DEMANDS OF A CHEF
McEwan really does do it all
Q How do you juggle your many roles?
A Every day is a minimum of 12 hours and some are 16. An average day, if I’m not shooting television, is a solid 10-hour day. I go between operations.
I try not to be a hero and think that they can’t function without you, but the business is about you and you have to be around for it and part of the conversation.
I’m my own psychologist. You tend to focus on the negative until you force yourself to the positive. So you keep that relationship of positive to negative to a proper proportion and scale.
I do that mental exercise all the time, so I don’t overreact to a situation. It accomplishes nothing and stresses you out. Q When you’ve had a long day, and it’s late and you’re hungry, what’s your go-to? A Salumi and cheese, which is exactly what you shouldn’t be doing late at night. I’m attracted to the fat level. Some toasted bread and olive oil, a little fresh cracked pepper, and away you go. With a glass of wine.
Q You’re taping episodes of Top Chef Canada now that the series has been reprised to debut next spring. What’s the appeal of competition shows?
A I think people find them very entertaining. We’re filming Top Chef Canada again and I’m very excited about that.
But I only want it to be a serious food competition, with the best young chefs and the best food products. No three-legged races and no running up fire ladders or racing go-karts.
Our last season was less than spectacular, and when the dust settled, we agreed to that. But we’ve made the right changes and I think the show is going to be amazing.
We have four episodes completed now and it’s been a harried and a tough, tough competition for them all, but very fair and with good results. They’re dedicated to an honest, straight-ahead Canadian food competition.
Q What are your tips for making a good Christmas meal?
A You need to leverage the meal a little bit. Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are cumbersome — big birds and big rib roasts and lots of expectations. Buy certain aspects and fill in the gaps. Don’t try to do too much. Whatever you are doing, do it well. Don’t pressure yourself into twice the variety.
I do a lot of prep ahead. I make my fresh cranberries the day before and the stuffing. So the day-of, I’m not scrambling.
Q I’m always surprised by the variety of opinions on the best way to roast a turkey. What’s yours?
A I like stuffing in the cavity and in the front section by the neck. I find it imparts a lot of great flavour. I don’t tie the legs; I let the legs fall open somewhat and that way you don’t have overcooked breast and undercooked thigh.
It’s funny, they’ve always encouraged trussing tight and bundling up. But then you create a double barrier that the heat has to penetrate. By leaving the legs ajar, the legs cook faster.
I do a 24-hour brine in advance with a little bit of maple syrup in the brine, a little bit of chili, garlic and bay leaf. A brine makes a huge difference in terms of a moist bird.