Chefs share favourite dishes from this year’s Indulgence
The event that celebrates the collaboration of local chefs, local drinks and local chefs has come a long way in its almost two decades. It started with eight farmers paired with eight chefs, Sylvan Star Gouda offering samples and attendees asking questions like; “Why are there no tables?” “Why is there only Canadian wine?” Now, 46 local chefs, ranchers, food artisans, producers, wineries, breweries and distilleries come together every June to create a walk-about feast.
Cave Paleo Beastro, Erdmann’s Gardens and Greenhouses, Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Romesco with Prosciutto, Vegetables and Radishes paired with Cipes Rosé
Chef Dave Kantor
Romesco Sauce
| 1 lg | roasted red bell pepper |
| 1 lg | garlic clove, smashed |
| ½ c | slivered almonds, toasted |
| ¼ c | tomato purée |
| 2 T | Champagne or white wine vinegar |
| 1 t | smoked paprika |
| ½ t | cayenne pepper |
| ½ c | extra-virgin olive oil |
| fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Pulse first 8 ingredients in a food processor until very finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add oil; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
| 3 lg | carrots, cut into ribbons |
| 1 | white radish, cut into ribbons |
| 1 | yellow zucchini squash, cut into ribbons |
| 1 | green zucchini squash, cut into ribbons |
| 1 | golden or red beet, cut into ribbons |
| 8 slices | Italian prosciutto |
| handful | chives |
| 200 g | mixed salad leaves |
| olive oil | |
| fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Dress all of the vegetables with a little olive oil and season lightly. Spread a little of the romesco across each plate. Place the vegetable ribbons on top of the sauce and finish each plate with 2 slices of ham and a handful of salad leaves.
Serves 4.
Red Ox Inn, Purple Gem Farms, Eau Claire Distillery
Braised Pork on Corn Tortilla Chips with Saskatoon Pepita Salsa paired with Eau Claire Distillery Saskatoon Honey Gin
“To make a dish that showcased saskatoon berries we chose to go the savoury route and prepared a braised smoky pork shoulder with saskatoon salsa and pickled saskatoons. We made our own tortilla chips using El Mercato tortillas so they would be a little thicker and not disintegrate after the first bite. To do this we cut the tortillas into 1/4s and fried them at 350ºF. To make the pork was a multiday process. For scaling this recipe we will use 500 g pork shoulder.”
Chef Dylan Prins
Pork Rub
| ½ c | paprika |
| ¼ c | garlic powder |
| ¼ c | ground cumin |
| ¼ c | kosher salt |
| 2 t | cayenne pepper |
Rub the spice mix into the pork, using your hands, being careful not to contaminate the remaining spice mix so any remainder can be saved for use later. Let sit overnight.
The following day we smoked the pork for 1 hour using applewood chips, then prepared our braise.
The Braise
| 1 | 20 oz can tomatoes |
| 1 lg | onion, chopped |
| 1 c | white wine |
| 5 | bay leaf |
| 3 sprigs | fresh thyme |
| chicken stock to cover |
Braise at 300ºF until tender or 250ºF overnight.
After braising remove the pork and while warm give it a quick chop to help shred the meat. Remove the bay leaves and thyme, blend the remaining ingredients and use some of the liquid to dress the meat so it does not dry out. Season the meat to taste. The remaining liquid can be used as the start to a tasty tortilla soup.
The Salsa
| ½ | onion |
| 6 cloves | garlic |
| 3 T | duck fat |
Sweat over low heat.
| 5 | tomatillos |
| 1 | tomato |
| 1 | serrano chile |
Blister the skins on the grill and remove any stems.
| 1 | dried ancho chile |
| 1 | dried guajillo chile |
| 1 | dried chipotle chile |
Toast dried chiles in a pan.
| 2 c | saskatoons |
Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until there is no large pieces but not so much that it is totally smooth. Adjust consistency with warm water and adjust seasoning with Sherry vinegar and salt.
Yield 1 L.
Pickled Saskatoons
| ¼ c | lime juice |
| ½ c | Sherry vinegar |
| 1 c | saskatoons |
Heat the liquid to a boil and pour over the saskatoons. Let sit in the fridge for a few days, stirring them occasionally to ensure even flavour penetration.
To Assemble
Load approximately 1½ oz pork onto a chip, followed by 2 t salsa. Garnish with 2 or 3 pickled saskatoons, toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro leaves.
Glass Monkey, Doef’s Greenhouses, Syncromesh Wines
Eggplant and Ramiro Pepper Moussaka paired with Syncromesh Riesling
Chef Darcy Radies
Béchamel
| ¼ c | grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 t | nutmeg |
| 6 T | (¾ stick) butter |
| 7 T | all-purpose flour |
| 3½ c | whole milk |
| 4 lg | eggs |
Melt butter in heavy medium size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Tomato Sauce
| 1 c | finely chopped peeled carrots |
| 1 lg | onion, chopped |
| 1 c | finely chopped celery |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 t | dried oregano |
| 1 | 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree |
| 1 T | tabasco |
| 1 T | Worcestershire sauce |
| ¼ c | chopped fresh Italian parsley |
| ½ c | mozzarella cheese |
| salt and pepper | |
| ½ c | red wine |
| 1 T | sugar |
Heat ¼ cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Season well. Sauté until mixture is very tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Add oregano, tomatoes, Worcestershire, wine and parsley. Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Puree with a hand blender until fairly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Reserve.
Vegetables
| 4 lbs | eggplant, unpeeled, cut lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices |
| 2 lbs | ramiro peppers cut lengthwise in half and seeds removed |
| 2 lbs | large carrots, blanched until almost tender, cut lengthwise into ½-inch slices |
| olive oil | |
| salt and pepper |
Preheat oven to 375ºF
Arrange eggplant in a single layer on baking sheets. Brush lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool.
Brush both sides of the pepper slices lightly with olive oil and arrange on a pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 to 20 minutes until completely tender. Cool.
Lightly oil 9x13x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange sliced carrots in bottom of baking dish to completely cover the dish. Season. Arrange half of eggplant slices in a single layer. Arrange single layer of peppers in dish. Spoon half of tomato sauce mixture evenly over vegetables. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, peppers, tomato mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.
Lower oven temp to 350ºF. Pour béchamel sauce over vegetables and bake moussaka until heated through and the sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 to 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Slice and serve.
Highlands Golf Club, Sunworks Farm, Mission Hill Family Estate
Sunworks Farm Chicken Confit Tortellini with Goat Cheese and Pea Shoots paired with Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay
Chef Vikram Redgaonkar
Chicken Tortellini Filling
| 1 c | Sunworks Farm chicken thighs (deboned) |
| 1 | shallot |
| ½ c | chopped cranberries |
| ½ c | chopped sundried cherries |
| 1 clove | garlic, crushed |
| 1 sprig | thyme |
| white wine (Chardonnay from Mission Hill) | |
| butter | |
| duck fat for cooking chicken thighs |
Marinate chicken thighs with salt and pepper and keep it in the fridge for 2 hours.
Warm the duck fat in an oven-proof pan and add marinated chicken thighs with garlic and thyme, making sure chicken is completely covered by the duck fat.
Cook for 2 hours in oven at 300ºF. Let it cool down in the duck fat at room temperature.
Sweat the shallot in pan with some butter and then add cranberries and sundried cherries. Deglaze with white wine. Add some chopped parsley and keep it in the fridge.
Pasta Dough
| 1 c | semolina flour |
| 1 c | 00 flour |
| 3 lg | eggs |
| 2 | egg yolks |
| 1 pinch | salt |
you have consistent dough, then knead vigorously for a further 15 minutes. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
To make the tortellini
Roll out the dough on a pasta machine to its thinnest setting, then cut out discs with a 7 cm cutter.
Sauce
| ½ c | goat cheese |
| 1 T | chestnut honey |
| 1 sprig | thyme |
| ½ c | heavy cream |
| pinch | salt |
In pan, warm the cream and chestnut honey. Add the goat cheese and thyme. Whisk until the cheese is melted and forms a thick sauce consistency.
Assembly
When ready to use the chicken, remove from the duck fat and chop. Add the rest of the ingredients to make the filling. Pipe 1 teaspoon of chicken filling onto one side of each pasta disc. Fold the pasta over to create a semicircle, pressing out any air. Fold the bottom corners of the semicircle around each other to form each tortellini.
Blanch the tortellini in boiling water.
Once the pasta start floating on the surface, use of slotted spoon to pull the pasta out. Warm the sauce and in pan and toss the tortellini in the sauce.
Garnish with some pea shoots.