The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen

The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley is a title unlike any other that I have been fortunate to review. 

Chef Sherman was born in 1974 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He soaked up everything he could about Native American cuisine through elders, cookbooks and magazines and has been cooking for 27 years. 

His true vision became clear in 2014 when he made his way to Minneapolis and founded The Sioux Chef. His team consists of Anishinaabe, Mdewakanton Dakota, Navajo, Northern Cheyenne, Oglala Lakota, Wahpeton-Sisseton Dakota and are ever growing. They are chefs, ethnobotanists, food preservationists, adventurers, foragers, caterers, event planners, artists, musicians, food truckers and food lovers.

This cookbook focuses on real indigenous food not the Indian fry bread of folklore – American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish are the staples of true indigenous cuisine. The stars of Chef Sherman’s dishes are locally sourced, seasonal, “clean” ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking. He also shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful and both elegant and easy.

No European staples such as wheat flour, dairy products, sugar, and domestic pork and beef are utilized in these recipes. The Sioux Chef‘s healthful plates embrace venison and rabbit, river and lake trout, duck and quail, wild turkey, blueberries, sage, sumac, timpsula or wild turnip, plums, purslane, and abundant wildflowers. Contemporary and authentic, recipes include Cedar braised bison, Griddled wild rice cakes, Amaranth crackers with smoked white bean paste, Three sisters salad, Deviled duck eggs, Smoked turkey soup, Dried meats, Roasted corn sorbet, and Hazelnut-maple bites.

The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen provides a rich education and a delectable introduction to the modern cuisine of the Dakota and Minnesota territories, with a vision and approach to food that travels well beyond those borders. This book shares a wealth of information, delicious food and lovely photographs.

Special thanks to the University of Minnesota Press for sharing the following recipe with our members and for providing three copies of this beautiful book in our contest below. 

Squash and apple soup with fresh cranberry sauce

Wagmú na Tȟaspáŋ Waháŋpi nakúŋ Watȟókeča T’áǧa Yužápi

Add this recipe to your Bookshelf (click the blue +Bookshelf button).

Serves 4 to 6

This rich, flavorful soup has a creamy texture without cream. We use the small, tart crab apples that grow in backyards and along the borders of farm fields.

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 wild onion, chopped, or ¼ cup chopped shallot
  • 2 pounds winter squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tart apple, cored and chopped
  • 1 cup cider
  • 3 cups Corn Stock, page 170, or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Sumac to taste
  • Cranberry Sauce, page 108, or chopped fresh cranberries for garnish

Heat the oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, squash, and apple until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider and stock, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. With an immersion blender or working in batches with a blender, puree the soup and return to the pot to warm. Season to taste with maple syrup, salt, and sumac. Serve with a dollop of Cranberry Sauce.

From The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley (University of Minnesota Press, forthcoming October 2017)

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US . One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on December 12th, 2017.

Post a comment

73 Comments

  • aoiwowie  on  November 6, 2017

    The Hunter's Stew sounds delicious, but I think I'd try the Cider Braised Turkey Thighs first.

  • kitchen_chick  on  November 6, 2017

    Duck pâté with dried apple!

  • cecrofts  on  November 6, 2017

    Caramelized seed mix. 🙂

  • megans608  on  November 7, 2017

    All the teas, especially the cedar tea, are intriguing, but I would want to try the Tatanka Truck fried wild rice bowl first!

  • AnnaZed  on  November 7, 2017

    Three sisters summertime salad with smoked trout

  • Dannausc  on  November 7, 2017

    Braised sunflower

  • notstarvingyet  on  November 7, 2017

    Roasted corn with wild greens pesto

  • ccav  on  November 7, 2017

    So many interesting things to try here….the teas definitely call my name but also wild rice cakes

  • skipeterson  on  November 7, 2017

    Wild rice pilaf with wild mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and dried cranberries

  • contest718  on  November 7, 2017

    Sticky rice with ginger sausage, herb salad, and poached eggs. This fits right in with our way of eating.

  • Asparagusberry  on  November 7, 2017

    I also would love to try the duck pate!

  • bibliophile02  on  November 7, 2017

    Popped amaranth cakes

  • lpatterson412  on  November 7, 2017

    I would love to try the white bean and winter squash soup, also I would love to try the sauces!

  • ennsee  on  November 7, 2017

    I would try the Wild greens pesto first.

  • Stenerson  on  November 7, 2017

    I would like to try the wild greens pesto and the duck pate!!

  • lgroom  on  November 7, 2017

    Oooo — the wild green pesto, definitely.

  • Shana.  on  November 7, 2017

    wild greens pesto!

  • tcjanes  on  November 7, 2017

    Smoked duck.

  • jr0717  on  November 7, 2017

    The salad of griddled squash, apples, wild greens, and toasted walnuts sounds incredible!

  • kmn4  on  November 7, 2017

    Roasted maple seeds – because if those helicopter things from my maple tree in the backyard can be put to some sort of use, that would be AMAZING!

  • alina1123  on  November 8, 2017

    The squash soup!

  • sgump  on  November 8, 2017

    Am very intrigued by the sunflower milk sorbet!

  • lisaevanoff  on  November 8, 2017

    Kneel down bread

  • Senkimekia  on  November 8, 2017

    Duck pate with dried apple

  • rchesser  on  November 8, 2017

    Sumac lemonade.

  • ravensfan  on  November 8, 2017

    Crispy bean cakes

  • sarahawker  on  November 9, 2017

    Sioux Chef tamales

  • southerncooker  on  November 11, 2017

    Sautéed corn mushrooms with fresh corn and fried sage

  • t.t  on  November 12, 2017

    Salad of griddled squash, apples, wild greens, and toasted walnuts

  • Dulcey  on  November 12, 2017

    Maple sage roasted vegetables

  • robynsanyal  on  November 12, 2017

    Cedar braised bison

  • ZhoraAutumn  on  November 12, 2017

    I am so excited to try it all

  • Karla123  on  November 12, 2017

    Salad of griddled squash, apples, wild greens, and toasted walnuts…a beautiful fall dish I can't wait to try.

  • Maaseelulu  on  November 12, 2017

    Sautéed corn mushrooms with fresh corn and fried sage.

  • SnarkyLarane  on  November 13, 2017

    I just listened to a podcast that had Chef Sharman as a guest. I was intrigued by the amaranth crackers he talked about so that will be my first recipe to try.

  • JenJoLa  on  November 13, 2017

    Deviled duck eggs sound intriguing.

  • VeryVigario  on  November 13, 2017

    Smoked whitefish and white bean spread

  • amym  on  November 13, 2017

    Elk stew with hominy. I love elk. I love hominy. And juniper berries? Bonus!

  • WCchopper  on  November 14, 2017

    Wild rice cakes, or that roasted corn with green sauce

  • Rooks  on  November 14, 2017

    Cider braised turkey thighs.

  • thecharlah  on  November 14, 2017

    Wild greens pesto

  • NaomiH  on  November 15, 2017

    Missouri River pozole, some of the other recipes sound so interesting but the ingredients might be hard to find. I would certainly look however. I'm not sure I've ever seen bison at the butcher or farmer's market.

  • Siegal  on  November 15, 2017

    Braised sunflower sounds so cool

  • annieski  on  November 16, 2017

    This looks delicious: Salad of griddled squash, apples, wild greens, and toasted walnuts

  • Shelley.b  on  November 16, 2017

    Real wild rice

  • Megoola  on  November 16, 2017

    Griddled maple squash

  • beetlebug  on  November 17, 2017

    White bean and squash soup!

  • earthnfire  on  November 17, 2017

    Sioux chef tamales!

  • keizerfire  on  November 17, 2017

    Stuffed squash blossoms! I've tried those before, but I need to get better at making them.

  • dlbawiles  on  November 17, 2017

    Wild Green Pesto!

  • DarcyVaughn  on  November 17, 2017

    Smoked whitefish and white bean spread

  • ChefDebi  on  November 18, 2017

    Corn broth sounds like the perfect foundation for my plant-based lifestyle!

  • RickPearson54  on  November 18, 2017

    duck pate

  • zarprey  on  November 18, 2017

    Braised sunchokes. I LOVE sunchokes and am always looking for new ways to use them.

  • Hawky  on  November 18, 2017

    Smoked trout

  • fbrunetti  on  November 19, 2017

    Sioux Chef tamales

  • kitchenclimbers  on  November 20, 2017

    tamales

  • Scotsman61  on  November 20, 2017

    Sticky rice with ginger sausage, herb salad, and poached eggs

  • smccandless  on  November 20, 2017

    Amaranth crackers

  • meatn3  on  November 22, 2017

    Wild rice pilaf with wild mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and dried cranberries is being made for Thanksgiving!

  • alemily  on  November 22, 2017

    Smoked turkey and acorn soup

  • LaurenE  on  November 23, 2017

    Roasted corn with wild greens pesto

  • Uhmandanicole  on  November 30, 2017

    Duck and wild rice pemmican

  • auntietina  on  December 1, 2017

    Braised sunflowers. I have sooooo many questions on this one, but I am fascinated.

  • stephlinde  on  December 1, 2017

    Stuffed squash blossoms

  • Katiefayhutson  on  December 1, 2017

    Amaranth crackers

  • lhudson  on  December 2, 2017

    Wild Rice Cakes

  • Sfgordon  on  December 3, 2017

    smoked white fish and white bean spread and rice cakes

  • monique.potel  on  December 4, 2017

    Maple-brined smoked turkey
    and cider braised turkey thighs
    its turkey season and i would love to experiment

  • jmay42066  on  December 8, 2017

    The white bean and winter squash soup sounds delicious.

  • zesty77777  on  December 8, 2017

    Braised sunflower I would like to try.

  • sushimaven  on  December 12, 2017

    Salad of griddled squash, apples, wild greens, and toasted walnuts ! yum

  • JFAdams  on  December 15, 2017

    Stuffed squash blossoms

Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!