August 15, 2022

Three Sisters Succotash with Wild Sturgeon & Mushrooms

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• ½ cup cubed deer meat (or small chunk of salt pork cut into small cubes)

• 1 or more large sturgeon filets (or any white fleshy fish like turbot)

• ¼ cup minced onion

• 1/3 cup cooked white corn (canned hominy corn is available in most stores)

• 1/3 cup canned red kidney beans (do not drain the beans to retain some of the bean juice from the can)

• 1/3 cup cubed acorn squash

• 1 cob fresh corn

• 1.5 cups beef or chicken stock

• 1 handful in season mushrooms

• 1 cube vegetable bouillon 

• Animal fat or oil for frying

• Salt & pepper to taste
Note: the fish and mushrooms are to be cooked separately. This is a Mohawk inspired dish and the original version of it goes back to ancient times. An offshoot of the 3 Sisters succotash is modern corn soup which is still a delicacy in Iroquois territories.

  1. Oil skillet and brown the onions and deer meat (or salt pork) over medium high heat, stirring for even cooking.
  2. Add stock and bring to a low boil.
  3. Add corn, beans, and squash, ensuring that some of the bean juice makes it into the mix and cook at a low boil.
  4. Add bouillon and stir until dissolved then taste to adjust seasoning. 
  5. Add pepper and extra salt if needed, keeping in mind the bouillon and salt pork will already be salty (if you used it). 
  6. Set succotash on simmer then heat up and oil another skillet on different burner.
  7. Once oil is heated to medium high, add sturgeon filet and cubed or torn mushroom pieces. Set heat to medium.
  8. Cook fish until it looks crispy on the underside, stirring mushroom cubes for even cooking.
  9. Either flip the fish gently and fry for 1 minute or fish off in a heated even. This is really only necessary if the filet is thick. The key is to cook the filet evenly brown on the outside while keeping it all intact.
  10. Serve the fish/mushroom mix either next to the succotash or on top of each bowl of it.