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Victoria Day in BC

Chef Fowke

By Chef Fowke
in Western Canada: Dining

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Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

Posted
Posted (edited)

I am going to a friend’s BBQ tomorrow and TONIGHT is going to be a long night. Picture chefs, cooks, servers, foodies, etc all together (50 of us) in a backyard on a beautiful rainy Sunday Victoria Day long weekend afternoon.

Four, 3lbs Wenzel ducks, cured in brine all day (more like a blood bath by the end); were just put on the smoker (11:30pm) for a long, slow charcoal smoke (with mesquite added in the 1st and 11th hour). I am aiming at keeping the smoke’s heat between 60c and 77c. I have added a pan of water to my smoker to help render the fat.

I know for a fact that at least 5 smokers are burning tonight to get ready for this event; Pork butt, brisket, plate and ribs…

Every year THIS BBQ happens on the West Coast…

What other food events are happening this long weekend? Anyone else having a BBQ, event, party; what are the foods being prepared?

Darn…the heat just spiked to 86c…got to run!

Edited by Chef Fowke (log)

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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I ran...but it looks like it was too hot for too long…look at the colour on the duck already, only the first hour!!!

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After a long salt bath, I am surprised the duck has 'thrown' so much blood into its cavity.

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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I am still awake, waiting to refill the fire box:

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Lately, I have been reading a lot about BC Hothouse products, something about them not always been grown in Canada. I buy from a local green grocer and this is what he gets, year round. I love the product for one reason…when I walk into his shop I can SMELL tomatoes! 30 feet way…you can smell them.

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...and the sticker:

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Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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The dish that I am going to make is really simple….the duck, smoked for 12 hours.

Stuffed into a soft shell taco:

505499179_1510dde30e_m.jpg

With a hothouse tomato, scallion, sweet onion and cilantro salsa (heated with chipotle):

505508715_3888e94770_m.jpg

With a jalapeño and lime crème fraiche:

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Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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While I am waiting to feed the coals…here are my new favourite knives…. TWIN Four Star II:

505542453_10b3fc776b_m.jpg

And my new sharpener…I am not sure if I will ever use this in public, but it hones my knives better then any steel I have ever used:

505542429_9004836ddb_m.jpg

Opened and ready to hone:

505542437_05daddefd7_m.jpg

Edited by Chef Fowke (log)

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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Okay, the fire box is hot and glowing:

505523074_9935f1c00e_m.jpg

I will post pictures tomorrow ~ the quintessential West Coast Long Weekend BBQ…looking forward to seeing photos from everyone else weekend adventures!!!!

Happy Victoria Day Weekend.

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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Dude, I can make it happen...

Take the day of, come and photograph this BBQ.

The people want to see what REALLY happens at Hospitality Industry parties....and more importantly, they want to know what hat Arnie is going to be wearing!

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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Soooo......

How are the ducks?  Did you prick the skin so that the fat could render out?

yes, pricked!

....I think I will bring the ducks to the BBQ whole and throw them into a 500f BBQ before I carve them up to crisp the skin.

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

SBonner

SBonner

Posted
Posted (edited)

Nice post! guess I'm off the vip list for Arne's party :huh: Helen and I are actually doing a sous vide version of Tetsuya's signature dish "ocean trout with fennel salad and wakame" for an old family friend visting from Kenya tonight. Smoke duck sounds lovely though.

Stephen

Edited by SBonner (log)

"who needs a wine list when you can get pissed on dessert" Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares 2005

MY BLOG

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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...after a long sleep I can begin to write about the quintessential West Coast BBQ;

• Smoked duck

• Brisket

• Venison, chorizo, Italian (all handmade) sausage

• Grilled Albacore tuna

• Pork ribs ~ done three ways

• Pulled pork ~ done two ways

• Little spicy turnovers

• Smoked white, spring and sockeye salmon

• Smoked and steamed Sablefish collars

• (I am missing a few items…)

After all this, dessert, chocolate overload…I am sure there was a pastry chef in our presence!!

I also saw about 20 people who regularly post on eGullet, so I image more descriptions will appear here soon.

For me, the true West Coast flavour was the Sablefish collars. Never had them before. The meat is the texture of butter. Very messy to dig through the cartilage, but once in; amazing.

And, of course, I have to say that I love Arne’s butt.

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

TimK

TimK

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Posted

My stomach is growling right now. Why oh why did I pass up on this event? And what hat did Arne wear?

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted
Why oh why did I pass up on this event?
Yeah well, we could have used an extra stomach. I have a feeling I'll be eating pork for the next couple weeks :wacko:
And what hat did Arne wear?

gallery_16561_2912_7472.jpg

Arne is sporting a stylish, yet functional Corian© ballcap which today reeks of smoke. The beer's yellow label (Leffe) nicely offsets the smokey surroundings.

This also shows the new smoking-grotto at the Daddy-A household. There are now two Bullets, a Kettle and my favourite addition, a tent!

Some pictures from the weekend's cooking endeavors:

gallery_16561_2912_70077.jpg

Smoked Chicken - Thai Style

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My son prepping ribs

gallery_16561_2912_107811.jpg

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Two ways to increase your Bullet's Rib-capacity

Top - Rib Rack (modifed file holder from Staples)

Bottom - The Nautilus Technique

gallery_16561_2912_68956.jpg

Don't know if you can see the rain ... but believe me it was there!

gallery_16561_2912_2947.jpg

One of 3 Butts to be pulled

gallery_16561_2912_108379.jpg

The Finished Pull

So we're knackered, full, and looking forward to a week of salads. Of course today, the sun has come out.

A.

CanadianBakin'

CanadianBakin'

Posted
Posted

Looks fantastic! Thanks to both of you for posting some of the process.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Orison Swett Marden

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

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Aaaargh! Forgot to add thanks to Chef Fowke for some amazing Smoked Duck Tacos (they make a nice breakfast too!), nwyles for the Brisket and the use of his Bullet and HKDave for the sausage that I completely missed out on!

If I forgot anyone else, I'm blaming the meat-coma I'm enduring today :huh:

A.

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

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I think I speak for all the guests at the BBQ, the only disappointment of the day was (...not the rain) but Arne's choice of BBQ hat. Many of us had talked about which he would wear; for weeks before the BBQ.

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Mooshmouse

Mooshmouse

Posted
Posted
Yeah well, we could have used an extra stomach.  I have a feeling I'll be eating pork for the next couple weeks :wacko:

So we're knackered, full, and looking forward to a week of salads.

Three times as much food as last year, easily.

Forget the salads, Salvesen. Bran's what you need. :raz:

If I forgot anyone else, I'm blaming the meat-coma I'm enduring today :huh:

You're welcome for the pork empanadas. ;)

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted
Thats it...empanadas ~ spicy turnovers!

10/10.

Those were amazing. Can you share the recipe?

Yeah ... I saw them, but never tasted them :sad:

A recipe would go a long way to easing my sorrow.

A.

TimK

TimK

Posted
Posted

Those pictures were pure torture.

Arne, very creative use of the file holder. Will have to use that this summer when I do a little BBQ'ing down south at my mom's place. Brilliant.

I am making sure that I am available next year or is there a repeat event coming soon?

Tim Keller

Rare Restaurant

tim@rarevancouver.com

Metro Restaurant

timkeller@metrodining.ca

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