{"id":3257,"date":"2015-02-26T13:47:51","date_gmt":"2015-02-26T18:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/?p=3257"},"modified":"2015-02-26T13:47:51","modified_gmt":"2015-02-26T18:47:51","slug":"canadian-culinary-championships-part-3-the-grand-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/?p=3257","title":{"rendered":"Canadian Culinary Championships – part 3 – the Grand Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Owning<\/a>
Owning the podium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And so to the Grand Finale. Needless to say, this was quite the party, with 600 guests starting the evening with the scrumptious canap\u00e9s provided by last year\u2019s Champion, Chef Lorenzo Loseto of George in Toronto. Everyone admired the amazing new BMW that would belong to the chef who wins (a two-year lease) and later they rocked to the music of Barney Bentall, Spirit of the West frontmen Geoffrey Kelly and John Mann, and guitarist Matthew Harder, literally leaping to their feet and dancing in the aisles when the guys played Home for a Rest. The emcee was Olympic gold and silver medallist Jennifer Heil, one of 12 Olympians present, and she reminded everyone that, to date, Gold Medal Plates has raised over $9.5 million for Canada\u2019s Olympic athletes.<\/p>\n

That night, of course, the chefs were the athletes and they had their own medals to strive for. It\u2019s hard to create your masterpiece for 600 when you only have about four hours to prepare. The chefs all did a lot of preparation in their home towns and shipped components and elements ahead. Every one (except Chef Eligh) did more or less the same dish that had brought them victory in their regional competitions. Which meant the judges were presented with some splendid and highly original treats. I called for them in an order that, on paper at least, would take us from the lightest dish to the heaviest.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Lavallee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We began with Chef Lavall\u00e9e\u2019s dish, a \u201cNova Scotia picnic\u201d inspired by the beach picnics her grandmother used to make for her when she was a girl. \u201cFirst eat the little green leaf,\u201d instructed Chef. \u201cIt\u2019s an oyster leaf and it tastes of the sun and the sea and oysters. Close your eyes and you\u2019ll imagine you\u2019re on a beach.\u201d We did \u2013 and we did. The dish consisted of three elements. First, set on a tiny red-and-white-checked paper \u201cpicnic cloth\u201d was a delicious little sandwich of lobster and snow crab meat in a light, truffle-scented mayonnaise inside a soft, buttery brioche bun, garnished with edible flower petals. There was a mound of finely-chopped, soft potato salad topped with a potato chip that served as a raft for a dab of cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche and a spoonful of sturgeon caviar. The third element was a selection of different pickles of varying intensity and very distinct flavours \u2013 cubes of butternut squash, sweet bread-and-butter pickles, hanasunomata seaweed of various colours \u2013 and a perfectly cooked quail egg cut into two and seasoned with homemade celery salt. Chef Lavall\u00e9e\u2019s match was flawless \u2013 the fresh, summery semi-dry apple cider from Tideview in Nova Scotia\u2019s Annapolis Valley.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef O’Flynn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef O\u2019Flynn brought in our second dish, a taste of Canada from coast to coast. His dish was a thick and generous terrine of Alberta river sturgeon, pungently smoked with pine, and layered with perfect cured foie gras. The strata of colour were breathtakingly beautiful, the flavours rich and intense, challenging but ultimately so seductive. Decorating the plate and contributing much in terms of flavour were motes of Granny Smith apple jelly, dots of apple pur\u00e9e, minuscule crunchy dice of brioche and two plump, juicy morels reconstituted with a bathe in a fragrance of sherry vinegar, canola oil and bay leaf. Chef\u2019s chosen wine \u2013 Sandhill Small Lots 2013 Viognier \u2013 had the weight and spicy fragrance to dance with the smoke and apple flavours of the dish.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Park presented next. He took the traditional ingredients of Korean bibimbap and re-expressed them with the finesse of Japanese cuisine as a complex roll of moussey chicken boudin, julienned vegetables, nine-hour-braised shiitake and cauliflower. Instead of sauce from a squeeze bottle, he turned the gochujang into a jellied skin as the outer layer of the roll. A tremblingly undercooked quail egg lay on top and scattered here and there was a crunchy assortment of five different kinds of puffed rice, for texture. Chef Park\u2019s chosen wine had been lost by Air Canada en route to the competition so he had to scramble to find a substitute \u2013 Gehringer Bros. 2013 Riesling, a most successful compromise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Eligh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Eligh\u2019s dish had a dramatic and avant-garde presentation \u2013 a perfectly smooth dome of crisp bread, as fine as lace, to be shattered into what lay beneath. There we found impeccably cooked, very subtly seasoned lobster and sablefish in a heavy, chowder-like sauce made from clam nectar and lobster reduction, thickened with butter and bacon fat and cradling soft morsels of carrot, celery and potato. The wine match was exceptional \u2013 Meyer Family 2012 Micro Cuv\u00e9e Dhardonnay Old Main Road from the Okanagan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Bohati<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next up was Chef Bohati with a complex and delectable combination of yellowfin tuna and foie gras. The foie was a large slice of cold-smoked torchon \u2013 marvellously rich and a clever contrast to the cool, soft slices of tuna carpaccio. These two proteins were surrounded by a cluster of intensely flavourful little courtiers \u2013 preserved lemon and sorrel for sharpness; dots of red beet and pickled plum pur\u00e9e and other dots of yellow beet pur\u00e9e; a big khaki-coloured sauce made of pistachio and a braising liquid used for pork belly. Toasted pistachios were crumbled onto the plate and a warm vinaigrette touched with white truffle served as another sauce. Smoked salt and a blue oyster flower finished the dish. Chef Bohati\u2019s match was brilliantly chosen \u2013 an off-dry blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc with plenty of weight, the Wild Goose 2013 Autumn Gold from the Okanagan.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Rebello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Rebello reprised his avant-garde dish from the Regina GMP event, just two things on the plate, each of which needed to be consumed in a single bite. First, what looked like a tan-coloured puff perched on a rainbow-filled shot glass. \u201cPop the puff into your mouth give it\u00a0 couple of chews then do the shooter,\u201d chef instructed. The judges obeyed. The puff was an air tuile made of semolina. Inside it were some flecks of chestnut that had been pur\u00e9ed and then deep fried, seasoned with lemon, chili, coriander and cumin. Also inside was a small finger of warm belly pork, nicely crusted. It was indeed a delightful mouthful, the spices spreading a warm glow across the palate. Then the shooter\u2026 Pow! Those spices began to glow as they were hit by salted lemon chili water, pickled apple and a dab of cranberry chutney. The second element took the same ingredients but used them in completely different ways. The pork was a crisp chicheron, the chestnut had become a dab of mousse, the cranberry chutney had been turned into pearls. The apple reappeared as dainty chips garnished with chili threads. It was similar but quite different \u2013 soft flavours, soothing almost, with the geaseless crunch of the chicheron. Chef\u2019s wine match? Red Rooster\u2019s 2013 Gewurztraminer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Garland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chef Garland presented a little treatise on quail. The juicy roasted breast was stuffed with foie gras; the thigh had been poached in a master stock with soy and palm sugar (intense flavours) then Chef had pulled off the meat and turned it into a rugged-looking, panko-crusted croquette that several of the judges agreed was one of the most delicious things we had tasted all weekend. The stock, mixed with some of the chosen wine, had been reduced to a rich, sapid sauce. At the top of the plate was an enticing jumble of many effects \u2013 a gel\u00e9e of peeled grapes and more Gewurztraminer, dainty cinnamon cap mushrooms, crunchy threads of fried shallot and fresh thyme that scented the entire dish. Chef\u2019s wine match was inspired \u2013 Tawse 2013 Quarry Road Gewurztraminer, surprisingly ripe, rich and perfumed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Horne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Horne\u2019s dish drew gasps of admiration from the judges. He had taken bite-sized pieces of exceptionally tender, braised beef short rib and finished them with a glaze of tree syrups \u2013 birch, maple, cedar and sumac \u2013 that gave the meat a heavenly, sweet, woodsy crust. One piece of the short rib was served on a bare beef rib bone. Real maple leaves had been marinated in cider and then turned into edible crisps. Wild leeks had been transformed into a seasoning salt while others had been pickled, adding their own piquant alium flavour to the composition. What looked like a gleaming piece of bark was in fact deep-fried parsley root and more parsley root had been turned into a pur\u00e9e with parsnip. It was like a walk in the woods and notably well matched with Creekside 2012 Iconoclast Syrah from Niagara.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Jean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Jean built his dish around his chosen wine \u2013 Pelee Island\u2019s 2012 Lighthouse Riesling. He marinated Manitoba pork tenderloin char-siu-style, cooked it sous-vide an then seared it with Asian barbecue spices for a touch of exotic heat. It was a beautiful piece of meat, nicely paired with sauerkraut that also had an Asian flavour, lightly spiced with star anise and chili. There was a potato confited in duck fat and topped with pork crackling, bacon and chives; squash pur\u00e9e provided rooty sweetness and a splash of colour. The sauce was a veal jus spiked with honey and lime and the final garnish was a flourish of candied kumquat, perched jauntily on the pork.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef Hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our penultimate pleasure was Chef Hill\u2019s \u201cFarmer\u2019s Table,\u201d a dish inspired by the Sunday dinners he enjoyed as a boy growing up on his parents\u2019 farm in Saskatchewan. He cooked a gorgeous lamb sirloin sous vide then seared it in camolino oil. Beside this lay a ribbon of pliable lamb sausage. Peas had been turned into a pur\u00e9e and also turned into a wafer with the texture of nori. Celery root furnished a second pur\u00e9e and micro celery greens added more colour and graceful freshness; a tiny carrot looked as if it had been grown in a doll\u2019s house. Pickled mustard seed with lots of lemon was a welcome condiment and yellow mustard flowers symbolized the fields of Saskatchewan. A spoonful of sour cherry reduction was made with fruit from Chef\u2019s father\u2019s farm. The presentation was stunning and the wine match spot on \u2013 McWatters Collection 2012 Meritage from the Okanagan valley.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a>
Chef McCrowe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef McCrowe rounded off our evening with a splendid dish he called \u201cMoose and Juice,\u201d entering the judges\u2019 room with a smoke gun to create the atmosphere of a Newfoundland forest \u2013 a little piece of theatre that was much appreciated. He had marinated the wild moose tenderloin with juniper then grilled it over charcoal with a dust of dehydrated chanterelles. The moose shank was braised with molasses and red wine together with salt pork fat back and finished with a scattering of crispy scrunchions. A pur\u00e9e of turnip and sharp cheddar was a powerful component and spikes of other root vegetables were scattered around the plate. Deep-fried caribou moss added to the sylvan mood of the dish and the last element was a piece of \u201cNan\u2019s toast\u201d in memory of the moose stew his Nan used to make. The wine Chef chose was a super compliment to the food, Norman Hardie\u2019s 2013 Zweigelt from Prince Edward County, tangy, fruity and light-bodied.<\/p>\n

The judges sat back. It had been a most memorable contest. Chef Park had aced the final round but all the marks for the Grand Finale were close \u2013 all within nine percentage points \u2013 a pattern that carried through to the final scores. We had known it was a very strong field going into the weekend and every chef had performed magnificently. At this level, their technical abilities can almost be taken for granted; what is exciting \u2013 as in the work of any great artist \u2013 is to see their unique and personal perspective emerge in the dishes they create before our very eyes. In the end, it was almost a photo finish \u2013 an Olympic sprint \u2013 and the winners of the gold, silver and bronze medals were less than two percentage points apart. Chef Eligh from Hawksworth in Vancouver won the bronze. Chef Park from Park Restaurant in Montreal won the silver. The gold medal went to Chef O\u2019Flynn from the Westin, Edmonton.<\/p>\n

Huge congratulations to all the chefs \u2013 and their sous chefs \u2013 and the students from Okanagan College who served as their willing apprentices throughout the weekend. Heartfelt thankyous to the judges. A deep bow to our new champion, Chef Ryan O\u2019Flynn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And so to the Grand Finale. Needless to say, this was quite the party, with 600 guests starting the evening with the scrumptious canap\u00e9s provided by last year\u2019s Champion, Chef Lorenzo Loseto of George in Toronto. Everyone admired the amazing new BMW that would belong to the chef who wins (a two-year lease) and later […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[93,91,1],"tags":[918,920],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3257"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3257"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3271,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3257\/revisions\/3271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}