Au Pied du Cochon- Venison Champvallon

In the December edition of Report on Business Magazine (sorry, you have to be a subscriber to the insider to read the article online) Sasha Chapman interviews Martin Picard of Au Pied du Cochon, one of Montreal’s most interesting restaurants. For instance, Picard created the foie gras poutine. If you are unaware, Poutine is a classic Quebecois delicacy comprised of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. This was created and is served at the best casse-croutes (snack bars) and many decent restaurants in the province. Adding foie gras is extremely unconventional but definitely interesting.

The article presents a recipe called Venison Champvallon (recipe below) which Chapman describes as “a lusty dish inspired by the one that Madame de Champvallon is said to have created for Louis XIV, a man whose monstrous appetite was equaled only by his libido.” He sounds like my type of guy so I’m sure I’ll like the dish.


Venison Champvallon
2 tbsp butter
5 large cooking onions
3 garlic cloves minced
4 thyme sprigs
1 boneless venison shoulder
1 pork shank
5 Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups venison or beef stock
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 F
   
2. In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Sauté onions, half the garlic and two sprigs of thyme, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring until caramelized. Transfer to a plate, reserving butter in pot.
   
3. Cut venison and pork into 1 inch cubes. Brown meat on all sides and add the remaining garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a bowl. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with 1 cup of water. Reserve the liquid.
   
4. Using a mandoline, slice potatoes thinly. Scatter half the slices across the bottom of a large roasting pan or casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add half the onion mixture, then the meat. Top with remaining onion mixture and potato slices. Pour stock over top and add enough reserved deglazing liquid to cover.
   
5. Roast, covered for 1 hour. Lower heat to 350 F and roast 3 more hours. Have a nap, watch a movie, go cross-country skiing, or cuddle with your loved one for warmth.
   
6. Spread 1 tablespoon butter over potatoes and roast, uncovered until golden.
   

Great Appetizer- Chicken Samosas

I was going through one of the Weight Watchers cookbooks; 50 Great Meals for 5 Points Value or Less and came across Chicken Samosas (1 point each if you were wondering) and immediately had to make them.

I must admit that I have eaten many a samosas in my time, but have never made any before, nor have I cooked Indian food before in my life. So I started off by looking for ingredients. I was able to pick up everything pretty easily except for garam masala. I had been to two grocery stores without luck when it struck me to call one of my Pakistani friends. Garam masala is a mix of spices and while my friend couldn’t tell me what spices are needed, she confirmed that her Mom would be able to tell me without any delay. So in garam masala you need black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ground cloves and cumin. I was told not to use too much ground cloves because it can overpower everything else. Otherwise she uses about the same amount of each but I suggest you play with a blend that you like. That being said, I'm sure that each household has their own mix to make garam masala so this is certainly not the definitive recipe so don't feel that mine is the final word on the subject. If you would like to share your recipe for garam masala please feel free to post it in the comments.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Canola Oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (wear gloves if you’ve got ‘em otherwise be careful)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp Garam masala
¾ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 lb ground skinless chicken breast (or you can just dice a chicken breast)
salt
3 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
34 3” square wonton wrappers

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and sauté until the onion softens, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, and turmeric; cook 30 seconds (your kitchen now smells amazing so take a second to enjoy it). Add the chicken and salt; with a wooden spoon break up the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink (5-7 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Then let the mixture cool so you can handle it without burning yourself.
  
• Preheat the over to 425 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  Arrange 6 wonton wrappers on a work surface (only 6 at a time because you don’t want the wrappers to dry out). Get yourself a finger bowl filled with water. Dip your finger in the bowl then moisten the edges of the wrapper. You could make these into simple triangles or you could get a little fancy. If you are making simple triangles place a tbsp of the chicken mixture in the middle and then fold the wrapper diagonally to form a triangle.
• If you want to get a little fancy, check out the pictures but essentially you create a cone by joining two sides of the same right angle, then stuff with filling with the chicken mixture and folding the top over to close the samosa. Press edges firmly to seal. Use a little more water if you need it but you probably won’t.

Spray the samosas lightly with nonstick spray. Bake, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes.

I like to enjoy this with a little mango chutney but you could also use plum sauce in a pinch.

Lamb- The Other Red Meat

Last weekend I was hosting some good friends of my parents. I had been meaning to have them over for dinner for quite some time as they had been generous enough to give me tennis tickets. Needless to say, I had to come up with something good because you don’t say thank you with a sandwich and chips.

B and I were completely lacking inspiration. We were going to go with our old standard, Coq au Vin, but thankfully B had remembered that we served that the last time they were over. There’s nothing worse than appearing to be a one trick pony. So we went down to the grocery store and were determined to find some inspiration.

As it turns out, the cooking gods were on our side. (I don’t know who the cooking gods are, but its probably a panel of individuals including but not necessary limited to; Julie Childs, Fanny Farmer, Jehanne Benoit and John Candy.) While strolling through the butcher’s department we found inspiration in spades. Finally we decided on a leg of lamb. No, we had never done a leg of lamb before but my buddy Peter does it all the time so we weren’t deterred. The great thing about lamb at a dinner party which included my parents is 1) roasts are a traditional North American meal and 2) for some reason they impress people because they seem difficult, 3) lamb isn’t your everyday roast, its pretty special. In addition, this wasn’t just any lamb, but Australian lamb. This worked out well because I have family roots in Aus, the friends that were coming over had been to Aus and B and I are going there for our honeymoon next year.

We found a 2.5kg leg of lamb (about 5 pounds) that was luckily butterflied (de-boned)- once again proving that the cooking gods are on our side. However, I realized that we didn’t have any kitchen twine at home (must remember to add that to the grocery list). In another tour de force for the cooking gods, the lamb came in some sort of stretchy woven stocking that you could take off and put back on! Wonderful!

So here’s what you need;

- 2 tablespoons of Dijon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 healthy teaspoon of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon of Herbes de province
- Salt and pepper
- 1 leg of lamb, boneless. (its much better if you can get the butcher to do this for you)


How to:
- First off you mix the Dijon with the rosemary and the Herbes de Provence and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
- Remove the leg of lamb from the stocking so that you can get access to the middle of the roast.
- Salt and pepper liberally the inside of the roast. Smash a few cloves of garlic and toss them in the middle of the roast. If you have some rosemary left over feel free to toss some in there as well.
- Roll up the leg of lamb and put it back inside the stocking.
- Slice sum garlic and then puncture a few holes spread throughout the outside of the roast and put a slice of garlic in each hole. Rub the other tablespoon of oil over the outside of the roast then salt and pepper the roast.
- Coat the outside of the roast with the Dijon mixture.
- Place the roast in a roasting pan and put in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes every 0.5kg (about 15 minutes a pound). This should give you approximately medium rare.

As you can see from above, my presentation won’t win me any gold ribbons because I seem to have left a big hole in the middle of the plate. Almost like I had made the plate for a kid that doesn’t like to have any food touching other food items, but I’m sure you can do a better job.

Serving suggestions
I like lamb with some nice roasted rosemary potatoes and always some green vegetables and/or a salad. I also think red wine is a must, ask a sommelier or someone at your local liquor store for a suggestion. My mother insists on mint jelly with lamb, but this certainly didn’t need it. Some times I think my Mom likes to eat lamb just so that she has an excuse to eat mint jelly so I won’t judge her.

Demystifying Bruschetta

I don’t know whether it’s the pronunciation or some other reason, but Bruschetta seems to impress and mystify people. And because it’s so easy, it’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket so that you can pull it out at any moment.

If you go to wikipedia you will find the following;
“Bruschetta is a food originating in central Italy. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables and/or cheese. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. In Tuscany, bruschetta is called fettunta, meaning "oiled slice".”

It is worth noting that in Italian, bruschetta is pronounced brus’ket.ta, so you can sound sophisticated an worldly if you pronounce it that way.

Wikipedia continues with, “The noun "bruschetta" is from the verb in the Roman dialect "bruscare," meaning "to roast over coals." Following a process in historical linguistics known as semantic shift, the meaning of the word has changed, so that now some North Americans typically use the word "bruschetta" to refer to the topping itself, not the dish. Some grocery store chains sell bottled "bruschetta," which is simply tomatoes, onion, garlic, and other herbs.”

Here’s what you need to make some basic Bruschetta;

• Tomatoes (I prefer italian plum tomatores so that its more authentic)


• A few cloves of garlic


• Some olive oil


• Basil (I prefer fresh although will use some dried in a pinch. Its important to note that if you are using dried, use less than if you were using fresh.


• Something to serve it on like crackers or baguette.


• Grated cheese, perhaps fresh parmesan (optional)
  

Directions:

• Give the tomatoes a fine dice. (If anyone out there was thinking of using a can of diced tomatoes please spank yourself quite hard. The key to this dish is freshness so canned tomotoes won’t do it.)


• Mince some garlic and throw it in with the tomotoes. Do the same with the basil and then a few good splashes of olive oil. If you’re using some fresh grated parmesan I suggest waiting until you are about to serve to add it to the mixture.


• Bruschetta needs to sit for a little while for the flavours to blend. If you want to make this in the morning for your noon picnic that’s a good idea. You could also make it in the morning for your evening dinner party.


• If you are using a baguette I suggest grilling it on an open flame, wood or charcoal fire not gas. But if you’re like me that option isn’t really feasible because I live in an apartment with no balcony so don’t often have access to a grill. Alternatively I suggest grilling the bread on an indoor grill or grill pan or tossing the slices of baguette into a toaster.


• You may want to rub the slices of baguette with a cut clove of garlic to impart some nice flavour. Others have also drizzled a little olive oil on the toasted baguette.
  Bruschetta is great for a picnic but is great in many situations. I served it at a dinner party on the weekend and I couldn’t serve it fast enough.
  

Free Cookbook

Thanks to Cooking With Amy I got a link to a free cookbook. I'm not sure if they'll send it outside the US and I'll let you know when Richard Perry gets back to me. But for more info on the cookbook just go to http://www.goodhomecookbook.com/wordpress/ . The cookbook promises to have some classic honest to goodness recipes. I will keep you posted on how this works out.

The Best BBQ Chicken

Congratulations to Chalet BBQ for once again being named, The Best BBQ Chicken in Montreal. If you have never been to Chalet BBQ, you are really missing something. I was there again last Friday night and it was as good as ever.

A little context...
For those of you that are having a tough time understanding what product I am going on about, BBQ Chicken from Chalet BBQ is a classic rotisserie chicken. Their competitors include Swiss Chalet, Cote St Luc BBQ and St. Hubert. However while they may say that they serve the same product its like saying that a college team can play against the big leagues. Chalet BBQ is just that much better.

Decor
The decor hasn't changed since the 1950s. Yes, it is nothing pretty but frankly it doesn't matter because the chicken is amazing. I think some of the waitresses have worked there since it opened in the 50s but don't let that deter you. They are so friendly that you feel as though you're being served by your great Aunt Hilda, minus the cheek pinching and the guilt trip about not having visited in 5 years. Not to mention that these ladies are quick so you don't have to wait long at all.

Price
Extremely reasonable. You pay less than $8 for your quarter chicken meal with fries, sauce, bun and cole slaw. Its even less if you go at lunch or have dark meat.

Final Words
Chalet BBQ is a Montreal institution of the same order as Lafleur's or Schwartz's except with friendly service. It is a food experience that is not to be missed when you come to town.

Great nouvelle cuisine at the Auberge

Two days ago was my 9 year anniversary so we were looking for somewhere special to go for dinner. We settled on a restaurant called Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel which is housed in a beautiful old building in the heart of Old Montreal. As a matter of fact, its on Saint-Gabriel street which was named such in 1680. Le Saint Gabriel is notable as the first Auberge in North America although I can't confirm that this is indeed true but I would believe their marketing materials, there is a lot of old stuff in Montreal.


Enough of the History, Get to the Food
The menu features "nouvelle cuisine" which, in my esteem is some classic French or Quebecoise that is updated with some modern touches. And the decor matches the menu, with some nice modern touches to compliment the authentic building. I started with a traditional pea soup which was quite nice while B had a salad which I can't comment on as I didn't try it. We had decided that we were going to split our main courses. As part of the Escriteau 1754 menu we had the Ragoût de pattes de cochonnet et boulettes which is translated much less eloquently as meatballs and pig knuckles stew. The meatballs weren't fabulous but that's okay because there weren't many of them. However, the pork was fabulous! It was tender and flavorful. There was a nice mix of vegetables including mushrooms, full carrots, yellow zucchini and green beans. The sauce was a perfect consistency with a deep caramel colour. Brigitte had steak frites (steak with fries) with a Jack Daniels sauce which was equally good. To finish it all off we had a tarte aux sucre (sugar pie) and crème caramel. In my esteem, if you're going to have crème caramel, you might as well have crème brulée which is just that much better, I suppose because of the caramelized crust on top. It would be great if readers could weigh in on that question, what's better, Crème Caramel or Crème Brulée? I suppose a viable third alternative would be, "Stu, frankly, your question is irrelevant as the difference between the two is negligible."

Cooking Club Manifesto

Okay, so a Manifesto clearly sounds like I'm taking myself too seriously. But the point of this entry is to give you and idea of what you'll find at Stu's Cooking Club and why. I have always loved cooking. I started cooking as a child when my Dad and I would get up early on the weekend and make breakfast together. Since starting off with French toast and pancakes my interests have broadened a little bit but I still appreciate the beauty and simplicity of everyday food. I am not a professional cook, I have never been paid to cook. I cook because I like to, because it relaxes me, and because it is my creative endeavor.

This blog will outline my experimentation with food. It will be food I cook, eat, hear about, watch on the food network or order in a restaurant. The areas of diet and health are fair game as well. My objective is to learn and share my knowledge about food, cooking, cuisines and cultures. The food doesn’t have to be exotic, sometimes the simplicity of a great sandwich or hot dog is worthy. There is no food snobbery allowed. In a few minutes I'll post something about what I made for dinner last night. I hope you enjoy reading my blog and come back for another helping.

Dumplings are easy!

Last night I was having a few friends over for dinner. I was looking for some inspiration in my freezer and saw some egg roll wrappers that had been leftover from some dumplings I made a few weeks ago. So I did them again because they are always impressive at a dinner party. I believe I got the idea for this from the food network but it was long enough ago that I forget which show. At any rate, I didn't follow a recipe so here it is (approximately).

Easy Delicious Dumplings
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 or 4 green onions
- some ginger
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- a tiny bit of sesame oil
- some olive oil
- egg roll wrappers (don't feel tied down to these if you find better wrappers, use them)

Directions:
Put everything except for the wrappers in a food processor and blend until combined (maybe 1 minute).

Find yourself a good work surface where you can lay out a bunch of wrappers. As well, get yourself a glass of water because you'll need the water to seal the edges of the wrappers.

Place approximately 1 rounded teaspoon of the filling mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Dip one of your fingers in the glass of water and run it along the edges of the wrappers to moisten them a bit.

Fold the wrapper in half creating a triangle and press the sides together to make sure they're closed. Then take the two furthest corners, wet them and then join them. Its like the two furthest corners are arms and you are putting the hands together. This may seem a little tough to understand but that's why I took pictures.

Now, you aren't ready to serve your dumplings yet because they haven't been cooked. I steam my dumplings in a pot over water, but I'm sure you could fry them as well although don't hold me accountable if they're not wonderful because I haven't tried frying them. I steam them for about 5-7 minutes although I suggest cutting one open to be sure they're cooked. The chef gets to eat this one (wouldn't want to serve something to guests before doing quality control).

Peanut Sauce
I made a peanut sauce to go with the dumplings. The recipe is;
- 1 cup smoot peanut butter
- juice and zest of 2 limes
- a few dashes of your favourite hot sauce or chili powder
- 3 tablespoons of canola oil
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce

Combine these ingredients. Mine was a little thick so you might want to add more lime juice, oil and soy sauce. Other peanut sauces suggest adding coconut milk but I didn't have any around so I didn't. If you aren't a fan of peanut sauce I would suggest simply dipping the dumplings in soy sauce or plum sauce.

I look forward to your comments to please feel free to leave some.