Chuck and the First Peoples' Kitchen

CHUCK'S JOURNEY

Pikogan

Monday, January 31

Chuck travels to the community of Pikogan where Alex Mapachee has invited him to fish Pike. Chuck and Alex jump on his boat with their fishing gear and sail through the Abitibi Lake. The Anishnabe have always relied on fish for food, medicine and knowledge. Alex uses the traditional cast-net fishing method. After just a couple of hours a big pike is caught. They go back to shore and make a fire outside Alex’s house and proceed to the cooking.

Because pikes are very bony fish, removing the bones while minimizing the amount of flesh lost in the process is a highly valued skill that Alex masters. Alex breads the fish fillets and fries them while Alex’s sister Anna surprises Chuck with a recipe of fish tacos with bannok.