The forest on the plate
CHRONICLE / There's something in the air, I'd say. An undercurrent, perhaps.
For the past year or two, voices have been saying and repeating the importance of putting the flavors of Quebec at the heart of the plate by (re)discovering everything that grows on our territory, in the wild.
This excerpt is taken from an article by Karine Tremblay published in Le Droit Numérique . After L'érable et la perdrix (which I told you about last week), a very recent book that focuses on the history of our Quebec cuisine, here comes a somewhat related work. This one is more practical. Signed by Simon-Pierre Murdock, Cuisine sauvage reflects the same interest in everything that grows in our landscape. Above all, it invites the reader to dare to prepare dune pepper, fir, and sweet clover. "With this book, it's quite simple: I want to give people a taste for cooking with wild ingredients. To achieve this, I give them very concrete tools," explains the founder of the company Morille Québec. His brand, which sells different types of boreal spices and dried wild mushrooms, was born in 2008. Thanks to a basket of morels, of course. "I had found a good quantity of these mushrooms by chance. I sold some of my harvest to a local restaurant and with the scales, I prepared a delicious pasta dish with white wine and cream." As he dug his fork into the tasty supper, Simon-Pierre had an idea, a flash: he had to make the little-known mushroom more accessible to Quebec consumers. At the time, it took a certain amount of vision to embark on such a business project built around the marketing of dehydrated wild mushrooms. The boreal food pantry was not yet the "in" concept it has become today. "But in recent years, we've noticed a change, we've seen a reappropriation of our local ingredients. Just think of the gins that have appeared in recent years: many are flavored with wild herbs. Consumers are following the trend. We've noticed a growing interest in everything that comes from the boreal terroir." Except that, as interested as they may be, they don't necessarily know how to showcase these ingredients which, until very recently, were not part of their usual menu. Hence the idea of publishing a range of simple yet inspiring recipes, notes Simon-Pierre Murdoch. He's neither a chef nor a culinary school graduate, but he's been wielding a spatula and wooden spoon since he was a child.
“I grew up in a family where we spent a lot of time behind the stove,” explains the Saguenay native.
Alongside his father, the man who grew up in the Lac aux Brumes area quickly learned to prepare dishes over the fire with whatever grew around.
“When I was a child, my parents gave me a book about Quebec flora and fauna. It fascinated me.”
The fascination is still there. Tenfold. And fueled by the ever-growing appetite for creating delicious things from boreal finds.
"My approach to cooking is quite simple. I cook a lot with fruits and vegetables, which take up half of my plate. And for the rest, I use the rawest ingredients possible, favoring Quebec foods."
Still, compiling a collection of his delicious dishes was a major challenge.
"I wanted to present recipes that were easy to make. Forest products often have a more vegetal taste, with a bit of bitterness. So I had to measure them carefully and combine them with ingredients that would balance the flavors."
In total, 80 recipes divided according to the seasons are included in the collection.
“I use around fifty forest ingredients.”
And not just the ones they market with Morille Québec.
"I showcase various products marketed by different companies. I'm thinking of Gourmet Sauvage or Océan de saveurs, for example. And I'd like others to get into the wild food niche. I hope the demand is so great that it stimulates this type of food entrepreneurship."
That's a bet that's won on the plate. One recipe at a time.
Key spring ingredients
Now that April is upon us, spring is just around the corner. And with it, morel season.
"It's a mushroom that has a slightly nutty flavor, a scent of forest and foie gras. It adds a touch of umami to dishes. As soon as the snow melts, we start to see it appear. It's always exciting to find one because it tells us that summer is coming."
The best way to cook the woody gem is with cream, "in puff pastry, for example. Or with fresh pasta, in a Parmesan sauce to which you could add fiddleheads, another staple of spring whose flavor is somewhat reminiscent of asparagus," says Simon-Pierre.
During the short season, they are usually found in supermarkets. Some people are still hesitant to add them to their shopping cart because they have a reputation for being toxic if not prepared properly.
"To make them fit for consumption, you just need to blanch them in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes," says the man who reminds us that the daisy is not just a pretty sun to be stripped of its petals.
The buds of the white flower are best picked and pickled in May and June.
"To preserve them, we macerate them in cider vinegar, with some herbs. This produces a product similar to capers and we cook them as such."
The daisy is common enough that there's little fear of making a mistake when it comes to harvesting it. But that's not the case with all native plants.
Not just anyone can become a picker.
"When in doubt, don't harvest," insists the author.
“I’ve written a few texts to guide people, but my book is really focused on cooking and not on gathering. Because you need a certain background to venture into the forest, choose what to harvest and do it in an eco-responsible way.”
Even more so when it comes to mushrooms: some are highly toxic. If you confuse one variety with another, the risk of poisoning is real and should not be taken lightly.
"What I always suggest is taking a training course. Some CEGEPs offer it, as do mycology circles. There are several resources available, and you really need support before you get started."
+
Super syrup
I ask Simon-Pierre which boreal favorite he would like to share.
His answer was immediate: cherry syrup. Without hesitation.
“It comes from the yellow birch tree and can easily replace balsamic vinegar with its slightly bitter taste and floral touch.”
The Escuminac sugar shack sells them.
Conifers to savor
In the aisle of easy-to-identify, easy-to-prepare ingredients, there are conifers.
“They are underestimated, but they are full of vitamin C. I cook a lot with cedar, fir and spruce shoots.”
For example?
“I mix cedar into my coffee powder to make a cortado. The essential oils from the cedar add a delicious aroma to the cup. I also make a delicious beef and fir tartare. The conifers add a lot of flavor and texture to the dishes.”
