Chefs’ Tips and Tricks

A Taste of ‘Berta with your BC

BY KEANE STRAUB e’re always looking for ways to connect you to local flavour and talent, but let’s face it: it’s been a while W since many of us have been on an adventure. So, for this month’s Chefs’ Tips we’re heading west to wine country, and all the flavours found there. The Okanagan vineyards and breweries mentioned here boast restaurants, cafes, bistros, and even BBQ joints, and while they all showcase the fresh produce from the region on their menus, there is one other element they all have in common: they all boast chefs who got their start right here in Alberta.

Having experienced the Rocky Mountains by foraging, camping, and working at the Fairmont Banff Springs, Chef Phil Tees says that Alberta will always have a special place in his heart. He moved to BC to experience something different, and certainly found that at Liquidity Winery in Okanagan Falls, where his job involved creating dishes for specific wines, instead of creating dishes and trying to pair them with wine. “It allowed us to highlight different flavour profiles in the wines and elevate them for our guests,” Tees explains.

The recipe Tees shares is a nod to summer, full of fresh flavours often found at local farms, and in Tees’ yard. “I have a peach tree in my yard, something I've always dreamed of but never thought would happen.” But, if you can’t grow it, Tees says there’s a good chance you can find it at your farmer’s market: “Most of them have representation from BC farms.”

Chef Tees has recently taken a position as Executive Chef at 1909 Restaurant in the Tofino Resort + Marina. Ajo Blanco with Apple, Snap Pea, and Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

Ajo Blanco

1 apple (or peach) 2 garlic cloves 2 cucumbers, peeled 2.5 cm ginger, peeled 1½ cups almonds 1 Tbs sumac 2 Tbs (30 mL) elderflower cordial 2 Tbs (30 mL) apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 3 cups (720 mL) water To Taste salt and pepper

Salad

20 snap peas 1 cucumber 1 apple, quartered (or peach) ¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar ¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil To Taste salt and pepper 12 mint leaves 1. Place all the Ajo Blanco soup ingredients in a mixer such as a Vitamix, and blitz on high speed for a few minutes until smooth. 2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper. Depending on the size of your mixer, you might have to do this in batches.

TIP: To allow the flavours to infuse and really come together, do this a day beforehand.

3. For the salad, clean, trim and cut the snap peas in half. 4. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and cut in an angle, rotating the cucumber ¼ turn before every cut to create misshaped pieces. 5. Slice the apple thinly. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with the apple cider vinegar, canola oil, salt, and pepper. 6. Cover one side of your bowl with the salad, top with the freshly picked mint leaves and pour the soup on the opposite side.

Currently the chef at The Bistro at Hillside Winery in Penticton, BC, Evan Robertson started his career attending culinary school in Edmonton and Calgary, where he learned the power of developing connections with local producers. “Going out to the farms and fields taught me to appreciate where my food is coming from and the hard work a lot of the producers are doing behind the scenes.”

It’s a practice that you can develop, too, whether you’re at the farmer’s market, or stopping at a roadside produce stand in BC. “You will find amazing things start happening when you put the effort into chatting with people on a personal level,” says Robertson.

The Bistro’s focus is on sharable dishes inspired by the seasons of the Okanagan. So, when it comes to choosing his favourite BC ingredient, Robertson says it all depends on the time of year – from cherries and apricots in June, to fresh seafood throughout the summer. For a dish that is a true blend of Alberta and BC, try this one for Pork Belly and Scallops.

The Bistro at Hillside Winery Pork Belly and Scallops

Serves 4-6

Truffle Honey

(recipe can be halved) 2 Tbs (30 mL) garlic puree 2 Tbs red onion, chopped 1½ tsp canola oil 1½ cups (360 mL) honey 1/3 cup + 4 tsp (100 mL) white wine vinegar ¼ tsp salt A few drops truffle oil

1. Sauté garlic puree and red onion in oil until onions have softened. Low and slow; don’t add colour to the onions. 2. Add honey, white wine vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the vinegar smell has turned sweet. 3. Take off heat and season with a few drops of truffle oil, then blend on low speed until smooth. Pass through a sieve. Pork Belly

900 g–1 Kg pork belly, rind/skin removed 2 Tbs salt ½ cup (120 mL) white vinegar 2½ Tbs smoked paprika 1½ Tbs cayenne pepper 1½ tsp garlic powder 1½ tsp fresh oregano 1 tsp crushed pepper Oil for sautéing 225 g carrots, chopped 450 g onions, chopped 225 g celery, chopped ½ bottle (375 mL) red wine ½ bunch fresh parsley 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme Scallops to serve

1. Mix salt, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, garlic, oregano, and pepper together and rub all over the pork belly. Place in your fridge overnight (6-24 hours). 2. Sear both sides in a hot pan. Place into an oven-safe roasting pan. 3. Sauté carrots, onions, and celery until brown and then pour red wine, parsley, and thyme over the vegetables. Bring to a boil. 4. Pour vegetables and wine over the pork belly. If the belly is not fully submerged add more wine until it is covered. 5. Cover pan and braise in your oven at 200º F for 8-10 hours… do this while you’re sleeping! 6. Remove from liquid and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Cover with parchment and another cookie sheet. Weigh the top cookie sheet down with cans and place in your fridge for 4-6 hours to cool completely. 7. Cut to desired size, pan fry to crispy and toss with truffle honey before serving. Chef Robertson like to serve his pork with sautéed Qualicum Bay scallops and spiced cabbage salad.

Born and raised in Calgary, Chef Chris Shaften travelled and cooked around Canada before heading back west. First cooking at Calgary’s Farm, and then The Ranche, Shaften is now chef/owner at Krafty Kitchen + Bar in Kelowna, BC. A contemporary Canadian bistro with a focus on BC products, Shaften adds, “Krafty’s dishes are inspired by the cultural mosaic of Canada, childhood food memories and our travels.”

Quality ingredients are dependent on region and season, but Shaften’s favourite is wild violets, available during a small window in spring. “They’re fragrant and beautiful, and make amazing syrups and infusion for cocktails, as well as a badass sorbet.”

Shaften’s recipe for West Coast Seafood Risotto, packed with local shellfish, and infused with Mediterranean flavours, is inspired by the mosaic of cultures found in Canada. Source your seafood at a farmer’s market; Shaften assures this dish can be made just as easily here in Alberta.

West Coast Seafood Risotto

Serves 4-6

8 cups (2 L) hot fennel and tomato broth ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil 50 g onion, fine dice (1/3 medium onion) 20 g garlic, minced (about 5 large cloves) 2 Tbs salt 2 cups arborio rice 1/3 cup + 1 Tbs (100 mL) dry white wine 1 cup (250 mL) mascarpone cheese ½ cup parmesan cheese To taste lemon juice and salt Seafood of choice - Krafty Kitchen serve 170 g scallops, 1 cm diced; 170 g prawns, shell removed 1 cm diced; 227 g Dungeness crab meat; salmon roe A few chives, fine dice for garnish

1. Warm broth to whisping, but not simmering (80º C). 2. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, and salt to a shallow heavy-bottom pan, on mediumlow heat, and sweat until translucent. 3. Add rice and sauté without browning for roughly 4 minutes, or until it is hot to the touch. Add wine and reduce. Set a timer for 16 mins. 4. Increase heat to medium and add hot stock, 1 ladle at a time, gently stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep adding stock, to keep level with the top of the rice. Stir regularly. If you have lots of liquid left, or it’s dry - adjust heat. 5. At 16 mins, there should be no stock left in pot, and the rice is moist and tender yet firm to the bite. If not, cook 2-4 mins longer until tender, adding liquid as needed. 6. Remove from heat and stir in the mascarpone and parmesan, adjust the consistency and flavour of the risotto to taste. Aim for a creamy texture, it shouldn’t be hard and stick to the spoon, or too liquid that it runs off your plate. 7. Fold in scallops and prawns and let rest 1-2 mins, the heat of the risotto cooks the seafood. 8. Spoon generously into bowls and garnish with crab, roe, and some chives. Fennel and Tomato Broth for Risotto West Coast Seafood Risotto

110 g celery, no leaves, medium dice 227 g white onion, medium dice 30 g garlic cloves 3 Tbs (50 mL) olive oil 1/3 cup + 2 Tbs (110 mL) dry white wine 8 cups (2 L) clam nectar 110 g fennel stalks (leave bulb for other uses) 110 g roasted red pepper, peeled (jar or can is good) 1 cup (250 mL) tomato juice 3 bay leaves 40 g peppercorns 5 g chili flake 20 g fennel seed

1. Sauté celery, onion, and garlic in oil until translucent. 2. Add wine to deglaze pan, reduce until almost dry. Add all remaining ingredients, and simmer covered for one hour. 3. If making risotto immediately, strain into a clean pot and keep warm. If using later, put pot in ice bath and cool with lid on. Do not remove lid until no longer steaming to keep in all the flavour, then strain.

Chef Ryan Byrne says his roots for cooking and his family are in Alberta. Originally from St. Albert, Byrne earned his Red Seal Certification at NAIT before moving to the Okanagan. There, he works at Kelowna’s The Hatching Post. “We use simple, traditional techniques to re-create Southern BBQ flavours,” explains Byrne. “The concept is something totally new and unique to the Okanagan.”

The ingredients Byrne uses are local, of course, and the freshness and quality excite everyone who gets to use them. “It doesn’t hurt to make friends with a local supplier, farmer or chef,” says Byrne. “Try to support independent businesses when sourcing ingredients. The extra money it might cost will definitely be worth it.”

His favourite of the local bounty are peaches. “They are always one of the most highly anticipated fruits in the Okanagan, and they’re so versatile.” Eat them on their own, or add them to salads, desserts, cocktails, and even BBQ sauce, like the one Byrne shares here.

BBQ Beer Can Chicken with Okanagan Peach Glaze

Serves 4

1 fresh fryer chicken 1 can of beer or cider, wash the exterior of the can before using Oil To taste salt and pepper Your favourite rub 1. Preheat BBQ or oven to 375º F. 2. Lightly oil the skin on the chicken. Season with salt and pepper or your favourite rub. 3. Open the can of beer or cider and pour out about ¼ of it before using. Chef Byrne recommends sampling for quality control! 4. Stand the can in the middle of your pan, insert can into chicken standing upright, position legs so it stands on its own. Place the tray carefully in the middle of the BBQ or oven. 5. Cook approximately 45 minutes then rotate the pan to ensure even cooking. Probe chicken in the thickest part of breast and thigh. When it reaches 145º F, it is time to glaze. 6. Brush a healthy amount of the peach BBQ sauce (see recipe) on all areas of the skin. Continue to bake chicken until 155-160º F internal temperature. Reapply more glaze once finished cooking. Let chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve the extra sauce on the side for dipping.

Okanagan Peach BBQ Sauce

1 cup red onion 2 cloves garlic 600 g peaches, fresh or frozen 100 mL canola oil 1 Tbs fennel seed 1 tsp chili powder ½ Tbs crushed chili flakes 2 Tbs (30 mL) tomato paste ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) honey 1 cup (250 mL) beer or cider ¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 Tbs black pepper Pinch salt

1. Chop red onion and garlic into a small dice. Cut peaches into larger chunks about 1 cm. 2. Heat canola oil in medium size pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. 3. Add fennel seed, chili powder, and crushed chili flakes stirring continuously to not burn spices. 4. Add tomato paste, brown sugar, and honey. Cook for a few minutes until fully incorporated. 5. Now add beer or cider and apple cider vinegar, reserve rest of beer or cider for sipping. Simmer the mixture for around 10 minutes on medium heat, reducing by half. 6. Next add peach chunks and season with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Lower heat and cook this mix on low for another 10 minutes. 7. Blend in a blender or use an immersion blender. Another option is to leave it chunky and serve hot or cold.

Keane Straub has travelled from Tofino to Charlottetown, sampling the different flavours Canada offers. The passion people have for their craft and culture inspires Keane to tell their stories.