Chefs to show tasters how it’s done
Learn with the experts in new Taste of Edmonton workshops
Sometimes, you need a little inspiration.
Sure, there are a ton of cookbooks, and websites, and blogs with recipes, and tips, and tricks. But there is nothing like watching a chef make it look easy to nudge the home cook a little closer to nirvana.
That’s how I felt after spending time with chef Sheridan McLaren, a NAIT graduate, who is one of the featured chefs leading cooking workshops at this year’s Taste of Edmonton. At 24, he’s already got his Red Seal certificate and several years of cooking experience at Ruth’s Chris, the late lamented Jack’s Grill and Joey’s in Sherwood Park.
Now he’s started his own business as a personal chef, and has been chosen to lead a workshop for Taste of Edmonton on how to create smoky flavours on the home barbecue. The session will yield a meal for participants that’s easy enough to replicate, and fancy enough to impress.
The chef-lead workshops — a new element of Taste of Edmonton — are $20 each, with tickets available at Tix on the Square. The price of admission gives 10 students their own workstation, complete with ingredients and knives, and a dish to take home, along with recipes. The sessions cover topics such as cooking with sustainable seafood, and preparing gluten-free meals. And even people who haven’t paid the fee are free to come and watch.
Chef McLaren’s session is but one feature of a new element of Taste of Edmonton called Sip ’n’ Savour. Located in a giant tent on the northwest corner of Churchill Square, Sip ’n’ Savour offers numerous extras for those who want to do more than nibble at the dozens of booths that have traditionally dominated Churchill Square during A Taste of Edmonton, which runs from July 18 to 27.
Evenings at Sip ’n’ Savour, visitors can pay $10 to attend an Al Fresco evening meal with special dishes (purchased with Taste of Edmonton tickets) prepared by a variety of Edmonton chefs and paired with wine, beer or cocktails, depending on the event.
The Al Fresco nights are themed, from Indian to vegan and vegetarian to aboriginal, and culminate in a playful 10-Mile Meal on July 27 — a $60 per person dinner made from ingredients found within 10 miles of Churchill Square. (OK, guys, they’d better not all come from the Sobeys on Jasper Avenue.) Not all events at Sip ’n’ Savour cost money. There are numerous free demonstrations, such as the Atco Hour (with lots of barbecue tips and offered on numerous days) and fun competitions, including a burger throwdown and a brownie smackdown.
Chef McLaren is very excited about his session, titled Healthy Smoking and scheduled for Friday, July 19, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
He grew up on an acreage near Cooking Lake, one of three boys in his family, all “gearheads.” Barbecue just fit the scene.
“There’s something about being an Alberta guy — the smoker, the cast-iron pan — it’s about being a boy,” he jokes.
Luckily, a surge in the popularity of smoked foods means a variety of accessories are easily available to make the process of infusing food with smoky flavours fast and easy for either sex.
McLaren buys his apple or cherry wood chips in a plastic bag from Canadian Tire. And while he has a cast-iron smoke box, with holes in the lid to let the smoky flavours get through to the meat, he says a package of tin foil, or a tin pie plate, filled with wood chips will achieve the same effect.
He stresses that organization is key when it comes to preparing a barbecue meal, but offers tips on making things like a simple slaw a little more interesting with just the right dressing, and a garnish of red plums.
Using fresh herbs and lemon in dressings and marinades reduces the need for salt, another healthy feature of his barbecued meals. (The chef recently wrote a cookbook for Company’s Coming called Healthy Family Recipes, so he’s up on all the heart-smart options.)
McLaren has created a threepart barbecue meal for Journal readers that utilizes chicken thighs and drumsticks, but for his Sip ’n’ Savour event, he’ll be sending students home with a half-rack of ribs.
For more information on other Sip ’n’ Savour highlights, go to tasteofedm.ca.
CHICKEN PAPREEKS BY C HE F S HE R I DAN MCLAREN
These tender, smoked chicken legs and thighs are seasoned with fresh lemon and oregano. A good dash of paprika lends a vibrant red to the chicken, which chef McLaren recommends cooking with the skin on for visual appeal. Paired with plum coleslaw and baby potatoes, this is ideal summer fare. Serves 2.
You’ll need two cups (500 mL) of cherry wood chips and a smoke box, or a tin pie plate topped with tin foil that’s been pierced to allow the smoke to escape, to complete this recipe. Ingredients Chicken:
2 chicken thighs and 2 chicken legs 1 teaspoon (5 mL) paprika 1/2 of a lemon, juiced 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) chopped fresh oregano 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon (5 mL) white balsamic
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (15 mL) canola oil Potatoes:
1 pound (500 grams) baby potatoes
1 tablespoon (15 mL) canola oil 1/8 teaspoon (. 5 mL) salt 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) fresh thyme
1 teaspoon (5 mL) lemon juice Coleslaw:
3/4 cup (175 mL) thinly sliced green cabbage
3/4 cup (175 mL) thinly sliced red cabbage 1 carrot, sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 green onion, sliced 1 black plum, chopped 3 tablespoons (50 mL) mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) grainy Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar 1 teaspoon (5 mL) white balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) chopped thyme
1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon (. 5 mL) ground Ancho chili pepper Method Soak cherry wood chips, fully submerged, in water for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the barbecue with smoke box, on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Place chicken legs and thighs into a resealable bag and add listed marinade ingredients. Remove excess air from bag and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, or overnight. Gently score each potato by making a shallow slice in each. Toss potatoes with oil, salt, pepper, thyme and lemon. Wrap the potatoes in foil, and place over medium heat on the barbecue for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the prepared cabbage, carrot, celery, onion and plum into a medium mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, add mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, thyme, lemon and ancho. Gently mix until well combined. Allow coleslaw to sit for 15 minutes before service. Place soaked cherry chips into your preheated smoke box on the barbecue. Allow a few minutes for chips to heat and begin smoking, then place chicken on the grill. Lower to medium heat and close lid. Check chicken every two to three minutes and flip every so often for an even, crispy finish. It should take about eight minutes on medium. Then turn the heat to low and leave for a further four or five minutes. Reserve and tent the chicken with foil while you get the potatoes ready. Remove potatoes from the barbecue, and pinch each score mark to allow steam to release, and to make the potatoes appear plump. Serve with chicken and coleslaw.