Friday, November 18, 2011

fleisc.....what?

Fleischkuekle, pronounced flesh-key-claw is (traditionally) a deep fried pastry or hot pocket filled with ground bland meat.  Usually served with ketchup only!  Some people are sticklers when it comes to this.  It's actually a fairly nasty North Dakotan original dish which can be found in most gas stations in northern part of the state.  Traditionalists (super old German folk) would likely chastise me for updating such an unfortunate yet nostalgically intriguing dish.

Essentially I left the pie itself alone.  I made a traditional dough and stuffed it with ground bison.  The only exception is the seasonings and fresh herbs I added.  Now I'm proud of my German heritage and cuisine, but come on church ladies!  It's okay to season your food!

Anyways, I also changed the shape into bite size purses.  I served it atop a chanterelle and Surchoix gruyere risotto.  I got the mushrooms from a local forager.  And don't worry folks I didn't forget the ketchup.  I whipped up some lingonberry catsup, and garnished with some pea shoots.  I do not have picture of the final dish, but I assure you it was as pleasing to the eye as it was to my belly.