Dan McGee takes it and dishes it out
Au Comptoir chef loves to create
Chef Dan McGee came up the informal way, cooking in kitchens in Vancouver (including Bacchus at the Wedgewood, the late Pieda-Terre and Pidgin) before becoming the top dog in the Au Comptoir kitchen in Kitsilano.
It’s where you go when you need a hit of Paris or Nice; where a cheese plate is assiette de fromages and a grilled rib-eye with fries is entrecote frites.
Q What motivates and inspires you as a chef?
A For me, inspiration can really come from anywhere and anything. It could be something as simple as the weather or an interesting bite to eat I’ve had somewhere. One little thing will get my mind going and from there I’ll start thinking about how I can build a dish around it.
How would you describe the type of food you like to cook?
I like to cook food that I want to eat. Nothing too pretentious — just good, honest cooking. Right now that’s French food, of course, but I really enjoy the wide variety of flavours that different types of cuisine have to offer. Staff meals at the restaurant are always a fun opportunity to experiment and cook something that we don’t normally do in the restaurant.
What might diners not know about you?
I was raised a vegetarian for the better part of my younger years. It wasn’t until I began washing dishes during high school that I was exposed to the wider world of food and began moving away from that.
Describe a couple of your most recent creations.
Fall and winter is such a great season for cooking and it instantly makes me think of braised dishes. Right now we’re doing a red winebraised bison short rib with parsnip and parsley agnolotti and root vegetables — perfect for Vancouver’s cold rainy nights. Another new starter that we recently started serving at the restaurant is our ballotine of house-smoked salmon with beets, sorrel, horseradish and parsnip chips. It features some pretty classic flavours that I really enjoy.
What’s your favourite local product and how do you use it?
Celeriac or celery root (they’re the same thing) has been a favourite of mine for a few years now and especially at this time of year. I love its versatility and the fact that you can roast it whole, make soups and purées, or even shave it thin and lightly pickle it. You can really do anything you like with it.
If there’s one important piece of advice you might have for cooks, what might that be?
Don’t be afraid to try a new product, protein or vegetable as they all have their own qualities that make them interesting and unique. Just keep playing around and allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them. And don’t be afraid of salt, either — a touch more or less can change a dish entirely.