Enjoy great Canadian dishes while flying
Vancouver chef/restaurateur David Hawksworth says his airline food is ‘very light’
Canadian chefs are infiltrating the skies.
Staring Oct.1, Vancouver chef David Hawksworth unveils nine signature dishes that you can eat free on Air Canada flights — but only if you fly international business class.
The patriotic creations are made from sablefish, chicken, yellowfin tuna, prawns, duck, smoked trout and chocolate. Other Hawksworth dishes will be served free in Maple Leaf Lounges. Chef C.V.: The 45-year-old chef opened Hawksworth Restaurant in downtown Vancouver in 2011 serving contemporary Canadian cuisine. He previously spent a decade cooking in Europe in Michelin-starred kitchens, and in 2008 became the youngest chef inductee into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame. He runs the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship Foundation, which hands out $10,000 annually. The contest: When Air Canada wanted a “unique Canadian perspective” on its food, a team started visiting restaurants and chatting up chefs. It shortlisted 30 Canadian chefs and then narrowed the list to five. Hawksworth “really won our hearts and stomachs,” Craig Landry, vicepresident of marketing, said at a launch event. What Air Canada says:
“As a proud Canadian brand, we see the opportunity to showcase the very best of Canadian-influenced menus designed by one of Canada’s most respected and award-winning chefs,” Landry said in a news release. What the chef says:
Hawksworth calls this partnership a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and “a culinary dream come true.” Living on the west coast, he has “a lot of influence from the ocean” and from the “tremendous Asian population.” He promises to keep his airline food “very light.”
Tamari-Roasted Sablefish With Chili Miso Vinaigrette
Star Tested Air Canada wouldn’t share its chef David Hawksworth recipe, but I found this version of his brined sablefish on the Internet and combined it with a vinaigrette adapted from Bon Appétit.
I found sablefish (black cod) at Loblaws and specialty fishmongers. It is rich and buttery and has a high oil content. Sablefish: 3/4 cup (175 mL) light brown sugar 1 cup (250 mL) each: boiling water,
sake 1-3/4 cups (425 mL) tamari 2 red Thai bird’s eye chilies, minced Handful chopped cilantro leaves 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece ginger, peeled, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped Finely grated zest of 1 orange Four, 5-oz (140-g) pieces sablefish (black cod) 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil Chili Miso Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup (60 mL) grapeseed or canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice 1 t bsp (15 mL) each: t amari, unseasoned rice vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) white miso paste 1 red Thai bird’s eye chili, seeded, minced 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame seeds 1/2 tsp (2 mL) grated peeled ginger For serving: 2 cups (500 mL) cooked brown rice 4 cups (1L) cooked l eafy greens/vegetables (such as baby bok choy, carrots, mushrooms) To brine fish, in bowl, dissolve sugar in water. Add sake, tamari, chilies, cilantro, ginger, garlic and orange zest. Refrigerate until cold. Add fish. Brine eight hours to overnight in fridge. To cook, remove fish from brine and pat dry, discarding brine.
Heat oil in large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish in pan, skin side up. Cook until lightly browned around edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to preheated 400F (200C) oven. Roast until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes depending on thickness. Fish will swell and firm up. To check for doneness, press flesh gently with your finger. It should be just soft and the flakes will have turned from translucent to opaque and want to separate.
Meanwhile, for vinaigrette, in medium bowl, combine grapeseed or canola oil, lime, tamari, vinegar, miso, Thai chili, sesame oil, sesame seeds and ginger. Whisk until miso has dissolved.
To serve, place 1/2 cup (125 mL) rice on each of four plates. Top each with one piece of fish. Arrange one cup (250 mL) greens or vegetables alongside. Drizzle each portion to taste with vinaigrette, or pass separately.
Makes four servings. jbain@thestar.ca