Cooking with Blueberries

Blueberry Bannock (Indian Biscuits)

24 ounces of fresh blueberries
5 cups flour
1 cup maple sugar (available at food co-ops)
4 teaspoons baking powder
3-1/2 cups shortening
6 pcs eggs

Recipes for Blueberry Bannock, a fried biscuit, can be found in many American Indian cookbooks, says Sharon Shuck of Duluth. This version offered by Shuck, a Fond du Lac tribal elder, is quite old and can be eaten as a dessert or as bread with a meal. Press the blueberries to obtain approximately 1/2 cup juice. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, maple sugar and baking powder). Put shortening in a deep frying pan and heat. Beat the eggs with the blueberry juice to get a cream. Mix the cream with dry ingredients and add blueberries. Drop this dough in hot oil, one tablespoon at a time, and brown. Flip over and lightly brown the other side. When all sides are lightly browned, place on paper towel for a few minutes for oil to drain. Serve hot.
Yield: makes about 4 dz

Blueberry Chipotle Sauce

1/2 3/4 cup blueberry preserves
1 pc chipotle en adobo sauce one chile from the can
1 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotle can

Mince chipotle and mix all ingredients. Taste and add more adobo sauce if desired. Serve with grilled game meat. The remaining chipotles and adobo sauce may be frozen in a plastic container for future use.

Blueberry-Buffalo Stew

1 1/2-2 pounds buffalo stew meat
1 cup blueberries
4 cups chicken or beef stock
2 tablespoons canola oil (or bacon drippings)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the meat into one inch chunks and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or stew pot. Drizzle in oil or bacon dripping to coat the bottom. Working in batches, brown the meat well on all sides. Add oil as necessary. Do not over crowd the pan. Remove browned meat to a clean dish and cover.
Once all the meat is browned, return it all to the pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any froth that has collected on the surface until the broth is clear. Add the blueberries, honey, sherry, and cayenne pepper and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and the broth has
reduced. Stir occasionally. This helps to break up the blueberries and incorporate them into the liquid. By the end of the cooking time the blueberries should be completely incorporated.

Serve with fry bread and wild greens salad.