Culinary Capers chef has gone wild
Locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms are a favourite ingredient for Stewart Boyles
Culinary Capers’ executive chef Stewart Boyles is taking local to a whole new level. He helped Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond earn a Michelin star in Scotland and applies that experience to his pioneering work in Vancouver. Since his return in 2016, Boyles has forged relationships with local, sustainable producers, from Two Arrow Meats and Skipper Otto Community Supported Fish to Mikuni Wild Harvest, for foraged wild mushrooms.
QWhat motivates and inspires you as a chef?
AMaking guests and clients happy. You work hard to create experiences for the people who eat your food and overall you are measured by what they feel about your food. Every event is a challenge and to give a great experience that makes people happy is my motivation.
QHow would you describe the type of food you like to cook?
AI like food prepared well with a clean presentation that shows attention to detail. I like to add interesting flavours and textures to any dish and for the food to be balanced, with the main components of the dish preserving their natural flavours and aromas.
QWhat might diners not know about you?
AI have a keen interest in martial arts. I train two to three times a week with some great instructors and I enjoy how challenging it is, how out of your comfort zone it puts you, and how hard you must focus to improve even just a little bit.
QDescribe a couple of your most recent creations.
AWe recently did a deboned whole game hen crown stuffed with game hen leg meat and black truffles, served with roasted parsnips and salsify and shrouded in shaved black truffles. We also worked hard to develop a tender and flavourful chicken karaage for large events, tossed in panko and dehydrated rice paper that puffs up when it’s fried to give it a wonderful crunch. Another dish that we recently developed is a nice local albacore tuna tataki with ponzu, toasted nori mayo, black rice crisps, peanuts and lime.
QWhat’s your favourite local product and how do you use it?
AI love our local chanterelles. They can elevate any dish, they are somewhat affordable, considering they are also luxurious, and they are great in risotto, beautiful when pickled and served with fish, and have a great flavour and aroma that complements poultry, seafood or red meat. Last year, we served over 150 pounds of local chanterelles at Culinary Capers events.
QIf there’s one important piece of advice you might have for home cooks, what might that be?
ACook what you enjoy eating first. Find recipes that really appeal to you and you will be motivated to try harder. There are a lot of trendy recipes online that are not that well tested and really might not be all that nice. Don’t focus on cooking fad food — try cooking good food. The skills you will pick up cooking a simple homemade pasta dish, for example, will help you as you venture on to more elaborate recipes.
CAULIFLOWER VELOUTé
2 lbs (900 g) cauliflower florets 4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock 6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
Finely chop the florets of the cauliflower.
Melt the butter in a medium pot.
Sauté the cauliflower in butter till tender, add stock and simmer until cooked through.
Add cream, then remove from heat and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Curried scallops 16 scallops 2 tbsp (30 mL) curry powder (below) 3 tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil 1 lemon, cut in half
Pat the scallops dry. Season each scallop evenly with curry powder. Heat an ovensafe frying pan over medium to high heat. Add some vegetable oil and carefully place the scallops, presentation side down, in the pan.
Cook until the scallop is golden and starting to heat through. Turn the scallops over and cook until ready. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Warm the soup gently. Ladle 3-4 oz into each bowl. Place 2 scallops in each bowl and garnish with capers and/ or chopped fresh parsley.
Curry powder 2 tsp (10 mL) turmeric 2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) mustard powder 1 tsp (5 mL) dried ground ginger 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder 1 tsp (5 mL) salt