometer or by lightly sprinkling a drop or two of water into it. If the oil spatters, it’s ready.

    To make the batter, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together. Once mixed, slowly add in the water until the batter is thick enough to coat your finger, you can adjust with more water or more flour if needed.

    With one hand, take the marinated cheeks and drop them in the batter but don’t rinse them first. With the other hand, coat them and drop them in the oil. Cook for around 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Note: they should float while cooking. Next, remove the cheeks from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place on a paper towel to drain and cool. If desired you can sprinkle lightly with salt before eating. Njóta!