Poutine? I did it my way!

Kids (and adults!) are always raving about Poutine, asking me to make it for lunch but I just don't get the attraction. I mean, potatoes, cheese, gravy. What's the big deal? Seems like it's Quebec's national (wishful thinking) dish. It certainly is popular not only in Quebec but all over the place. Even KFC has the stuff! Their version of it anyway. Probably made from a secret recipe with 11 different chemicals and additives! I was inspired recently though by an appearance by Chuck Hughes on Iron Chef America. He made his version of Poutine while competing against Bobby Flay, and he won! With Poutine against one of the best Iron Chefs ever! So I thought I would give my own version a try and this is what I came up with.
I wanted to make a really rich gravy so I started with short ribs. I braised them nice and slow until they were just about falling off the bone then let them cool overnight in their own cooking liquid. I wanted to serve some roast striploin with it so I used the trim from that to make a bit more stock then let that cool overnight as well.
The next day I removed the short rib meat from the bones pulling off all the trim and breaking the meat up in small peices. I started a roux in a large pot then added the bones, the stock and the braising liquid from the short ribs with other flavouring ingredients like garlic, onions, herbs and spices, tomato paste etc. I also reduced about a half bottle of red wine I had left over from the night before and added that to the pot. It cooked for about two hours, simmering slowly and thickening up nicely while developing a really rich meaty flavour.
In the meantime I put on some oven roasted potatoes to take the place of the fries. Lots of my special Northern Smoke seasoning blend, fresh thyme, onions and garlic and roasted to perfection! The strip loin was in the oven roasting with the potatoes, almost done...
I strained my gravy and added the short rib meat back to it, sort of like a beef stew but more gravy than meat if you know what I mean. A freind of mine brought over 4 of those little bottles of port, you know the ones you find in the mini bar of your hotel room or like they serve you on the plane? Anyway I dumped those in and checked the seasoning and called it done. Very rich and meaty flavour!
And for the plate, a few roasted potatoes, a generous sprinkle of cheese curds, lots of gravy with bits of short ribs in it and a slice of roasted striploin to finish it off! Now that's poutine!! My Way!!
It was so good I did it again the next day but left off the strip loin and added some grilled veggies! Yummy!

Fish Fry, Northern Style.

Every once in a while I have the opportunity to cook in a setting that's a little more challenging than my kitchen. A few weeks ago I went with a group of friends to check fish nets set up on Great Slave Lake, about 10 km out of Yellowknife. It was a great day with plenty of sunshine and fairly mild temperatures. There were about 20 people there, riding out on nearly as many snow machines.
When we arrived at the site it was pretty quick work for the guys to pull up the nets. We were rewarded with about 20 whitefish, 2 lake trout and 2 pretty big inconnu. Working quickly and skillfully, the 20 whitefish were filleted and readied for the pan. While they were doing this I was readying the pan and setting up the cooking station.
I brought with me buns, a bag of crispy cole slaw, a bowl of feta dill dressing (feta, mayo, sour cream, white balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, fresh dill, salt and pepper) and a seasoned flour mix. The flour was flavoured with my own Northern Smoke spice blend with a bit of curry powder added for good measure. The whitefish fillets were dredged in the flour and fried in hot shortening. The fillets were then placed on the buns with a bit of the feta dressing on the bottom and topped with the cole slaw. This made for a pretty tasty sandwich. Of course, have that great fresh whitefish was what really made the meal. Having it on the frozen ice of Great Slave Lake made it, well, priceless!

Bison Chilli

Bison Chilli with Saffron, Cranberry and Pistachio Rice

Bison Chilli

I’ve been asked a couple times about recipes for game meat. Since I love making chilli this was one of the first recipes I developed for game. I like it because the use of red wine at the beginning and chocolate in the end really work well with any type of game, but especially well with the smoky heat of the chipotle peppers. I’ve also included a few dates in this recipe. A friend of mine got me started using dates when she included them in some of her uber-healthy recipes. (thanks Lori!) I liked the way they affected savoury dishes so much that I use them all the time now. They give a certain sweetness to a savoury dish that I like and have some great health benefits as well!

Although this chilli is made with bison, I’ve also made it with caribou and musk ox with equal success. I’m sure venison or moose would work nicely as well.

I topped this chilli with some grated smoked gouda cheese and served it with Saffron Rice with Cranberries and Pistachios which really goes well with it. Again you have sweet nutty flavours that pair nicely with the heat of the chilli, plus the rice has a cooling affect as well. Not that this is a blow your head off chilli. If you like it really hot, add more chipotle pepper sauce, chipotles in adobo sauce, or simply a big splash of hot sauce! Enjoy!

Bison Chilli

1 tbsp olive oil

1 kg ground bison

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 jalapeños, diced really small

2 stalks celery, diced

3 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups red wine

3 Medjool dates, stone removed, minced

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce (or one chipotle pepper, minced)

2 bay leaves

1 – 28 oz can tomatoes

28 oz water

1 – 5.5 oz can tomato paste

1 – 19 oz can black beans

4 oz  dark chocolate

1. Heat a large soup pot over high heat. Add the ground bison and sauté until almost cooked through.
2. Add the diced onions, peppers, celery and sauté until they soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the chilli powder, cumin and salt and mix in, cooking to bring out the flavour of the spices. Add the wine and deglaze the pot. Cook the wine until it reduced to a saucy consistency.
4. Add the dates, garlic, chipotle hot sauce and bay leaves and mix in.
5. Add the tomatoes, water and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Rinse the black beans under cold water and add them to the chilli. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes more. The sauce should reduce a bit, thicken slightly and darken.
6. Add the chocolate and mix in until it is completely melted and disappears into the sauce.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arancini

I was in Edmonton recently and was fortunate enough to have dinner at Corso 32. The food was excellent, very nicely cooked. The braised dishes we tried were nicely done, very tender and tasty. One of the appetizers we shared was Arancini. Great little breaded deep fried balls of risotto. Nice and crisp on the outside and really light, gooey and tasty  on the inside. So, of course, when I came home, I had to try to duplicate them. I used my leftover mushroom risotto, stuffing it with a little ball of goat cheese giving them a light breadcrumb coating. I didn’t quite get the fluffy texture of the Corso rice balls but they were very tasty! Next time I’ll match them!

Mushroom Arancini

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    ¼ cup onion, finely chopped

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1 cup Arborio rice

    1/2 cup dry white wine

    2 1/2 cups boiling vegetable stock

    ½ oz dried mushrooms

    salt and pepper to taste

    1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

    ¼ cup celery leaves, chopped fine

    2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Breading

    1 egg

    1 tablespoon milk

    4 ounces goat cheese,

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour

    1 cup dry bread crumbs

    vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Let them stand until soft. Drain the liquid from the mushrooms and set aside. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned. Pour in the rice, and cook stirring for 2 minutes, then stir in the wine, and continue cooking and stirring until the liquid has evaporated.
3. Add enough hot vegetable stock to the reserved mushroom liquid to make 2 ½ cups. Add the stock to the rice 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until the liquid has evaporated before adding more. (Keep the stock hot on medium heat while cooking the rice)
4. Add the chopped, dried mushrooms when half of the stock has been added to the rice.
5. When the vegetable stock has all been added, and the liquid has evaporated, the rice should soft but not mushy. Remove from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese, celery leaves and thyme. Taste the risotto and season with salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the risotto to a bowl, and allow to cool slightly, or cool overnight.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk with a fork. Roll about 2 tablespoons of the risotto into a ball. Press a piece of goat cheese into the center, and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the milk mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat.
7. Heat oil for frying in a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan to 350 degrees F. Fry the balls in small batches until evenly golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while the rest are frying.

Note: You can also make this with fresh mushrooms. Use about 2 – 3 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopping them fine and sautéing them with the onions and garlic.

Osso Bucco

The Market at Granville

When I visited Vancouver last month, I had the chance to visit Granville Island. Well actually, I went a few times. I mean, how can you visit Vancouver without shopping for great food at Granville Island? Anyway, my last day there I picked up some fresh veal. I bought some loin, a little bit of tenderloin and eight large pieces of veal shank. I rushed the meat home to my sons’ apartment, wrapped it in a couple layers of newspaper and stored it in the coldest part of the fridge. The next morning when I packed my bag for my trip home, in went the chilled meat, surrounded by my clothes and whatever else I picked up this trip. When you live in Yellowknife, you learn a few tricks about what to buy and transport safely back to the great white north.

Veal in the bag, waiting to turn into Osso Bucco

 One of my favourite dishes of all time is Osso Bucco. I think I first had it when I worked at Waldens way back when I was still an apprentice. I was so impressed with how soft and rich the meat was after it’s long braise in the oven. And the flavour the sauce picks up from the meat and bones is simply incredible. I thought perhaps I would try some radical new flavour blend for this Osso Bucco but in the end I went with the traditional recipe and served it with Braised Fennel and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes. Simple sides for a very rustic and homey dish. Some cooks leave the sauce just as it is when it comes out of the pan but I chose to puree the sauce to make a nice smooth gravy. The fennel seed I added to it gave it a nice touch and went well with the braised fennel.

Full meal deal.

I also tried to heighten the flavour of the meat by marinating it under a vacuum seal overnight. I’m not sure if it helped the dish but it sure didn’t hurt it! (I’ll be using the vacuum seal technique in the future as I explore cooking ‘sous vide’) I cooked the Osso Bucco one day then served it the next. This also helped intensify the flavour by allowing the veal to rest in its braising liquid over night.

Overall, this was a great meal. A great warming meal for those cold, 40 below nights in Yellowknife. Surprisingly enough, it did have a little veal leftover. I have the perfect idea for it though and you’ll see that coming up in a future blog.

Osso Bucco

Osso Bucco

Zest of 1 orange

1 onion, julienne

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp thyme, fresh

1 tsp cracked peppercorn

1 cup olive oil

8 large pieces veal shank

3 cups chicken stock

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp northern smoke spice (or any seasoning salt)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup white wine

1cup diced tomato

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp fennel seeds

2 sprigs fresh thyme

salt and pepper

Mix the zest, the onion, garlic, thyme and peppercorn with the olive oil. (for the zest in this recipe, peel the orange with a peeler, trying to take only the top layer of skin, then cut them in very thin julienne strips)

Spread the mixture all over the veal shank and place them in a zip lock bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the fridge overnight.

Remove the marinated veal shanks from the bag, scraping off as much of the marinade as possible. Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken stock, place it on medium heat and bring it to a simmer.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

Mix the seasoning salt and flour together. Dry the veal shanks then dip them in the flour. Add the floured veal to the hot pan and cook until they are brown. Turn the veal over and repeat on the other side. Remove the veal from the pan and place in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them.

Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic to the pan and sauté until slightly cooked. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and bring that to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, fennel seeds and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and wine to the veal. Pour the chicken stock mixture over the veal, straining out the onion and zest.

Cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, just until the meat becomes tender and pulls away from the bone.

Remove the cooked veal shanks from the pan and puree the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, top with Gremolata, below, and serve.

Gremolata

½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup fennel fronds

1 clove garlic, minced

Zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon, minced fine

Mince the parsley, fennel fronds, garlic and lemon and orange zest, mixing them together. Sprinkle this mixture over the finished Osso Bucco.

Going Molecular

So what’s with this molecular gastronomy anyway? Is it a new way off cooking? A trend or just a fad? Will it fade out tomorrow or remain with us as we continue to push the boundaries of the traditional kitchen? Is it passé already, or are we just seeing the tip of the iceberg?

I’ve been watching chef’s work their molecular magic on TV for some time now. Homaro Cantu and Wylie Dufresne showed us some amazing new dishes on Iron Chef America (Cantu won, Dufresne lost) Cantu and Grant Achatz were featured on At The Table With, a show that devotes an entire episode to one chef which really gives great insight into why these chefs cook the way they do, and how they got to where they are today.

And how about Heston Blumenthal? Chef of one of the best restaurants in the world, The Fat Duck, Heston had a show called In Search of Perfection, in which he recreated classic dishes by first analyzing the original recipe then creating a new one by using preparation methods more in tune with this new way of cooking, ultimately making a new and better version of the classic. Very interesting show, to say the least.

I’ve read a few cookbooks as well, including Alinea, by Grant Achatz and A Day at elBulli by Ferran Adria. These are two beautiful books that show what can be done when chefs push all the boundaries. The food is so beautiful to look at, and must surely taste amazing, right?

Well, I’ve found all this fascinating so far and would like to learn more about it. I went to a molecular gastronomy workshop in Edmonton last month and now I’ve purchased a few supplies to start me off. My initial experiments have been successful and I hope for more in the future. What I’m hoping is that I come away with a few things that will compliment my style of cooking. I want these new items to be beautiful with amazing taste. I want people to eat them and say ‘wow! That was great!’ But then, I’ve always striven for that!

 

So here are a couple pics of my first attempt at this new way of preparing food. White Chocolate Spaghetti with Raspberry Ravioli and Mint Foam. I’ll keep working on it and post others as I learn and progress.

Trifle Crazy

My friend Sue is a Trifle crazy, or is that Trifle crazy? I made a Christmas trifle for her many years ago and she’s always asking for more. When are you going to make trifle for me? Can you make trifle when you visit? What ingredients do you need to make the trifle you’re going to make next time you visit? It just never stops!

So this is for you Sue, a new twist on a Christmas Classic, better late than never! The custard is the same but I used caramelized pears for the fruit and caramel sauce instead of the raspberry sauce I usually use. That stuff’s great and I have trouble not eating spoonful after spoonful of it when I make it. Put these ingredients together and top them with some toasted pistachio nuts and pomegranate seeds and it’s great!

 

Caramelized Pear Trifle

Caramelized Pears

• 2 Tbsps water
• 1/4 cup  sugar
• 4 x Pears, peeled, cut in halves, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp grand Marnier
• zest of one orange

1. In a large skillet, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the sugar until it begins to caramelize. When it reaches a nice golden brown colour, add the pears.
2. Over a high heat, cook the pears for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Pastry Cream

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup  35% cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

1. Mix the sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
2. Heat the milk and cream in a medium size pot. Add the heated cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture slowly so the eggs don’t cook too quickly.
3. Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat at the first sign of boiling. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Strain the cooked pastry cream into a glass or plastic container and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down a plastic film directly on the surface of the hot pastry cream.
5. Let it cool down and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups 35% cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until firm peaks are obtained.

Caramel Sauce

½ cup sugar

1 1/2 cups cream

2 tbsp grand Marnier

Zest and juice of ½ orange

1/8 tsp. baking soda

2 tbs. butter

¾ tsp. Vanilla

·         Place sugar in a heavy bottomed pot and add enough water to dissolve the sugar. Cook over high heat until a warm golden colour is achieved. Brush down the sides as the sugar is caramelizing. Caramelize the sugar.

·         Add the Grand Marnier, orange juice and zest and mix in. Add cream and baking soda, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

·         When the sauce thickens, add butter and vanilla and mix in.

Assembling

16 Amoretti cookies

8 rolled wafers

1 cup pistachio nuts

½ cup pomegranate seeds

1. Reserve about ½ cup of whipped cream for topping the finished trifle.
2. Mix half of the remaining whipped cream with the chilled pastry cream to lighten it. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream to make the pastry cream light and fluffy.
3. Place a spoonful of pastry cream mixture in the bottom of 6 wine glasses.
4. Spoon 1/6 of the pears into each glass. Add a bit of the crumbled Amoretti cookies and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce.
5. Top with another layer of pastry cream and repeat the process
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
7. For service, top the finished trifle with the reserved whipped cream and the rolled wafer. Sprinkle with toasted, peeled pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
8. Serve the remaining caramel sauce on the side.

Makes 8 servings