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A Duck in a Jar
By James Geneau
Late last summer, I had the privilege of undertaking a very demanding dinner challenge. Twelve courses, all with foie gras, at Au Pied du Cochon – Martin Picard’s famed shrine to fat in Montreal. It was, in my opinion, a little too much and by the end of the evening I could relate to the culinary team’s story of those special nights when a patron rises from their table and rushes to the street. What would happen next would normally involve their previous four courses of foie gras, to say it without a great amount of visual, becoming “au volante” or “to go” in the literal sense.
These guests were not locals. Most were tourists who had heard of Au Pied du Cochon, made reservations, and then were faced with the true meaning of Quebecois comfort food. The truth is that good Quebecois comfort food is fatty, rich, and a “mish mash” of flavours and textures. It is served in a laid-back fashion, has no degree of pretension, and is certainly not something you would refuse to lick off your fingers. In essence, it is what your grand-maman would cook you in her small kitchen in La Tuque. I have had the privilege of living in and making trips to “la belle province” on many occasions to see family and experience great Quebecois comfort food. So my expectations for a unique Toro-Quebecois experience with Pierre Robillard, chef and co-owner of Etobicoke’s Café du Lac, was met with skepticism.
When I entered, the first impression of Cafe du Lac was similar to that of walking into the local restaurant in Cheneville, Quebec where a close friend of mine summers each year and whose weekend invite I always accept. Charming, unsophisticated, and welcoming are the best words to describe the tiny bistro in Etobicoke’s Mimico neighborhood. It was mid-week and the only patrons at 11:30am were two women whose accents clearly indicated that they were of Gatineau origins. My time was to be served in the back kitchen, where in a small 9X11 foot space we would be making his signature dish, “Duck in a Jar”.
To say that Martin Picard has had an influence on Chef Pierre would be an obvious statement and one he freely admitted to me. However, his biggest influence was his grandmother. As we washed up, he told me of his favorite dishes as a child, his education at École hôtelière de Laval where he studied classical French cuisine, and the time he spent working at various kitchens in Montreal’s Rosemont and Plateau neighborhoods. When he met his current non-French Canadian wife while on holidays in the Caribbean, it was clear they needed a place to live where they could both find success and prosper. And so he headed along the 401 westbound to Toronto.
We got to work at assembling the “Duck in a Jar”. First, we stuffed a duck breast with foie gras under the fatty and delicious skin. Both the duck and the foie gras, like most of his ingredients, come from select farmers in Quebec. Chef Pierre is a big fan of the farmers he established relationships with while in Montreal and has tried to incorporate many of their products into Café du Lac’s dishes. Once we had the breast stuffed, he diced some leeks, Savoy cabbage, and double smoked bacon. It was now time for the jar, a mason jar to be precise. In the base he added a balsamic reduction he made earlier, roughly 2-3 tablespoons. The stuffed duck breast was then shoved into the jar with the leeks, cabbage and bacon. On top, he spooned some garlic comfit and closed up the jar. It was then placed into boiling water where it would remain for 27 minutes.
During this time, I had the opportunity to help assemble one of his foie gras poutines. The first thing I noticed was that he soaked his fries in water, something unique to the most authentic of casse-croutes of Quebec. While the science is debatable, this process is responsible for the soft texture yet golden brown colour you only find in true Quebecois poutine-worthy fries. Crispy fries, contrary to what most would argue, are best left for fake-poutine made at a highschool cafeterias or Burger King. While the foie gras poutine at Au Pied du Cochon are legendary, Chef Pierre’s adds a little something special – shredded beef short-rib. I actually found Chef Pierre’s version to be more enjoyable. Foie Gras with gravy, cheese curds, and starches is heavy and the beef breaks up the decadence – if that is possible.
Back to the "Duck in a Jar", Chef Pierre removes it from the boiling water and in a bowl, places a piece of toast on top of which he dollops a generous serving of celery root truffle purée. He then plops the jar on top and it is ready for my table. It is the essence of Quebecois comfort food. It is hot, fatty, and hearty. The balsamic vinegar and the garlic comfit add some tanginess and heat to help cut through the fat of the foie gras and duck breast. And the sauce produced after 27 minutes of boiling and dancing in unison floods the plate and forms rivers through the puree and is soaked up in the bread. I catch myself licking some off my thumb, it was officially Quebecois comfort food.
This was Chef Pierre’s goal…to bring the best of his grandmother’s kitchen to the fine people of Toronto. Not an easy task. If you have never experienced authentic Quebecois comfort food, not the stuff in Montreal but the real rural cuisine of “la belle province”, the experience may be a bit bizarre. Yes, the dishes look like they were thrown onto a plate. When you have six hungry catholic children to feed, the art of presentation falls to the side, unfortunately. What you are left with are good, wholesome ingredients filled with natural fats, and endless flavor combinations as you swirl your fork through the pile of well, let’s face it…mush. Fatty, rich, a “mish mash” of flavours and textures, served in a laid-back fashion with no degree of pretension, and often licked off ones fingers – welcome to Café du Lac.
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