from Kokum, Are These Moose Tracks?
Joshua’s family spends days preparing the moose, then Kokum makes her moose meat stew and dumplings for everyone. Joshua enjoys sharing this delicious feast—and he loves his new moosehide beaded moccasins that Kokum made him!
Ingredients
Stew:
2 pounds moose meat (or venison or caribou), cut into small pieces
6 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 large potatoes, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1 cube beef bouillon (optional)
Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup water
Directions
Stew: Place moose meat in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to a slight boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently with a fork. (This step is important because if the water continues to boil on high, a foam will form on the surface. Cooking on lower heat and stirring frequently will make a gravy of the moose blood and water.)
After about an hour of cooking, add chopped onions. Cook for another 30 minutes, then add carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook for 30 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and beef bouillon cube if using.
To make the dumplings: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, and then stir in milk and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a fork until a wet dough forms.
Bring stew to a slight boil and drop dumpling batter into the stew by the spoonful. Cover and simmer without lifting the lid for 15 minutes.
Share and enjoy!
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Can’t source venison? Substitute beef or lamb. Add any root vegetable you like or have on hand for variation. I also add some herbs like rosemary or tarragon with a splash of Worcestershire or hot sauce.
Excerpted from Kokum, Are These Moose Tracks? by Tyna Legault Taylor. Copyright 2025. Reproduced with permission from HighWater Press. https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Books/K/Kokum-Are-These-Moose-Tracks