Duncan, BC. Executive Chef Ilona Daniel from Off Broadway Restaurant in PEI prepares organic meats from Three Pillars Farm at The Canadian Chefs' Congress on Providence Farm in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island September 11, 2010. The Congress (September 10-12) is where chefs, cooks, apprentices and culinary students from across Canada converge to talk about food, beer, wine and the focus for this year: chefs and their relationship to the ocean and its current fragile state. Participants look at sustainable practices as well as the impact of our actions of today on the oceans of tomorrow.LAURA LEYSHON
I think I need to go on a cleansing program and start doing yoga every day - just to feel like I am living a normal, healthy life after two days spent at the Woodstock of food last week in Duncan, B.C.
I was at the Canadian Chefs' Congress - an annual gathering started by chef Michael Stadtlander and his wife Nobuyo of Eigensinn Farm. Michael's vision is to pick a vital food-related theme every year and run a weekend filled with workshops and (lots of) food and wine for chefs and restaurant industry people across the country.
Our theme this year was Oceans for Tomorrow: educating and showcasing to the world the need to be sustainable in our food choices and eat seafood that is harvested in a way that generations to come can still enjoy the bounty of the ocean.
The event started with a lot of hard work. Getting all the chefs and workshops together was a product of two years of long meetings and trying to juggle running our individual restaurants and working with the food producers, farmers and winemakers to pull it all off.
Would I take on a task like that again? Absolutely. The rewards were unbelievable. The culinary students that helped us put the whole thing together were great and they got to hang out with some of the chefs and learn from them. Providence Farm, who hosted us, did such a great job of making us comfortable and hopefully the wood burning pizza oven that we raised funds for, at the James Barber Memorial Dinner, will be well utilized.
In the end, it was worth it - I think we delivered our message very effectively, with some important speakers and workshops. The first day alone, the weather was incredible and we all sat around the fire pit for a pig roast, drank wine and had life-changing moments.
The congress is going to be held in Newfoundland next year. If it keeps living and doesn't come back to British Columbia for another 28 years, I will attend it again - even if I am walking with a cane.
Pacific halibut in coconut curry
Ingredients
For the halibut
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried green fenugreek leaves
6 Pacific halibut fillets, each about 7 ounces
1 cup ground bread crumbs
1/3 to 1/2 cup canola oil for searing
Method
Mix oil, cayenne, salt, mustard seeds and fenugreek in a large mixing bowl. Gently add fillets and mix well. Make sure halibut is well covered in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Spread bread crumbs on a flat plate and dip each fillet, coating each piece completely.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan on medium-high for one minute. Sear a breaded fillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Cook the first side for another 2 minutes, and then the second for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the fillet is cooked through. Repeat with each remaining fillet, adding up to 1 tablespoon of oil for each fillet. Place cooked fillets directly on a large plate.
Ingredients
For the coconut curry
1/2 cup canola oil
20 to 25 curry leaves
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 large onion, puréed
4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
6 whole cloves
3 cups water
1 cup coconut milk, stirred
Method
Heat oil in a medium pot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add curry leaves and let them sizzle for about 45 seconds until they've shrivelled a bit. Add garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne and cloves. Continue cooking for 8 minutes, or until the water from the tomatoes has evaporated and the oil glistens on top. Add water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Gently pour one sixth of the curry over each fillet.
Serves 6.