CARAMBA! RESTAURANT

Signature Cioppino

“It starts by saving everything: crab shells, lobster shells, halibut bones, we save it all and freeze it for a stock,” says James Paré, Caramba chef and co-owner, detailing the many, many steps it takes over three days to make their signature cioppino. The process includes roasting shells to simmering a delicate fumet fish stock to blending aromatics and eventually assembling the dish, using confit potatoes from nearby Pemberton’s North Arm Farm, blanched leeks, prawns, scallops, shaved fresh fennel, made-in-house garlic-rubbed grilled sourdough and Ocean Wise albacore tuna resting on top as the star of the dish. The result is a plate-licker of a dish, with a rich tomato-saffron broth bobbing with juicy seafood, aromatic fresh vegetables and meltingly tender tuna. “Oh, it’s really basic,” Paré says modestly. “But it’s all in the preparation — it’s how we like to build flavours.”

That attention to detail (and glorious Mediterranean flavours) is what’s kept Caramba buzzing with generations of Whistler diners for the past 25 years, and Chef Paré is determined to do his part to keep seafood on the menu for generations to come. “It’s simple: If you want to keep using great seafood products, you can’t overfish them. It’s our duty as chefs to make sure that we give our guests quality ingredients that are sustainable, which tie into the local seasons.”

As diners become more knowledgeable, the demand for higher welfare and sustainable products increases. “When our guests see the Ocean Wise symbol on the menu, they know they’re doing their part. Seafood is as seasonal as asparagus. Things are changing slowly, and it’s great that we can showcase great B.C. products like our beautiful albacore tuna, prawns and scallops, all in one dish!”

604-938-1879 | carambarestaurant.com