Beating the Heat

BY KEANE STRAUB PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

We’re welcoming warm weather and the prospect of outdoor dining, so this month we asked four Alberta chefs to give us their best when it comes to turning the heat down and chilling out. With flavours from the Mediterranean, Central America, Italy, and Mexico, you’re in for some amazing al-fresco days and nights. Stock the cooler and call your friends – summer is officially here!

Chef Jose Lemus has fond memories of eating at gatherings with family and friends, his grandmother cooking on the grill and flattop with such ease that “it seemed like she was everywhere at once.” But it was more than just sharing food: “I didn’t realize at the time it was to share the experience too.” Now, Chef Jose loves nothing more than creating experiences for his guests at Calgary’s Modern Steak For him, nothing tops the Benchmark Ribeye at Modern, with chimichurri and confit garlic. But when he’s dining at home on the patio, ceviche is a sure thing. “The fresh citrus with seafood and salty chips, especially with a cold beer, is heaven.”

Keeping up with the seafood theme, Chef Jose shares his recipe for salmon tostada, a dish he first created as a staff meal. “I love it when my team gets to try something new. It sparks ideas and fosters creativity.” The flexibility of the recipe makes it easy to create according to what’s on hand and what’s preferred. “It’s all about what tastes good to you! Most of the ingredients are adjustable, so do what makes you happy and add or take out whatever works for you.”

Salmon Tostada Serves 3

3 corn (or flour) tortillas

2 cups (500 mL) vegetable oil

To taste salt and pepper

255 g sushi grade salmon

1 shallot

1 serrano pepper

1 mini cucumber

3 limes

15 g gochujang paste

3 Tbs (45 mL) olive oil

1 ripe avocado, sliced

15 g cilantro, optional for garnish

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a 2 litre sauce pot or pan. In the restaurant chef would heat the oil to 350º F, but at home he would heat the oil on medium high for 20-30 minutes until the oil crackles if a droplet of water is splashed on it.

2. When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas until they are golden brown on both sides. Take them out of the oil and let them rest on a tray that has paper towel on it to absorb any excess oil. Season with salt.

3. On a clean cutting board, thinly slice your salmon. Place into a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.

4. On a new cutting board and with a clean knife, finely julienne the shallot, thinly slice the serrano, and thinly slice the cucumber. Place all your prepared dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

5. Zest and juice your limes and set into a separate bowl with the gochujang paste and olive oil. Mix your wet ingredients until homogenous.

6. Add all your salmon and dry ingredients into mixed wet ingredients and mix well. We want the acidity and paste to marinate the salmon but not to cook it.

7. To plate, place your fried tortilla shells onto a plate. Place avocado slices on top then add the salmon, then the crudité placed onto each tostada. Then add the remaining juices as the sauce for your stunning tostadas. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Chef Dylan Dangerfield-Holmes says, “Nothing beats creating memorable experiences for people.” As head chef at Edmonton’s Dogpatch Bistro, he does so by sharing dishes that are a combination of his early love of cooking, international upbringing, and a preference for complex flavour profiles. “I draw inspiration from trying new food, and then trying to replicate it.”

The menu at Dogpatch is a good mix of global influences, as well as things closer to home. They also have a knack for reinventing dishes to align with the season, like Chef Dylan’s fave, the Cypress Hill Sandwich. “This gives members of our culinary team the opportunity to brainstorm ideas. Allowing people an outlet for some creative freedom is great for engagement.”

The newest version of the Cypress Hill Sandwich that he shares with us is an excellent choice for dining on the deck. Make the sauces ahead of time and allow to chill for best results. “For a more flavourful hummus, toast the cumin and coriander. And if you want it really smooth, remove the chickpea shells.”

Grilled Halloumi Focaccia Sandwich

Serves 4-6

To save time at home, you could substitute store bought hummus and tzatziki, but if you want to go all out, check out some recipes for them below.

Hummus

1 tsp whole coriander (using ¾ tsp ground is fine in a pinch)

1 tsp whole cumin (using ¾ tsp ground is fine in a pinch)

1 small can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1½ cups of cooked chickpeas

¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice

½ cup (120 mL) tahini

2 medium cloves garlic

2 calabrian chilis (optional, for added heat)

½ tsp sea salt, adjust to taste

1 Tbs (15 mL) olive oil

1-3 Tbs (15-45 mL) cold water to adjust the thickness

1. Dry toast coriander and cumin in a small pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, while gently shaking the pan. They will attain a slightly darker colour and become fragrant when they are ready.

2. Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor except for the water. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Add in cold water to loosen the hummus if necessary.

3. Chill in the fridge for an hour if you have the time.

Tzatziki

¼ English cucumber

1 cup (240 mL) Greek yogurt

½ cup (120 mL) sour cream

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs dill, finely chopped

½ Tbs mint, finely chopped

2 Tbs (30 mL) lemon juice

1 Tbs (15 mL) olive oil

½ tsp salt, adjust to taste

1. Grate cucumber and strain excess liquid.

2. Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

3. Chill in the fridge for an hour if you have the time.

Za’atar Roasted Vegetables

½ green or yellow zucchini, halved lengthwise, and cut into 6 mm pieces (half-moon shapes)

½ red onion, julienned

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, julienned

1 Tbs za’atar (just salt and pepper if you don’t have it)

½ tsp (3 mL) olive oil

½ tsp (3 mL) lemon juice

1. Place all the vegetables into a mixing bowl. Add the seasonings, olive oil, and lemon juice, and mix with tongs or your hand until the vegetables are well coated.

2. Place on a baking sheet, making sure to spread the vegetables out into a single even layer.

3. Bake on a low broil oven setting for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to caramelize and get some colour.

Sandwich

Toasted focaccia (enough to cut into 4-6 squares)

Grilled halloumi (enough for 4-6 sandwiches)

Hummus

Tzatziki

Roasted vegetables

Roma tomatoes, sliced thin

Arugula

1. Preheat BBQ to medium high heat.

2. Cut focaccia to sandwich size, and cut the halloumi in half if it’s thicker than 12 mm.

3. Grill halloumi for 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn it. Grill the focaccia to toast it for 2 minutes.

4. Spread 1 Tbs of hummus on the bottom piece of focaccia, and 1 Tbs of tzatziki on the top. Put the roasted vegetables on top of the hummus, followed by the halloumi, 3 slices of tomato, and a small handful of arugula.

Serve this delicious sandwich with your favourite side salad, or some roasted potatoes.

“Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a variety of fresh foods prepared with care on a nightly basis,” says Myles Perry, head chef at Calgary’s Living Room. “Sitting around a table with loved ones laughing, eating, and drinking are some of my favourite memories.” Building on memories of foods he’s eaten, Chef Myles feels nostalgia plays a big role in menu creation.

Classic dishes like Beef Tartare and fondue (both cheese and chocolate) are some of his favourites, but new creations like Steelhead Trout with citrus and herb buttermilk – served tableside – also rank high on the list.

“Finding foods that work well together invites creative possibilities in all styles of cooking,” he explains. Enter the classic Prosciutto Melon, something that, even as a kid, he went for first at family gatherings. A little sweet, a little salty, and a little weird, this is a dish he felt compelled to recreate in his own style with pickled melon, baked pork, and béarnaise sauce. “This dish has everything: salt, fat, acid, texture, and freshness.”

Prosciutto Melon

Serves 4

Pickled Melon

1 cantaloupe, peeled and seeds removed

1¼ cups (300 mL) mirin

2½ cups (600 mL) rice vinegar

10 g kosher salt

6 g ground peppercorns

10 g fresh mint leaves

15 g fresh basil leaves

1. Slice melon into wedges. For each wedge make about 7-9 slices (score) about halfway into the fruit.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine mirin, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk to dissolve salt, then add fresh herbs.

3. Place melon wedges in a 5-10 cm deep dish and cover with pickling liquid. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Prosciutto Crisp

5-8 thin slices prosciutto

Pre-heat oven to 375º F. Individually place prosciutto on a parchment lined tray, be sure to keep the prosciutto flat and not touching. Place in oven for 8-10 minutes or until crispy.

Béarnaise Sauce

5 egg yolks

450 g butter, melted

1 tsp (5 mL) rice vinegar

6 g kosher salt

2 g dried tarragon

1 dash tabasco

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice

1. Fill a medium sauce pot half full of water and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.

2. In a mixing bowl whisk together yolks, vinegar, and salt, then place on top of the boiling pot of water. Lightly whisk the egg mixture until yolks become a light-yellow colour and begin to thicken, be sure not to scramble the eggs.

3. Melt butter and keep hot. Slowly add the melted butter to the eggs while whisking. Continue until desired consistency. Season the sauce with tarragon, tabasco, and lemon juice.

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Chef Mayelin Rodriguez says her biggest influence in the kitchen was learning to cook Latin dishes from her mother. As chef at El Corazón in Edmonton, she loves recreating those flavours for guests. “Making food to share with friends and family is something that I never get tired of doing.”

“Most of our recipes are made from scratch with fresh ingredients,” she adds. “At El Corazón, I love our Aguachile. It is such a fresh and simple dish.” Chef Mayelin feels summer is the time to get adventurous and try both aguachile and ceviche. “They are perfect to enjoy outside on a hot summer day and pair really well with a nice glass of rosé or sauvignon blanc.”

Her recipe for Ceviche Tropical is one close to her heart, as it’s one of her children’s favourite when they get together on special occasions. “Ceviches are a delicious and fresh way to enjoy seafood. Although the fish never sees heat, they are cured in fresh citrus and seasoned with fresh herbs, peppers and spices which make it so enjoyable.”

You can use any fish you prefer, but make sure it’s fresh. The same goes for the lime juice. “The dish must have a good balance of salt and acid, so don’t be shy with the salt in the recipe and feel free to adjust or add more if you feel your dish needs it.”

Ceviche Tropical

Serves 4

450 g white fish fillet - chef recommends basa but you may use any fish you desire

1 cup (250 mL) fresh lime juice

1 Tbs salt

2 tomatoes, diced

1½ cup mango, diced

½ red onion, slivered

3 Tbs cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, sliced

Slivered red onion and chopped cilantro, for garnish if desired

Tortillas chips or plantain chips

1. Delicately slice the fish in small slices.

2. Add the lime juice and salt.

3. Cover, seal and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow the fish to cure.

4. In a bowl add tomatoes, mango, onion, cilantro, avocados, and jalapeños.

5. When your fish is ready, in a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients together and mix lightly.

6. Place on your serving plate, garnish with fresh cilantro and slivered red onions.

7. Enjoy with tortillas chips or plantain chips.