BEARFOOT BISTRO

Quebec Red Deer Loin with Quince Mostarda

When the leaves fall from the trees and the temperature drops below zero, Executive Chef Melissa Craig couldn’t be happier. “I love the feeling right when the weather changes. I just love to cook when it’s cold — I start to think about warm food, and I just want to be in the kitchen and around family.” Craig grew up canning with her mother, but at the Bearfoot, the preservation process is thoroughly in the 21st century: no boiling pans or steaming pressure cookers here. Instead, the team works with sous vide vac packs, which can be stored in the fridge and last forever. “It’s just better in the restaurants,” she says. “Those jars can take up so much space! And the results are the same.” Bringing the bright taste of summer to the winter menu is a point of pride here. “I would never, for instance, serve a tomato from California. But a local Pemberton tomato, confit-in-oil since summer? That we’ll serve. That’s what we’ve always done here at the Bearfoot. We take the best and have that year-round.” Inspiration for this dish comes from the red deer from Quebec. “It’s just the best I’ve ever had,” she enthuses. “Super lean, clean, and no one else will have it, so it’s really nice that we do.” Accompanied by puréed quince and a compressed confit quince, this dish brings a splash of summer warmth to winter’s chill. 604-932-3433 | bearfootbistro.com