We like to honour Canada’s First Nations when we have the chance. And today, we’re spotlighting a special festive dessert passed down through many generations to Métis chef Jenni Lessard. It’s called ‘la Pouchine’ – and it’s not what you might think!
That’s ‘pouchine’, not ‘poutine’! And, as we just hinted, it’s about as far from fries and gravy as you can get. In fact, it’s all the way over on the far end of the ‘sweet-savoury’ spectrum. And it’s been a fixture at Métis festive meals for well over a hundred years…
Who are the Métis?
You can’t really call yourself a hardcore Canadian nationalist of you don’t know who the Métis people are. But for those beyond the boundaries of the Great White North, here’s the scoop:
“The Métis are a distinct Indigenous people in Canada, originating in the late 18th century from un-ions between European fur traders and First Nations women,” Google AI explains. “As one of three constitutionally recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada, they possess a unique culture, language (Michif), and history, with a homeland spanning the Prairie provinces, Ontario, and the Northwest.”
The significance of la Pouchine
“My grandma made this pudding for every holiday dinner,” Lessard recalls. “We’d pick out the fruits and nuts as kids, but now I appreciate the ‘magic’ of this passed-down dessert.”
“It was such a big deal when this pudding came out,” she told Yahoo Canada “It’s very vivid in my memory: The Family lining up for that pudding in my grandma’s tiny, steaming house…”
What it is
La Pouchine could be tagged as distant cousin of old English Plum Pudding. Lessard identifies brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves – the main flavour components of the pudding – as ‘the gastronomical markers of her childhood’.
From there, the recipe is skeletally simple: Flour, butter, brown sugar, raisins and baking powder.
It’s steamed pudding, so you’ll need good old-fashioned cheese cloth to support the pud over the boiling water. And there’s a recipe for the traditional Brown Sugar Sauce Jenni’s family has always poured over the dish.
Tips and hacks…
Lessard admits that, when she was a kid, she didn’t much like nuts or dried fruits. She and her sib-lings would secretly pick them out of their portion and stick them in a pocket for disposal later. The truth is, you can add or substitute any fruits or nuts you fancy in this recipe. However, Lessard recom-mends dried Saskatoon berries or cranberries in place of the raisins – to keep it true to her Métis roots.
If you’ve had any experience with English Plum Pudding and it’s classic Rum Sauce, you’ll know that most folks want lots of sauce. So make lots, rather than risk disappointing anyone’s sweet tooth!
Finally, Lessard tells us her grandma always served a big bowl of freshly whipped cream alongside La Pouchine, as well as the sauce. Sounds like a great idea to me!
My take
I’m going to make this pudding for my next festive feast. Even if the season calls for some other specific kind of pie or cake. I cherish keeping traditions alive – especially those that are as uniquely Canadian as this one!
~ Maggie J.