Seven chefs for seven dishes
On Friday, Oct. 20 Gold Medal Plates will be held at the St. John’s Convention Centre. The event is one of 11 similar events happening across Canada. Of the 11 events, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta host two events each. Montreal’s event is a small, private affair because larger public events proved not to be viable in Canada’s second largest city. Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut do not hold Gold Medal Plates events.
Gold Medal Plates is a brand of GMP Services Inc., a federally regulated business whose stated purpose is to fundraise, specifically for the Canadian Olympic Foundation. Each year, after salaries of GMP Services Inc. executives, staff, entertainment and myriad expenses for all 11 events, and the followup Canadian Culinary Championships, are paid, a sum of money – usually around $1M in total – is donated by GMP Services Inc. to the Own the Podium Program of the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
The Canadian Olympic Foundation uses the money to help Olympians who have reached a certain level of proficiency and who are found to need financial support. Some evidence suggests that the monetary support has indirectly helped boost Canada’s medal count at recent summer and winter Olympic Games.
’Tis the season
As with most gala type fundraisers, and this is the season for them — for example, Autism NL is holding one on Oct. 14 – beverages, food, silent and live auctions, and entertainment make up the evening. Unlike most fundraising events, GMP Services Inc., instead of hiring a caterer, created a chef competition that requires chefs, for the privilege of competing, to supply most of the food and labour that feeds several hundred guests. Based on St. John’s attendance numbers, our chefs each receive approximately $800 to $1,000 to defray the cost of raw ingredients.
Individual guests pay $350 to attend. Tables of 10 sell for anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000 — if, for example, you want to sit with a current or former Olympic athlete like newly minted Ward 3 councillor Jamie Korab. If you or your company are willing to part with $20,000 (before taxes) you get two tables of 10 along with the addition of preevent branding and something curiously referred to as “special benefits.”
While guests drink, mingle and taste seven dishes created by seven Newfoundland chefs, a group of judges — full disclosure, I was a volunteer senior judge until I quit two years ago — score the dishes on things like taste, texture, presentation, et cetera.
At the end of the evening the gold winner is announced to cap off another evening of raising dollars for the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
In alphabetical order here’s a look at this year’s chefs, their dishes and beverage pairings.
Please note that dish descriptions are reproduced exactly as written by the participating chefs.
Daniel Butler The Gypsy Tea Room and Evoo
Daniel Butler has been a chef for nine years. During those years the Foxtrap native has worked across Canada but settled in St. John’s four years ago. He’s been top chef at Gypsy and Evoo for three years. He describes his cuisine as “locally sourced with global flair.”
Dish: Rabbit braised leg, rillette, apple, partridgeberries, soubise, potato.
Beverage: No Boats on Sunday Apple Cider, Nova Scotia.
Nathan Hornidge Black Salt Catering
Gold Medal Plates began with a culinary competition strictly for restaurant chefs, but over the years, as interest by restaurants and restaurant executive chefs waned, younger chefs and chefs from catering companies have taken part. Nathan Hornidge is with Black Salt Catering. He hails from Vancouver Island and likes to cook with regional flavours.
Dish: Braised moose shank, crisp cod, seal sausage, 5 Brothers Pommes Anna, root vegetable hash, sea buckthorn gastrique, wild chanterelles, local micro greens.
Wine: Pelee Island Pinot Noir Reserve VQA, Ontario.
Nick Jewczyk The Fifth Ticket
Since graduating from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, Nick Jewczyk has become passionate about working with local ingredients. He uses them in dishes prepared with classic and innovative techniques.
Dish: Braised beef cheek and smoked tongue with black garlic purée, tuna tonnato, onion espuma, brussels sprouts and potato glass.
Beverage: Downtown Ship Cove Brown Ale, Port Rexton Brewery, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Maurizio Modica St. John’s Fish Exchange
Maurizio Modica is the most experienced chef competing and the only chef with previous Gold Medal Plates experience, having tried for a medal last year. Prior to joining St. John’s Fish Exchange, he was executive chef at Legros & Motti; before that he developed recipes for, and cooked for, Coleman’s Supermarket in Corner Brook.
Dish: Seared Newfoundland sea scallop crusted with mushroom and pea shoot dust, served with swollen gnocchi and a ragout of spiced pork belly.
Wine: Selkie Rose, Jost, Nova Scotia.
Brian Piercey Bridie Molloy’s and The Celtic Hearth
Having begun his culinary training at the College of the North Atlantic almost 20 years ago, Brian Piercey spent the bulk of his career working as a hotel chef at St. Jude’s in Clarenville and Hotel Newfoundland. For the past several years he’s been running the food service operation for Bridie Molloy’s and The Celtic Hearth.
Dish: Butter poached cod, drawn butter, salt cod brandada, pickled partridgeberry, braised turnip greens, pork fat biscuit.
Wine: Tidal Bay, Jost, Nova Scotia.
Jeremiah Stafford The Reluctant Chef
The state of New South Wales, Australia, is a long way from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; but somehow, NSW farm boy Jeremiah Stafford managed to make it to our beloved land. He says, “If I had to describe the food that my team and I choose to experiment with, it would have to be oscillating between tradition and modern technique.”
Dish: Leamington farm pork belly, Fortune Bay scallop, tomato textures, celeriac, gooseberry gastrique, foraged greens.
Wine: Riesling, Gaspereau Vineyards, Nova Scotia.
Nick Walters The Merchant Tavern
Nick Walters is a St. John’s native and Culinary Management graduate of George Brown College. After graduation and a short stint cooking in Toronto, he moved back to St. John’s. He’s been with The Merchant Tavern since it opened and is currently its chef-de-cuisine.
Dish: Cod with fermented potato, onion and lemon beurre noisette.
Wine: Viognier 2016, TH Wines, British Columbia.
For Gold Medal Plates tickets call (709) 579-4444 or email stjohns@goldmedalplates.com.