Fish and Brewis was a staple of the sea-weathered Newfoundlander’s diet. Once so popular that a variant, Steak and Brewis, was commonly served in the dining car of the Newfoundland Railway, this relatively simple meal was typically made with salt cod and hard bread. This does suggest, however, that it was no longer quite as popular as it once was, since it is implied that it is no longer so commonly served in prominent places like the Newfoundland Railway.

I chose to analyse this specific recipe because I was already aware of its popularity through its prominence in popular media, i.e., books and music. It is unique from most other dishes in that it is meant to take older or cheaper produce and forge a satisfying if not delicious meal. Typically accompanied by vegetables and either a sauce made from fried pork or onions, this meal would have originally been served as a breakfast or lunch for the hard-working denizens of the fishing and rural villages. The cookbook claims that it was originally created by a hungry fisherman who simply used the supplies he had on hand to quickly prepare himself a satisfying meal for the day to come. Once again, the instructions are fairly clear in all but measurements. Otherwise, this is a simple, almost beginner’s level recipe.

Seal Flipper Pie is a recipe for a meat based pie that appears similar to the more common Quebec dish known as Tourtiere. Typically served with gravy and a side of turnip, cabbage and potatoes, Seal Flipper Pie is a hearty yet simple meal. I chose to analyse this recipe because of its significance in differentiating the Newfoundland way of life from that of the rest of Canada. While most Canadians would never consider eating seal as part of a fairly standard meal, it was merely a part of daily life to the inhabitants of the island.

Obviously the main ingredient in this dish is seal flipper, seeing as that is the name that the dish bears. However, other ingredients mentioned include onion, lemon juice, salt pork, salt, pepper and a basic pastry dough. Probably served for dinner, or cold for lunch the next day, this was definitely a main dish.The instructions for preparation are fairly clear, save for the heating and amount of each ingredient. The recipe calls for moderate heat and, despite listing the ingredients themselves, hardly mentions the quantity of the individual components. Otherwise, I would probably rate this as a medium difficulty solely because of the ambiguous complexity of the pastry dough.

The recipe implies that even into the 1970s, seal was still a fairly important part of the average Newfoundland inhabitant’s diet.