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We know with some certainty the ingredients that the cooks had access to for the feasts in the winter of 1606-07. Little mention is made of the dishes prepared - moose pasties and cranberry sauce are the only two mentioned as dishes prepared during the winter. For our dinner we went to three sources: La Rochelle (where many, including Marc Lescarbot, spent more than a month in 1606 before embarking for Port Royal), traditional Quebec recipes that could have been in use in 1606, and French food history books for recipes that were prepared in the early 17th century.

IImages above in order (left to right), top row: Mussels Cooked Under Pine Needles, Cream Cheese Puffs, Venison Pie. Bottom row: Quenelles of Cod with Lobster Sauce, Leeks Vinaigrette, Prune and Marzipan Tart.

Excellent books consulted for this project were:

Traditional Quebec Cooking by Micheline Mongrain-Dontigny (Montreal: Les Editions la bonne Recette, 1995).

Early French Cookery by Eleanor and Terence Scully (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press).

A Taste of History by Marc Lafrance and Yvon Desloges (Quebec: Les Éditions de la Chenelière, 1989)

Savoring the Past by Barbara Ketcham Wheaton (Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983).

Also consulted were food historians from La Rochelle and Poitiers, France.

Mussels Cooked Under Pine Needles
Cream Cheese Puffs
Braised Pheasant
Venison Pie
Cranberry Marmalade
Quenelles of Cod with Lobster Sauce
Rice and Salted Herbs
Root Vegetables
Leeks Vinaigrette
Prune and Marzipan Tart with Sabayon
Macaroons
Hippocras

Printable Version

Mussels Cooked Under Pine Needles - L'éclade
This recipe was originally cooked on the shore by fishermen from Brouage, the birthplace of Samuel Champlain.

3 kg (6 pounds) mussels
1 large bag of dried pine needles
Pine board about 18 inches square
Bread and butter

Collect a bag of pine needles and let them become very dry.
One hour before cooking, soak the pine board in water. Beginning at the center of the board, arrange four mussels in the form of a cross.
Insert mussels one by one between each mussel in the center.
Enlarge the circle until the board is covered with mussels.
Cover with pine needles, about 6 to 8 inches thick.
Light each corner and re-cover with more needles (4-5 inches thick) Use a fan to help flame.
The shells will become nearly black. Fan the ashes off of the mussels (a calendar works well).
Open and place on a serving plate.
Serve with thick slices of buttered bread.

Cheese Cream Puffs - La Gougère

Choux pastry
6 oz (175 mL) water (3/4 cup)
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ oz (75 g) unsalted butter
4 oz (125 g) flour (1 cup)
3-4 eggs
2 ounces (60 g) finely diced cheese
1 ounce (30 g) grated cheese
1 egg, beaten, mixed with ½ teaspoon salt (for glaze)

Heat the oven to 375° F.
Generously butter a baking sheet.

Make choux pastry:
In a small saucepan, gently heat the water, salt and butter until the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, sift the flour onto a piece of paper.
Bring the butter mixture just to a boil (prolonged boiling evaporates the water and changes the proportions of the dough).
Remove from the heat and immediately add all the flour.
Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for a few moments until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball.
Beat for a minute over low heat to dry the dough.
Remove from heat.
Whisk one egg until mixed and set aside.

One at a time, vigorously beat the other three eggs into the dough.
Beat in enough of the reserved egg so that the dough is shiny and just falls from the spoon and holds its shape. If too much egg is added, the dough will not hold its shape.
Stir in the diced cheese.
Drop mounds the size of small golf balls onto baking sheet.
Brush lightly with the egg glaze.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake until the gougères are puffed and brown but still soft inside: 15-25 minutes.
Unlike choux pastry (cream puff pastry), gougères should be slightly underbaked so that they remain soft in the center.
Keep in an air-tight container and reheat in a low oven before serving.

Braised Pheasant - Faisan en casserole

½ bottle dry red wine
2 teaspoons (10 mL) savory
2 teaspoons (10 mL) parsley
1 medium carrotshredded
2 pheasants,cut into serving pieces
½ pound (225 g) salt pork

In a large bowl, mix together wine, savory, parsley and carrot.
Add pheasants and marinate for 5 to 8 hours in refrigerator.
Slice salt pork and melt in a heavy casserole.
Remove pheasants from marinade, pat dry with paper towels and sauté in melted fat until pale brown. Pour some of the marinade on pheasants, cover and cook for 3 hours at 350° F (175° C).
Baste meat frequently with more marinade.

Venison Pie - Pâté de chevreuil

2 teaspoons (10 mL) black peppercorns
1 blade whole mace
1 teaspoon (5 mL) whole allspice berries
2 inch stick of cinnamon
2 teaspoons (10 mL) whole coriander seeds
6 whole juniper berries
Olive oil for browning the meat (2 to 3 tablespoons)
2 pounds (1 kg.) venison, cubed
Salt to taste 2 medium sized onions,
sliced 2 French shallots,sliced
1 tablespoon (15 mL) flour
1 ¾ cups (300 mL) chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) pitted prunes
1 cup (250 mL) raisins
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
Shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten

Grind the peppercorns, mace, allspice, cinnamon, coriander seeds and juniper berries together to a powder. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet.
Salt the venison and brown it in the oil (in batches according to the size of the pan).
Remove from skillet. Cook the onions and shallots in the same skillet, adding more oil if necessary. Once the onions and shallots are soft, add the flour and mix well.
Then add the spices and stock and bring to a boil. Return venison to the skillet.
Dice the prunes and add them with the raisins to the meat. Add the juice and zest of the orange.
Mix well.
Serves 6.

Cranberry Marmalade - Confitures aux canneberges

3 cups (750 mL) cranberries
1 cinnamon stick 3 whole cloves
1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
2 cups (750 mL) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (200 mL) red wine
Rind of 1 orange
Orange sections from one orange

Place cranberries, cinnamon stick and cloves in a sauce pan. Add boiling water.
Bring to boil, cover pot and boil for 3 to 4 minutes or until skins burst.
Add sugar and bring to rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add wine and orange rind and return to boil.
Remove from heat, stir and skim off any foam.
Pour into a glass serving dish. Decorate with fresh orange sections.

Quenelles of Cod with Lobster Sauce - Quenelles de cabillaud sauce homard

Panade:
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 ¼ cups flour

¾ pound (375 grams) cod fillet

3 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) sweet butter, softened
pinch white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Place chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper in saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add flour to mixture all at once.
Mix. Cook a few minutes to dry over low heat. Spread onto a dish, cover and let cool

Cut cod into chunks and place in food processor. Process until it is a smooth paste.

Cut cool panade into pieces and blend with eggs using a mixer or food processor.
When mixture is smooth, add fish, butter, pepper and nutmeg. Mix until smooth.
Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Roll dough into a roll about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Cut into pieces about 4 inches long. Flour fingers and flatten ends.

Gently Place quenelles in salted, simmering water (do not let water boil).
Poach quenelles (single layer) for 12 minutes. When cooked, place in ice water.
When cold, lift from iced water and store covered in refrigerator.
Bake in 375° until puffed up, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve with lobster butter.

Lobster Butter

2 whole lobsters, cooked
1 cup softened butter
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried French tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
Salt and white pepper to taste

Remove lobster meat from shells, saving roe and liver (coral and tomalley). Dice meat and set aside. Break up lobster shells. Put into a bowl with ½ cup of the butter and pound together (a food processor works well). Put through a fine strainer, pressing and mashing to push butter through.
Mix with roe and liver and strain again.
Melt remaining butter and add bread crumbs; cook until crumbs are golden.
Stir in lobster meat, lobster butter, tarragon, lemon juice and mustard.
Season with salt and white pepper.
Serve over quenelles.

Rice and Salted Herbs - Herbes Salées

1 cup fresh chives, chopped finely
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely
1 cup leeks, chopped finely
1 cup green parts of scallion, chopped finely
2 cups celery leaves, chopped finely
½ cup fresh savory, chopped finely
¼ cup fresh sage, chopped finely
2 cups pickling salt

Wash and dry herbs. Chop them before measuring. Mix chopped herbs in a large bowl.
In glass jars, alternate layers of salt and fresh herbs finishing with salt. Close top and store in refrigerator. Salted herbs will keep well for one year.
To season soups and stews, scoop a large spoonful from the jar and rinse under cold water to remove excess salt before using.

Root Vegetables - Des raves en tranches

5 carrots
2 large parsnips
1 celeriac
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon (5 mL) wine vinegar
½ teaspoon (2 mL) old-fashioned Dijon mustard

Peel the carrots, parsnips and celeriac. Cut into julienne strips.
Cook in boiling water just to cover 10-15 minutes so that they are still crunchy.
Keep the vegetables warm and set aside the cooking liquid.
Melt the butter and sauté the onion until transparent, not brown.
Add ¼ cup of the cooking liquid, salt, pepper and vinegar.
Mix in the vegetables. Stir in the mustard when you serve.

Leeks Vinaigrette - Poireaux en vinaigrette

2 large leeks
½ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar

Clean leeks. Use white part only. Place in saucepan, single layer.
Add chicken stock and salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Carefully remove with slotted spoon; drain well.
Cool and then cut into 1-inch pieces. Mix together oil and vinegar and drizzle over leeks.

Prune and Marzipan Tart with Sabayon
Tarte aux pruneaux et massepain avec sabayon

Filling
½ cup (125 mL) pitted prunes
2 tablespoons (25 mL) Armagnac
1 cup (250 mL) seedless Lexia raisins
1 cup (250 mL) water
¼ cup (50 mL) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) orange rind
1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tablespoons (25 mL) orange juice
3 tablespoons (45 mL) butter

The Almond Cream
1/3 cup (75 mL) unsalted butter
½ cup (125 mL) ground almonds
½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon (15 mL) rum
2 tablespoons (25 mL) pastry flour

1 chilled unbaked 9 in. (22 cm) pastry shell in French tart pan
4 sliced pitted prunes as garnish

Soak prunes in Armagnac overnight. Purée coarsely in food processor or blender. Set aside.
Combine raisins, water, brown sugar and orange rind in stainless steel saucepan.
Cover, bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until raisins are soft.
With slotted spoon, remove raisins; set aside. Add lemon and orange juice to saucepan, cooking, uncovered, until the consistency of syrup (about 3 tablespoons). Remove from heat; whisk in butter, prune purée, and soaked raisins.

Almond crème: in separate bowl, cream unsalted butter until fluffy. Beat in ground almonds and icing sugar. Whip in eggs, one at a time, beating hard after each addition. Stir in rum and flour.

Spread prune filling on bottom of tart shell, smoothing the top. Cover evenly with almond cream and garnish with slices of pitted prunes.

Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre of the tart comes out clean.
Let cool before serving with Sabayon sauce.

Macaroons - Macarons

8 ounces ground almonds
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
3 egg whites
½ teaspoon almond extract

Place ground almonds, sugar, salt, egg whites and almond extract in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
Using fingers, shape into balls 1 inch in diameter and place on a well-buttered cookie sheet.
Decorate tops with slivered almonds. Bake in preheated 400° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.

Hippocras - Hypocras

4.5 liters (1 gallon) full-bodied red wine
3-4 cups (about 1 liter) white sugar
1 stick cinnamon, coarsely ground
6 ½ teaspoon nutmeg 6 black peppercorns
24 cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
250 ml (1 cup) orange blossom water

Pour the wine into a glass container. Mix the white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns, cloves and ginger with the wine. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover and let stand one hour.
Serve warm with dessert as a digestive.