Canoe Shack-Up: Au Pied de Cochon’s Martin Picard brings his Quebec crew for an epic, maple-soaked feast at Canoe

By Renée Suen | March 22, 2012

By Renée Suen | 03/22/2012

Carl Rousseau (St. Canut Farm) with Martin Picard and Marc Beaudin (Au Pied de Cochon, Cabane à sucre)

Acclaimed Montreal chef Martin Picard, best known for his haute-rustic gastronomic temple Au Pied de Cochon, was in town to celebrate the release of his new cookbook, Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack. The colour book is full of recipes from his temporary and seasonal restaurant that’s known for serving traditional sugar shack fare with a Picard twist (think equal parts gluttony and innovation, with plenty of foie gras and other gut-busting ingredients). As part of a three-city tour, Picard partnered with Oliver & Bonacini corporate executive chef Anthony Walsh for “Canoe Shack Up,” a $185 maple syrup–laden five-course menu which volleyed between recipes developed by the two chefs. Supported by the crews from Cabane à Sucre au Pied de Cochon and Canoe (led by John Horne), and fortified by some excellent VQA wines, the event saw a ton of big-name Toronto chefs and restaurant owners in the 110-guest audience, including the folks from Beast, Campagnolo, Enoteca Sociale, The Gabardine, Malena, Parts & Labour, Trevor and Hamilton’s Earth to Table Bread Bar feasting and imbibing as Picard held court and signed books. For a look at the crowd and the entire sugar shack–inspired menu (not to mention some behind-the-scenes silliness), check out our slideshow »

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Maple candyfloss, a sugary and nostalgia-inducing finish to an evening celebrating maple syrup and Canadian cuisine

Michael Stein and Arlene Stein (Terroir Hospitality symposium, Evergreen Brick Works) with Marc St. Jacques (Auberge du Pommier)

A cross-sectional shot of that incredible maple mille-feuille

Course 5: maple mille-feuille. A show-stopping creation in which maple pastry cream alternates with flaky crisp layers of puff pastry and fresh whipped cream.
Wine pairing: 2008 Tawse Quarry Road Barrel-Aged Chardonnay Ice Wine, Vinemount Ridge

A view from behind the pass: Canoe Shack-Up guests were treated to the spectacle of pastry chef Gabrielle Rivard-Hiller (Cabane à Sucre) preparing the maple candy floss in front of the pass

David Minicucci (L’Unità and Maléna) with Alexandra Hutchison and Craig Harding (Campagnolo)

Rolling up the paper cones for the maple candyfloss

Maple candy floss wigs and moustaches. No doubt, these are acceptable sugar shack attire

Sugar high: the silliness that ensues when a cotton candy machine is combined with chefs (obviously, this particular batch of cotton candy wasn’t served)

The “h.f. belly” (“h.f.” stands for “holy fuck”): a crowd-pleasing number from Picard involving St. Canut pork belly shouldered by thick, blistered perforated cracking

Course 4: dégustation des porcelet de Carl: compressed pork shoulder, tourtière, loin and “h.f.” belly (see the next slide). This busy plate featured items from both Picard and Walsh’s repertoire using St. Canut pork.
Wine pairing: 2007 Stratus Red, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Chef’s Table: many GTA chefs came out to the event including Grant van Gameren (Enoteca Sociale), Scott Vivian (Beast Restaurant), Matthew DeMille (Enoteca Sociale) and Matty Matheson (Parts & Labour)

Intermezzo : iced cedar sap. The evening’s palate cleanser was a fine-crumbed granita that was mildly sweet and left pine-like aromas at the back of the throat

Chefs Picard and Walsh, long-time friends, having a last minute chat at the pass

Chef Martin Picard taste tests the intermezzo course

From the evening’s Quebecois guest team: Carl Rousseau (St. Canut Farm) with Martin Picard and Marc Beaudin (Au Pied de Cochon, Cabane à Sucre).

Course 2: roasted bone marrow with Yarmouth lobster and sweetbreads. Walsh’s appetizer featured cinnamon cap mushrooms, sautéed stinging nettles and meaty nuggets of lobster and sweetbreads that were stuffed into a hollowed, axially cut bone before being smothered in a lobster cream sauce.
Wine pairing: 2009 Norman Hardie Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula

Pastry chef Gabrielle Rivard-Hiller (Cabane à sucre) starting work on the final course: a show stopping mille-feuille.

Chef John Horne (Canoe) plating the second course

Course 1: foie gras tarte tatin. This Picard-helmed dish featured a swoon-worthy helping of seared foie gras over caramelized puff pastry lined with melted Lancaster cheddar and baked apples. A silky, lightly pickled onion jam topped the opening course, helping to cut through the pastry’s richness. A tumble of cottage cheese mellowed out the salty and sweet flavours of the various tarte tatin components.
Pairing: 2009 Antolino Brongo Cryomalus Apple Ice Cider, Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Quebec, a beautiful amber nectar that’s made from a blend of five apples

A variety of breads by O&B Artisan’s David Wilson

Canoe’s open kitchen gave all 110 diners the opportunity to watch the chefs in action as they prepared the sugar shack–inspired menu

In the kitchen with chefs John Horne and Amanda Ray. Here the pair is making the bannock used in the Ivory salmon canapé

Some recognizable Toronto chefs joined in the evening’s book launch celebration including Grant van Gameren (Enoteca Sociale) and Scott Vivian (Beast Restaurant)

The evening’s five-course menu was a collaborative effort between Picard and Walsh

Group of Seven chefs Bertrand Alépée (The Tempered Chef) and Scott Vivian (Beast Restaurant) bond just before dinner service. The group was recently invited to cook a dinner at James Beard House in New York for September 2012

Chunks of the maple-torched Ivory salmon fillet were served on handmade bannock with maple-bourbon-caviar crème fraîche as a canapé

The senior chefs from the Oliver & Bonacini team who were responsible for the evening’s menu. From left to right: Marc St. Jacques (Auberge du Pommier), Amanda Ray (Canoe), Julie Marteleira (Canoe), Bertrand Alépée (The Tempered Chef), Anthony Walsh (Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants), John Horne (Canoe) and Paul Brans (Bannock)

Since this was after all a book signing, copies of the restaurant’s self-published cookbook were available for guests to purchase and have signed by chef Picard

Canapés served at the Canoe Shack-Up included St. Simon and Beach Angels oysters from Oyster Boy with freshly prepared accoutrements and cucumber pearls set with agar-agar

Guests were greeted with flutes of 2008 Hinterland Rosé Method Traditional from Prince Edward County

Canoe chef de cuisine John Horne putting the finishing touches on some maple-torched Ivory salmon

4 thoughts on “Canoe Shack-Up: Au Pied de Cochon’s Martin Picard brings his Quebec crew for an epic, maple-soaked feast at Canoe”

trillyonair says:

March 23, 2012 at 8:02 pm

holy foodgasm!
Kaori says:

March 27, 2012 at 7:51 am

I am madly in love with Martin Picard.
mmm says:

March 28, 2012 at 5:32 pm

Looks like fun AND deliciousness! Wish I was there!!
Eden says:

April 3, 2012 at 9:50 pm

I am madly in love with Chef Horne – the chef with cotton candy on his head – so silly so cute so approacheable so real.

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Canoe Shack-Up: Au Pied de Cochon’s Martin Picard brings his Quebec crew for an epic, maple-soaked feast at Canoe

4 thoughts on “Canoe Shack-Up: Au Pied de Cochon’s Martin Picard brings his Quebec crew for an epic, maple-soaked feast at Canoe”

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