Top pastry chef has got game
The Great Canadian Baking Show’s Bruno Feldeisen loves to use local products
Chef Bruno Feldeisen is the executive chef at Semiahmoo Resort and a judge on CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show. As sweet as that gig is, Feldeisen has served as executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and was named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America by Chocolatier Magazine
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Q What motivates and inspires you as a chef?
A For me, it’s all about connecting with people. I create the dots that connect farmers to the talents who cook in our kitchen and to the guests who come to the resort for a culinary experience. It is also about the ability to reinvent yourself by always learning new techniques and staying relevant. Of course, it only works when one element feeds the other, when long hours in the kitchen translate into an amazing kitchen crew and when the entire team has the same vision.
What might diners not know about you?
I am a spokesman for Anxiety B.C., and we are currently working on a campaign to increase awareness of men’s mental health.
Describe a couple of your most recent creations.
We have a very dynamic and creative kitchen crew, so any dish on our menu is the result of a collaborative effort, since we share the same vision. Crab mac n’ cheese, mapleglazed bacon chips, duck confit poutine and Salish Sea cioppino are some recent creations.
What’s your favourite local product, and how do you use it?
I am always seeking out local farmers, fishermen and artisans, and Whatcom County is blessed with amazing people who bring unique produce and products right to my doorstep. One is Twin Sisters Creamery, which does an amazing bleu cheese called Whatcom Bleu. RADS Sauce, a local maker of hot sauce, has perfected a red pepper sauce aged in American oak barrels that we use in our chicken wings glaze. We receive amazing Alaskan salmon sustainably caught by a husband-and-wife team, Tele and Joel from Nerka Sea-Frozen Salmon. I love connecting with artisans who are dedicated to developing amazing products while showing a strong commitment to our environment.
What chef skill should home cooks master?
The ability to use salt properly. Not all salts are equal, and you should not use salt just to salt but to really amalgamate all the flavours in a dish. Salt is the life of any dish, and there’s nothing worse than a bland dish.
Pan-Seared Alaska King Salmon with Heirloom Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes and Braised Figs MAKES: 2 SERVINGS
7-oz (198 g) pieces of fresh king salmon
4 heirloom carrots
3 figs
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped thyme
1 cup (250 mL) baby arugula
2 cups (500 mL) heirloom cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 mL) fig balsamic glaze
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil Salt & pepper
METHOD
Cut each carrot into 8 pieces and cook them in 1 quart (1 L) of salted boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove the carrots and set aside. Warm a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Cut figs in half and place in heated pan. Add thyme and cook until the figs are soft. Set aside. In a heated pan, add some olive oil and quickly sauté heirloom cherry tomatoes and carrots. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of each piece of salmon. Warm a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Place salmon in the pan, skin side up. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until they feel firm to the touch and skin is crisp. To assemble, place arugula in the middle of the plate. Add carrots and figs. Place the salmon on top. Drizzle fig balsamic glaze on top of the salmon.