Maine’s Bicentennial Kitchen Chronicles
Classic recipes that keep it simple
From our March 2020 issue.
In honor of Maine’s 200th, let’s toast this occasion the Maine way, with a couple of simple, traditional recipes, beloved by Mainers from Kittery to Caribou.
Iconic Maine Baked Beans
Few events are as common in Maine as the Bean Supper. (We’re all pronouncing that “suppah” in our heads, right?) The beauty of baked beans is that with a handful of simple ingredients, magic is made in a humble pot over the course of many hours.
Histories in towns throughout Massachusetts and Maine tell of families preparing beans early Saturday morning and taking their bean pots to the local bakery for baking. The pots would be tagged and placed in the bread ovens, which cooled throughout the afternoon hours, simmering the beans low and slow. The pots were collected late in the day, in time for dinner on Saturday. It was a given that there would be plenty of beans left over for the Sabbath, when kitchen work was prohibited.
This recipe yields creamy beans that probably aren’t as sweet as you’re used to, but they are rich and velvety and easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lbs. dry beans (I use Jacob’s Cattle, Soldier Beans, or Yellow Eye, sold by the Kennebec Bean Company under the name “State of Maine.”)
A chunk of salt pork (½ lb. to 1 lb.) diced into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
2/3 cup of molasses
¼ cup of Maine maple syrup
2 heaping tablespoons of dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Wash and pick through the beans, checking for and removing any accidental stray pebbles that may occur. Place the beans in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Soak overnight. The next morning parboil the beans until softened or until, when you blow on the skins, they crack open (about an hour).
Drain, saving the liquid, and set aside.
Set the onion quarters and a handful of salt pork cubes on the bottom of a traditional bean pot or a sturdy Dutch oven. Then fill, alternating layers of salt pork and beans.
Mix molasses, syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper into a cup of boiling water and pour over the beans. Add more boiling water so that beans are almost, but not quite, covered.
Cover beans and cook for 5 to 6 hours. Check beans every hour or so. Add reserved bean liquid if necessary.
A Pie by Any Other Name
Like beans, blueberries have been a staple in Maine households since well before the bicentennial. Both types of produce sustained our ancestors and continue to feed our stomachs as well as our hearts. With these delicious foods, we celebrate Maine’s people, then and now. May our beloved state have 200 more years of Maine magic at the table.
Rustic Wild Maine Blueberry Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. fresh Maine blueberries (preferable) or frozen, thawed and drained on a towel
1 piecrust
A tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon of tapioca pearls (for frozen berries). The tapioca pearls are optional. Without them, you will have a juicier pie.
1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar, jam, jelly, or marmalade (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, dust the dry berries in the flour (and tapioca pearls if your berries were frozen).
For this pie (which can be made as a tart or galette) simply place the uncooked piecrust in a well-seasoned, 8–9-inch cast iron skillet. Place the berries in the middle of the crust. If you’re so inclined, sprinkle them with a tablespoon of Turbinado sugar or add and mix in jam (optional).
Fold the edges of the crust around the berries, leaving the center open.
Another optional touch: I brush the edges of my crust with a bit of jelly, jam, or marmalade. Use sparingly, as you’ll want just a light glaze. It makes the crust golden brown without drying it out and adds a slightly sweet crispness.
Cook for 20–25 minutes or until the berries are bubbling and the crust is golden.
Photographed by Candace Karu.
