One thing is true: Edmonton loves Gold Medal Plates – 775 people donated over $200,000 to Own the Podium 2010 at the gala event last year. Though seven of the ten chefs competing were new to the event, it was seasoned veterans who won the medals. We salute all the participants and look forward to watching them compete next year.
Want to see Chef Andrew Fung compete among Canada’s best? Come to Kelowna for the Canadian Culinary Competitions (goldmedalplates.com) February 18,19. Three intense culinary competitions, Olympians and fine Canadian wines. Contact Lisa Pasin, 780-448-5957, goldmedalplates@comlinks.ca for package and ticket information.
And the winners were…
Gold: Andrew Fung, chef, Blackhawk Golf Club
Presented duo of Alberta beef: a plump gyoza of red-wine-braised short rib, caramelized onion, balsamic and foie gras mousse with a veal reduction and tartly refreshing apple puré; along with a miniature bowl of very rare beef, dressed with asiago cheese, olive oil and a tangy ponzu sauce. All paired beautifully with Road 13’s 2008 Jackson Pinot Noir.
Silver: Michael Brown, executive chef, Share, Westin
Edmonton, prepared a study in crab complete with poetry Рintensely flavourful crab bisque spiked with a hint of jalapeño and scattered with crunchy beet-root crisp; with a spinach crepe wrapped around a coolly delicious salad of Alaskan red king crab, paired with the aromatic Tinhorn Creek 2009 Gewurztraminer.
Bronze: Shane Chartrand, chef, L2 Grill, Fantasyland
Hotel created a rich foie grasscented steak tartar roll with a morsel of monkfi sh at its centre with a crust of dried squid ink. The tangy/sweet orange caramel sauce proved to be a brilliant bridge to the Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Estates 2005 Vidal Icewine – a great match in terms of texture and weight.
Wine and food notes by James Chatto.