[Molly Yeh] I'm having a Canadian-inspired feast on the farm...
I did not think I could love Canada any more.
...loaded with craving-worthy goodness.
Like my delicious and divisive ham and pineapple pizza...
Pizza time.
...hot-tot short rib poutine...
That is stupid good.
...Bloody Caesar salad with succulent shrimp...
Bloody Caesar, salad looks good on you.
...and for dessert,
my maple walnut Nanaimo bars
are three layers of pure fun.
It's chocolatey, and like every Canadian I have ever met,
sweet.
[opening theme music playing]
Oh, yum. Yay!
Hey, this is me, Molly Yeh.
This is my husband, Nick.
This is our growing family.
And this is our home, our farm,
on the North Dakota Minnesota border,
the place where I eat, sleep, and breathe food.
If you squint really hard,
you can almost see Canada from the farm.
So I consider myself
a wannabe honorary Canadian.
Which is why I'm whipping up a Canadian feast.
Starting with dessert first,
one of Canada's best desserts is Nanaimo bars.
They're a three-layer no-bake bar
that are sweet, custard-y,
addictively chewy,
I can't get enough of them.
For the base layer,
I'll start by melting six tablespoons of unsalted butter.
I've got a heat-safe bowl heating over simmering water.
And I'll combine the butter with half a cup of dark chocolate chips.
And the reason I'm doing this in a double boiler
is because I don't wanna overheat the chocolate and cause it to seize.
This chocolate has melted, it's beautiful and glossy,
I'm gonna sweeten the deal with a quarter cup of sugar.
I'll mix this in, get the sugar melted.
And then in order to hold the crust together,
I wanna add an egg.
But I don't wanna just crack the egg into this hot mixture,
because then the egg could curdle. So I'm gonna temper it.
I'll crack the egg into a separate bowl.
I wanna whisk the egg as I add
some of the hot mixture right into it.
And this is gonna heat up the egg gently.
Which will allow the egg to incorporate
into the chocolate mixture smoothly.
Once this mixture is warm to the touch,
it's ready to add back into this big bowl.
And I'll continue to cook this for a couple of minutes
to ensure that the egg is cooked.
Gonna remove it from the heat and add the remaining ingredients.
I've got three-quarters of a cup of toasted walnuts that have been chopped.
I love little nuts.
And they add good crunchy texture to the crust as well.
Three-quarters of a cup of toasted coconut.
I gotta say, out of all of the bars
or crusts that I've made,
this has gotta be the most flavorful crust.
Three-quarters of a cup of graham cracker crumbs.
I love the texture that this adds.
Kinda sandy from the cookie crumbs.
And then I'll enhance the chocolate that's already in here
with a quarter cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
And lastly, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt
will help balance out all of these flavors.
Stir this all together.
Love seeing those walnut bits poke out. It's a nice texture.
I've got an eight by eight pan lined with parchment paper.
I'll press this out evenly and firmly.
I'm really smelling the coconut here.
This is packed, I'll stick it in the refrigerator now
for about an hour so that it can firm up,
while I make my custard filling.
This middle layer is creamy and sweet,
and I'm flavoring it with some maple syrup,
which isn't always added to some Nanaimo bars,
but I'm dialing up the Canadian this year.
I'll start by mixing up one stick of softened unsalted butter.
I'll add a quarter cup of maple syrup
I love that dark, toasty flavor of maple syrup,
especially with the walnuts in the crust.
Three tablespoons of heavy cream will smooth out this filling
so that it's spreadable.
Next, two cups of powdered sugar, but...
...I'm gonna stop the mixer to add it.
I know it snows in Canada,
but I don't want it to snow in the kitchen.
This is basically a really delicious buttercream.
And a few good pinches of salt to balance out
all of the sweetness.
I'll mix it up slowly at first
so that the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere.
Two tablespoons of cornstarch,
and then of course, vanilla will provide that vanilla-y flavor.
I'll mix this in, and that's it for this layer.
I'll grab my crust. It's set nicely.
The contrast of the dark chocolate crust
and the creamy center is beautiful.
I'll spread this out evenly.
This is so satisfying to spread.
Just like a buttercream. All the way to the edge.
I'm getting it as even as I can.
All right. This will go back to the fridge to firm up,
while I make my chocolate ganache topping.
I pour a mixture of warm heavy cream,
melted butter and salt over dark chocolate,
let it sit to heat up,
then whisk until it's a smooth, glossy ganache.
All right. The custard layer has firmed up.
It's nice and cold.
It is ready for its coating of chocolate.
I'll spread this out evenly all over the top.
That is one thick coating of ganache.
For the final touch, I'll sprinkle the top
with some flaky salt,
for a little crunchy pop on top.
Done. I'll get these back in the refrigerator
so that final layer can firm up.
And then I'll get to eat these.
Check that out.
It's chocolatey, it's chewy,
and like every Canadian I have ever met,
sweet.
Coming up, thank you, Canada, for the most delicious
and highly-debated pizza combination ever.
Out of all the fun facts in the world,
one of my favorites is that
Hawaiian pizza was invented in Ontario.
What?
So, I'm making a version on thick crust pizza.
It's chewy, it's cheesy,
it's sweet and salty, everything I want in a bite.
To get started, I'll make my dough.
I've got two and three-quarters of a cup of all-purpose flour
and two teaspoons each
of instant yeast, sugar, and salt.
I'll pour in one cup of water.
This is warm, to help the yeast activate.
And two tablespoons of olive oil to add good moisture.
Stir this all together.
I'm doing this pizza in a style
inspired by Detroit pizza.
My dough is going to be on the wetter side,
it's similar to a focaccia dough.
And it's gonna give me big holes and a chewy crumb.
I'll get this onto my stand mixer to knead.
And I'll let it go for about
seven to ten minutes until it's smooth.
I know that pineapple can be a little bit polarizing
on a pizza, but I happen to love it.
This is looking like where I want it to be.
I'm gonna grab a clean bowl so that it can rise.
I'll drizzle with some olive oil so it doesn't stick.
I'll use my spatula to scrape it in.
Make sure this dough is completely covered in the oil
so it doesn't dry out as it's rising.
I'll cover it up.
And let it go for one-and-a-half to two hours
until it's doubled in size.
This dough is puffy and ready.
I have also prepared my pizza pan,
which I have coated it with a quarter cup of olive oil,
which seems like a lot of olive oil,
but that's how the edges get crispy
and sort of lightly fried and really good.
Almost doughnut-y.
I'll transfer my dough to the pan.
It's so soft.
So I'm using my fingertips to press those all the way to the edges.
And it really shouldn't fight you, the dough.
Should be pretty easy to press out.
So in order for this dough to puff up and get really tall,
I'm gonna let it rise for another 30 minutes
while I assemble my toppings.
I'm ready to top.
I'll start by dimpling my pizza dough
and just break up some of these bigger bubbles.
And then I'll sprinkle on my cheese.
This is where I depart from true Detroit-style pizza.
True Detroit-style pizza is made with Wisconsin brick cheese.
I'm using a blend of shredded Monterey Jack,
which is nice and salty and melty,
and shredded Mozzarella,
which gets super melty and creamy.
But I love a lot of cheese.
And in true Detroit pizza fashion,
this goes on before the sauce.
I'll sprinkle on a half cup of chopped pineapple.
Pineapple's so sweet and juicy.
It breaks up the richness of all this cheese.
And next, I'm going full Canadian
and using Canadian bacon.
I'm sprinkling on two ounces now.
And then I'll sprinkle on another two after I get the sauce on.
I'm using marinara sauce,
as opposed to pizza sauce, because marinara is cooked.
-[lid pops] -It's a little bit thicker,
and it's gonna hold the iconic
Detroit-style stripes on top of the pie.
Okay, on goes the rest of my Canadian bacon and pineapple.
In Canada, they call Canadian bacon "back bacon".
I'll get this in the oven now
at 500 degrees, super-hot,
for 17 to 19 minutes,
and then flip on the broiler for a couple of minutes
to get it extra melty and splotchy on top.
Pizza time.
Oh, yeah.
[sighing wistfully] Hi. Hello.
I did not think I could love Canada any more.
And then I smelled this.
Gonna get it out of the pan so that I can cut it.
Oh, look at those crispy edges.
This pizza doesn't have a crust, it has an edge.
And it's crispy.
[high-pitched] "Hi, eat me, love me!"
[in normal voice] Here I go.
I'm finishing it off with some pickled jalapenos,
for some heat and acidity that'll cut
some of this cheesy richness,
and really pretty, earthy green color.
And a touch of hot honey.
It adds more spiciness,
and the sweetness will accentuate
the sweetness of the pineapple.
Just admire this dark edge.
That's gonna be crunchy and crispy and cheesy
and so, so good.
This is going to be worth burning my mouth.
It's salty. It's sweet.
It's cheesy and melty and crunchy.
You just have to try this.
It's gonna make you a believer.
Next, the surefire way to super-moist,
juicy and tender short ribs,
perfect for tot soaking.
Canada is the first place I ever got drunk.
So I am making a twist on the best Canadian drunk food there is,
poutine.
Poutine is typically French fries, cheese curds, and gravy,
but I'm swapping out the fries for tots
and I'm adding short ribs.
Because YOLO.
So to get started,
I'm seasoning one-and-a-half pounds
of boneless beef short ribs all over with kosher salt.
So, get some black pepper on here.
I've got a pot heating on my stove
over medium-high heat,
I'll add a drizzle of neutral oil
and then brown these on all sides.
[sizzling]
That's exactly the sound I'm looking to hear.
It's smelling heavenly in here already.
Look at that one.
That is the golden, crispy shell that I'm looking for.
So I'll flip this and get that same color on all sides.
These smell meaty and glorious.
I'm gonna remove them from my pot now to build the braising liquid.
I'll put them back onto this plate,
'cause I'm ultimately gonna transfer them back to the pot
to complete their cooking.
I'll reduce the heat on this pot to medium and add my veggies.
Sweet carrots.
And a white onion.
And three garlic cloves that I've just smashed.
I'll season with a good pinch of salt.
And I'm using the fat from the short ribs to cook the veggies.
I'll let them soften.
And I just wanna draw out their flavor.
I'll add one tablespoon of tomato paste,
which will add some richness to the braising liquid
and allow it to caramelize slightly.
Next, I'm gonna pour in a whole bottle of beer.
It's not gonna overpower, it'll add some great acidic depth though.
And I'm gonna use this to help loosen up
some of the tasty bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan,
because they harness so much flavor.
I'll add one and a half cups of low sodium beef stock.
I'll toss in a couple of thyme sprigs
to infuse this with great herbiness.
And I'll bring this to a boil.
It's already making the kitchen smell incredible.
I'll remove it from the heat.
Transfer the short ribs back into the pot.
Nestle them in, make 'em cozy.
I'll cover this up and stick it in the oven
at 325 degrees for two and a half to three hours
until the short ribs are fall-apart tender.
My short ribs are cooked.
They're ready to come out of the oven.
Let me look at these beauties.
That is one of the top five smells of all time.
I'll fish out the short ribs.
I'll set those aside.
And then fish out all of my veggies and thyme sprigs
because I'm gonna use the braising liquid here
to make the gravy.
And now to build the gravy,
I'll heat a pot over medium
and melt two tablespoons of butter.
And combine it with two tablespoons of flour
to create a roux, which is gonna thicken the braising liquid
and make the gravy.
I'll whisk this around and cook this for a couple of minutes
to get rid of that floury flavor.
I just need the texture to help thicken the gravy.
I'll continue to whisk now
as I gradually ladle in the braising liquid.
[sizzling]
The braising liquid looks so fatty and good.
It thickens up at first, but then as I add more of the braising liquid,
it'll smooth out into a luxurious gravy.
I'm gonna thin it out
with a bit more of my low sodium beef stock.
Looking good.
I'll hold this over low heat now,
while I shred my short ribs to add back to the gravy.
And this is not taking any effort at all
because these short ribs are so tender.
This is going back into the gravy.
I'll grab my baked tots.
They're golden and so crispy.
The third main ingredient is cheese curds.
And a very important finishing touch, malt vinegar.
I've got everything I need to assemble now.
So, I'll pile some tots onto my serving plate.
I can hear how crispy they are.
Now, cheese curds.
They will add creaminess, a little chewiness,
even more richness.
I'll ladle over the saucy short ribs.
To help cut all this richness,
a few shakes of malt vinegar will go a very long way.
And lasty, 'cause it looks pretty,
some fresh chives and fresh parsley.
I am diving in immediately.
A tot, some short ribs,
a few herbs, and a cheese curd.
It's cheesy, it's saucy, it's meaty, it's salty.
And that vinegar is the perfect hit at the end.
That is stupid good.
Still to come,
spicy Bloody Caesar cocktails in salad form.
This Bloody Mary lover was so excited
to find out that Canada has its own special version of a Bloody Mary,
called a Bloody Caesar.
So, I figured I better make a salad.
I am making a Bloody Caesar salad,
which is all of the flavors of a Bloody Caesar
spun into a crisp, crunchy green salad.
I'm starting off with my croutons.
I have three cups of cubed sour dough here.
I'm gonna make these croutons in the oven,
which is not only gonna get them toasty,
it'll also dry them out a little bit
so that they're really, really crunchy.
I'll toss these with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
And celery salt, required for any Bloody Mary or Bloody Caesar.
I'll get these into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes
until they're golden brown all over.
I'll get my shrimp.
I've got a pound of shrimp that's been marinating for half an hour
in a really tasty marinade, it's so easy.
I just combine clam tomato juice with lemon juice.
Prepared horse radish for some spicy heat.
Worcestershire sauce for a savory, salty hit.
Hot sauce.
'Cause I like all my bloodies H-O-T.
And celery salt.
Whisk it up.
Reserve some for the dressing.
Then marinate my peeled raw shrimp in the fridge
to infuse with flavor.
The best way I can describe all of these flavors
is that they make the shrimp taste salty and meaty.
Almost like a piece of cured meat on this salad.
I'm gonna drain off this marinade.
And transfer it briefly to a paper towel
to soak up any excess moisture.
I don't want the shrimp to be soggy,
I want it to be able to develop some color in the skillet.
I've got my skillet heating here to medium high.
I'll add a drizzle of olive oil.
And what I love about shrimp is how quickly it cooks.
I'll plop this in and I'll space it out evenly.
I'm smelling that celery salt.
And then I'll just cook this until it's opaque.
A few minutes on each side.
As this cooks, I'll whip up the dressing.
I've got my reserved marinade from the shrimp here.
And squeeze in a quarter cup of mayonnaise,
which will contribute just the right amount of richness
to this salad to make it so craveable.
The juice of half a lemon.
Three tablespoons of olive oil.
Some more celery salt.
Bloody Marys, Bloody Caesars, and Chicago Hot Dogs.
That's what I keep celery salt on hand for.
And some more hot sauce.
I'll whisk this up.
And that's it for the dressing.
Let me check out the shrimp.
This shrimp is curly and pink.
It smells great.
They are dunzo.
I'll get my croutons out of the oven.
These are golden and super crunchy.
Now all I need are my vegetables.
A pile of crisp romaine
and topped with all of the best Bloody Caesar fixings.
Tomatoes and olives.
Bacon, pickled green beans, celery.
I'll add in most of my croutons.
Saving some to sprinkle at the top.
And some of my shrimp.
And I'll save the rest to add on the top.
I'll toss with the dressing.
I'll tell you,
you can spot a Canadian from a mile away
because they are so nice.
Even nicer than Midwesterners.
That is a big beautiful salad.
The rest of my croutons.
These ones will stay extra crispy.
And the rest of the shrimp.
That is a beautiful salad.
I don't know what the Canadian word for "digging in" is,
but I'm gonna do it.
Mmm-hmm.
It's crunchy, it's salty, it's fresh.
Bloody Caesar, salad looks good on you.
It's time to get this feast started.
Oh, yeah.
[cheering]