4 Recipes from Canada’s East Coast

Recipes as seen in Andy’s East Coast Kitchen Crawl, courtesy of Food Network.

Follow Andy Hay on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Baked Beans with Toutons

Visiting his mom’s home province of Newfoundland and Labrador inspired this recipe that brings Andy back to childhood. Toutons are traditionally served with breakfast but are a cozy and delicious treat at any time of the day.

Ingredients

Baked Beans:

• 6 to 8 strips smoked bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried white navy beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, ground
• 1L water

Toutons:

• 2 cups leftover white bread dough or one package store-bought pizza dough
• Flour, as needed
• 2 to 3 tbsp salted butter
• Molasses, for serving

Directions

Baked Beans:

1. Heat oven to 300F.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat in a Dutch oven until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside, leaving the renderings in the pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add beans, ketchup, maple syrup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, bacon, bay leaf, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir in the water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and transfer to the oven for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and sauce is thickened, adding more water if the beans are looking dry.
5. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Toutons:

1. Divide the dough in six to eight pieces. Lightly flour your work surface and hands and shape into golf ball sized balls. Flatten each gently into discs about ½ inch thick.
2. Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add 2 tbsp butter to melt and coat the bottom of the pan.
3. Cook the dough in batches, leaving about an inch of space between them. Cook slowly for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through inside. Set aside and continue with any remaining dough, adding more butter, if needed.
4. Serve hot, with molasses for dipping.

Hot Crab Dip

Inspired by Andy’s trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where snow crab is king, this recipe turns it into a quick crowd pleaser. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool before digging in!

Ingredients

• ½ cup (half of a 225g pkg) full-fat brick cream cheese, room temp¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream
• 1-½ to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zested
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch salt
• 450g fresh snow crab meat
• Crackers, warm baguette slices or pita chips, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, chives, dill, garlic powder and salt. Mix on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.
4. Gently fold in the crab meat using a wooden spoon or spatula, being careful not to break up the lumps. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
5. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe baking dish, spreading it evenly. Top with the remaining ½ to 1 cup cheddar cheese.
6. Bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly golden around the edges, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Dartmouth Haddock Burger

Dartmouth is Andy’s hometown, inspiring this family friendly meal for his burger-loving girls. Nova Scotia haddock is the star, but can be subbed for any locally available white fish.

Ingredients

Crispy Haddock

• 1-½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1-¼ cups cold soda water
• 2 cups potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• Four 4 ounce pieces of haddock or other white fish, such as cod
• Canola oil, for frying
• 4 soft buns

Chipotle Crema

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp red onion, finely diced
• 1 lime, zested
•  ½ lime, juiced
• Generous ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup mint, chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Slaw

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ lime, juiced
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp canola, grapeseed or olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh black pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup shredded green cabbage
• ¾ cup shredded red cabbage
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

Directions

Crispy Haddock

1. Heat 3 inches of oil to 360F over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.
2. Prepare three shallow dishes for dredging. In one, add ½ cup flour and a pinch of salt. In a second dish, mix together the remaining cup of flour, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper. Whisk in the soda water. In the third dish, add the potato flakes.
3. Dredge the fish first in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip it into the wet batter making sure to fully coat the fish. Let excess drip off and then add it into the potato flakes, pressing lightly to adhere.
4. Gently lower each piece of fish into the oil (you may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your pot) and cook for 2 minutes. Carefully turn the fish and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a cooling rack or piece of paper towel. Season immediately with salt.

Chipotle Crema

1. Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Slaw

1. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, lime juice, honey and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss cabbage and onion with the dressing in a large bowl just before serving.

Assembly

1. Spread the bottom buns with crema, top with fish and slaw. Spread the top bun with more crema, if desired.

P.E.I. Grilled Cheese

This recipe is inspired by Andy’s travels across Prince Edward Island, where the food is fresh and flavourful, not fancy. This cozy comfort food with a P.E.I. sweet and salty twist brings Andy back to meeting warm and welcoming Islanders who served him food with love.

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices sourdough bread
• 2 tbsp butter, softened, divided
• 2 tbsp blueberry preserve
• ½ cup grated aged cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread with 1 tbsp of butter. Spread one unbuttered side of a slice of bread with the preserve and top with cheese and the other slice of bread, butter side up.
3. Transfer the sandwich to the pan and cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if the sandwich is browning too quickly.