Yahoo! Bring the flavours of the Calgary Stampede home with these SAIT recipes

Get pancake flippin’

Local businesses and organizations fill thousands of hungry bellies every year with free Stampede breakfasts. Some even break records, like the Chinook Centre mall, which served 26,995 pancakes last year, surpassing the record set in 2024 by an IHOP restaurant in California.

SAIT chef instructors Paul McGreevy and Joshua Grieman go for quality, not quantity, in the duality of their flapjacks — sweet and savoury.

Southern-inspired cornmeal pancakes by Chef Paul McGreevy

Like his cast iron skillet, Chef McGreevy is well-seasoned when it comes to flipping pancakes for the Stampede’s iconic breakfasts. McGreevy has a history in culinary operations with The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, while the Stampede continues to serve as an ideal training ground for students studying in SAIT’s hospitality, tourism and culinary programs.

His cornmeal pancakes are inspired by classic midway flavours — and, even better, are stuffed with pulled pork.

Pro tip: Let the batter rest for one hour before cooking.
No buttermilk? Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to milk to mimic its acidity.

Cornmeal pancake recipe

Pancake

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 cups pulled pork, heated + preferably topped with a sauce

Maple bacon bourbon jam

• 1 cup bacon, diced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup bourbon

Directions

Pancake

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Whisk buttermilk and eggs separately.
3. Mix wet into dry until smooth.
4. Add melted butter.
5. Rest batter for one hour.
6. Heat pan and butter lightly.
7. Add batter (about 2 fl oz).
8. When bubbles form, add pulled pork.
9. Top with a little more batter.
10. Flip and cook through.

Maple bourbon jam

1. Cook bacon until crispy; drain fat.
2. Sauté shallots in butter.
3. Add sugar and maple syrup; bring to a boil.
4. Add bourbon and return to a boil.

Assembly

1. Top pancakes with the maple bourbon jam.
2. Add a drizzle of maple syrup or other toppings of choice.
3. Serve immediately.

S’mores crêpe à la Chef Josh Grieman

Elevate a simple crêpe with Chef Grieman’s rich take on a campfire classic featuring graham cracker cookie butter, chocolate mascarpone mousse and torched marshmallow.

Short on time? This is a judgment-free zone, where store-bought chocolate, Biscoff spread and marshmallows work just fine. But if you’re up for the challenge, try making each component from scratch.

Pro tip: Pastry work is precise — Chef Grieman uses a scale for accuracy, which is why measurements are listed in grams.

Ingredients

Crêpe

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200g)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (24g)
• 1 tsp salt (6g)
• 3 large eggs (150g)
• ½ cup oil (60g)
• 1 ⅔ cup milk (400g)

Graham cracker cookie butter

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (220g)
• ¼ cup melted butter (60g)
• ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons honey (80g)
• ¼ cup hot water (60g)
• Pinch of salt

Mascarpone chocolate mousse

• 3 egg yolks (50g)
• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar (40g)
• 1 tbsp Grand Marnier (15g)
• ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped (100g)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp mascarpone (250g)

Marshmallow

• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar (160g)
• ⅓ cup water (about 5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
• 2 ½ tsp powdered gelatin
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Crêpe

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
3. Slowly whisk wet into dry until smooth. Strain.
4. Chill batter for at least one hour.
5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly butter.
6. Pour ¼ cup batter into the centre, then swirl to coat evenly.
7. Cook until set. Cool before assembling.

Graham cracker butter

1. Blend crumbs until fine.
2. Stream in butter, honey and hot water while blending.
3. Adjust consistency with more water or crumbs; season with salt.

Mascarpone chocolate mousse

1. Whisk yolks, sugar and Grand Marnier in a bowl over a double boiler until a thick, airy batter is created, also known as ribbon stage.
2. Add in the dark chocolate and continue whisking over the double boiler until the chocolate is melted.
3. Whisk in the mascarpone until smooth.

Marshmallow

1. Bloom gelatin in cold water.
2. Boil sugar and water to dissolve.
3. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin.
4. Mix with a whip attachment until the contents hold their shape completely and point straight up without collapsing, also known as stiff peaks.
5. Add lemon juice.
6. Transfer mixture to a piping bag.

Assembly

1. Spread graham cracker butter and mousse on a crêpe.
2. Roll into a cylinder and secure with a skewer.
3. Pipe marshmallow on top and torch (or broil).

Fried chicken with spicy mashed potatoes and cold mango salsa by Chef Kevin Conniff

Chef Kevin Conniff loves the food and family fun involved in the Stampede, which is clear with his fried chicken drumsticks. Topped with spicy mashed potatoes and fresh mango salsa, his fried chicken is the perfect mix of crunchy, spicy and sweet.

Note: Skip the raisins in the salsa if they’re not your thing.

Ingredients

Fried chicken

• 6 chicken drumsticks
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• Oil for frying

Spicy mashed potatoes

• 1 kg Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/8 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chipotle chilies in adobo
• ⅛ cup cheese of your choice
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper

Mango salsa

• 3 cups diced mango
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp finely diced ginger root
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Fried chicken

1. Heat oil to 375ºF; preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Remove excess fat to clean drumsticks and pat dry. Pull the meat all the way down to expose the drumstick knuckle, also known as creating a chicken lollipop.
3. Assemble your dredging station: In the first bowl, add spices and flour, mixing it with a fork to combine. In the second bowl, add eggs and mix with fork. In the third bowl, add the panko crumbs.
4. Dredge the chicken drumsticks through bowls to make a coating. A good rule of thumb is to use one hand for wet dredging (eggs) and one for dry dredging (flour and panko). Place coated drumsticks on a wire rack while you finish the remainder.
5. Fry until golden; transfer to sheet pan.
6. Finish in the oven (10–12 minutes) until the chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.

Spicy mashed potatoes

1. Peel and quarter potatoes.
2. Bring to a boil and cook until tender.
3. Drain and mash with remaining ingredients.
4. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Keep mashed potatoes covered and warm until use, then transfer to a pastry bag with star tip.

Mango salsa

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan on medium heat.
2. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Season to taste.
4. Cool and refrigerate until needed.

Assembly

1. Attach the drumstick to a skewer or wooden stick with butcher’s twine.
2. Pipe a crown of mashed potatoes on the top of the drumstick.
3. Top the mashed potatoes with a dollop of salsa.
4. To keep the drumsticks upright, use a small glass jar filled with pebbles or rice for the skewer to stand in.
5. Serve immediately.