Wegmans Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

Perishable Manager, 22 years of incredible service
Ojibwe Tribe

Matt has held various positions throughout his 22-year career with Wegmans, and in his current role as a Perishable Manager oversees several departments such as Bakery, Produce, and Olde World Cheese. He takes pride in his Native roots and enjoys connecting with folks from various backgrounds while sharing his passion for foods authentic to his culture. We’ve sat down with Matt in the past to get his thoughts on what Native American Heritage Month means to him; this year he expanded on the role food plays in his culture and even shared a family recipe with us:

“When visiting with family as a younger child, one of the foods that I remember most, and one of the foods I would get most excited about, is Native American Fry Bread. It is not a complex recipe, and each person has their own unique way of making it, but I remember that everyone was able to help make it, and it was something we could do as kids and not make a total mess of everything. It’s one of those foods that is just so comforting to eat with your family, and each person can enjoy it as a savory or sweet dish depending on what toppings they used. Making and enjoying it together was just always so fun and really spoke to the importance of togetherness in our Native Family.”

Matt’s Native American Fry Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Milk
• Vegetable Oil for Frying

Instructions

1. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk and stir until dough begins to ball up. On a lightly floured surface knead dough. Do not over-work the dough. After working dough, place in a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil to 350 degrees in a deep-frying pan or kettle. You’ll need at least one inch of oil in the bottom of the pan.
3. Divide the chilled dough into four equal portions. Lightly flour surface. Pat and roll out baseball size pieces of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Poke a hole in the middle of each disc with your finger or knife (so dough will fry flat). Place dough disc in oil and cook until golden brown, flip over and cook opposite side until golden brown. Dough is done in about 3 minutes depending on oil temperature and thickness of dough.
4. Place fry bread on paper towel lined plate then top with your favorite topping.