Recipe: The Common’s spring chicken stuffed with ground pork

From March 8-17, 2019, Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Downtown Dining Week (DTDW). This year, the 10-day event will include special fixed-price lunch, dinner and brunch menus from nearly 50 participating Downtown restaurants.

The Common‘s chef Jesse Morrison- Gauthier, who holds the record for hosting four Swine and Dine dinners, is featuring a spring chicken stuffed with ground pork and served with Swiss cheese, potato puree and beans as an option for his $30 DTDW dinner menu. The Common is always a favourite among DTDW diners, and with a gluten-free pork dish on the menu, you can be sure I’ll stopping it to try this three-course dinner:

Course 1 (choose one)
Goat Cheese Gratin –  leek, potato and beet juice (gluten free, vegetarian)
March Salad – beet, yam, sesame brittle, rocket, creme fresh, and pomegranate dressing (gluten free, vegetarian)
Beef Sashimi – rib eye, morels, popcorn, and miso vinaigrette

Course 2 (choose one)
Moroccan Stew – chickpea stew with arancini, pickled cabbage, and grill bread (vegetarian, gluten free bread avail)
Spring Chicken – stuffed with ground pork, Swiss cheese, with potato puree and beans (gluten free)

Course 3
Banana Split – Brûléed banana, pineapple ice cream, brownie, and strawberry coulis (gluten free, vegetarian)

 

THE COMMON’S SPRING CHICKEN STUFFED WITH GROUND PORK
Swiss cheese, with potato puree and beans
Serves two

Chef Morrison- Gauthier happily shared his recipe for his pork-stuffed chicken. Pop into The Common from March 8 – 17, 2019 for a taste of the original, which is sure to taste best with one of the Common’s signature cocktails.

What you’ll need…

2-6 ounce chicken breasts, skin on
1 cup ground pork
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp red wine vinegar

2 slices Emmental cheese

1 large starchy potato such as russet
1 small leek
3 tsp salted butter

½ cup canned kidney beans
¼ cup blanched green beans
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup blanched corn niblets
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp first press (also known as cold-pressed) Alberta canola oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

For the chicken

Pre heat oven to 420 degrees F

Cut a pocket into the chicken breast by horizontally slicing into the side and unfold the chicken.

Combine the ground pork with all the spices, herbs, sugar and vinegar. Mix well so all the ingredients are combined. Making small patties, put the ground pork onto the bottom fold of chicken making sure the ground pork is tucked nicely inside.

Lay the slice of Emmental cheese on top of the ground pork and close the remaining flap on top.

Heat a frying pan up with 1 tbsp canola oil and sear the chicken breast on both sides. Finish in oven with a weight on top of the chicken breasts and cook until the internal temperature reaches 170f / 70 c.

 

For the potato puree

Cut and dice the leek and rinse thoroughly then sweat in a small sauce pan with 1 tsp butter until soft.

Peel and dice potato while leeks are sweating then add to small sauce pan, fill with water to just cover and cook until fork tender. Once potatoes are fork tender remove from heat and let stand five minutes.

Drain all water and transfer to a food processor and blend while still hot adding the 2-remaining tsp of butter in slowly. Season with salt to taste.

 

For the Beans

Combine all beans, corn, tomatoes in a large bowl and marinate in sherry vinegar. Chop fresh parsley and combine with bean salad and add first press canola, s 7 p and toss in bowl.

For plating: lay down potato puree first, then bean salad, once chicken is cooked slice into medallions and place on top of bean salad. Deglaze frying pan with some of the juice from the bean salad and drizzle pan juice atop chicken. Enjoy!

Edmonton’s Downtown Dining Week March 10 – 19, 2017

Downtown Dining Week: March 10 – 19, 2017

Pork and wild mushroom Vol au Vent at Zinc Restaurant

For the next ten days, over 30 of Edmonton’s downtown restaurants will feature two-course lunches for $15, three-course dinners for $28, or an Executive dinner for $45.

The event is the perfect opportunity to treat your taste buds to a variety of flavours throughout the downtown core, but without breaking the bank; I look forward to Edmonton’s Downtown Business Associations annual Downtown Dining Week each year.

For a full list of participating restaurants and menus visit the Downtown Business Association’s website. This year there are loads of options for those of us who have a passion for pork. I’ve created a hit list of restaurants featuring pork dishes you won’t want to miss:

Zinc Restaurant’s Chef Dave Omar is featuring a pork and wild mushroom Vol au Vent

$15 Lunch

Atlas Steak & Fish
Chopped Canada winner Chef Shelly Robinson is serving up spaghetti carbonara made with Josper smoked pork belly, garlic, parsley crumbs, Grana Panado, and a poached egg at Atlas Steak & Fish in the Edmonton Ice District.

Zinc Restaurant
Zinc Restaurant’s Chef Dave Omar is featuring a pork and wild mushroom Vol au Vent with bechemel and pickled Saskatoon berries on his Downtown Dining Week lunch menu.

The Free Press Bistro
For a dose of comfort food, head over the The Free Press Bistro for their BBQ pulled pork sandwich pressed on ciabbata bread and served with house potato chips.

$28 Dinner

The Common
Chef Jesse Morrison is offering a braised warm cabbage salad with bacon on his $28 dinner menu at The Common. This dish made an appearance on their recent Swine & Dine menu in January and it was delicious!

$45 Executive Dinner

Crash Lobby Bar
Chef Nathin Bye is at the helm of one of Edmonton’s newest restaurants – Crash Lobby Bar. For the executive menu, Chef Bye is introducing diners to his Brussel sprout & bacon dish featuring Moroccan spice fried chickpeas.

Chef Larry Stewart is serving a heritage pork chop at Hardware Grill

Hardware Grill
Chef Larry Stewart is sharing his love of Alberta pork on his executive menu at Hardware Grill by featuring a heritage pork chop white bean Cassoulet with bacon.

Chef Alberto’s Prosciutto Affumicato at Sorrentinos

Madison’s Grill
Start your three-course dinner at Madison’s Grill off with the duet of pork – hickory smoked jowl with braised cheek paired with spicy blackberry gastric & chipotle tossed frisee.

Sorrentinos
Chef Alberto shares his house-made smoked ham wrapped around honey melon pickles and layered on a crostini at Sorrentinos Downtown. The Prosciutto Affumicato is availailable as a starter on the three-course executive dinner.

The Marc
Over at The Marc, Chef Bryan Cruz is featuring an organic pork chop served with smoked paprika spaetzle, lettuce greens, garlic, and espelette oil.

Normand’s Bistro
Warm your belly with a winter duck ragout with braised pork belly, mashed potatoes & vegetables at Normand’s Bistro located in the Citadel Theatre.

Share
Pop in to Share at The Westin where the downtown dining week executive menu features a Bear and the Flower grapefruit beer brined pork chop with corn and chorizo fricassee with braised Alberta wild rice, and citrus honey glazed heritage carrots..

Sabor
Check out Chef Lino’s take on surf and turf at Sabor with a Valenciana paella made with chicken, pork, seafood, saffron rice, and vegetables.

 

Sabor’s Valenciana paella made with chicken, pork, seafood, saffron rice, and vegetables.

A pork-lovers guide to Edmonton’s Downtown Dining Week

IMG_4232
Chef Omar’s Alberta Pork Head to Hock at Zinc Restaurant – photo courtesy of YEG blogger Little Miss Andrea

 

It is not too late to get in on one of my favourite times of the year – the Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association‘s Downtown Dining Week.

For ten days, an assortment of downtown’s restaurants offer up a two course lunch menu for $15, or a three-course menu for $28 or $48. The opportunity to experience a set menu (often featuring specials not on the regular menu) at phenomenal prices is too much to pass up; I try to hit as many restaurants a I can.

This year there are 34 restaurants participating. From the bacon garnish on Chef Ryan O’flynn’s Alberta Chick’erel dish at The Westin’s Share Restaurant to the Chef David Omar’s plate featuring Alberta pork head to hock at Zinc, a number of this year’s chefs are featuring pork.

You have until Sunday March 22nd to enjoy Downtown Dining Week, and if you love pork as much as I do, check out one of these restaurant menus:

Zinc Restaurant
Hock Posole soup, green cabbage, hominy corn, fresh lime
Alberta Pork Head to Hock
Head Terrine with apple, shallot, herbs on sourdough crostini
Shoulder Braised with pomegranate molasses on puy lentils
Loin Miso marinated tenderloin, fresh daikon and pepper salad
Belly House cured and smoked belly, potato rosti, quail egg
Hock Posole soup, green cabbage, hominy corn, cilantro, fresh lime

Lux's Chorizo & Corn Fritter
Lux’s Chorizo & Corn Fritter

The Common
Pork Meatballs with gnocchi carbonara

 

Lux Steakhouse & Bar
Baked Potato Soup creamy, chives, bacon bits, sour cream
Chorizo & Corn Fritter maple dijon aioli, apple salad

Hardware Grill
Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Meat Balls simple Tomato Sauce & Pecorino Cheese

 

The Free Press Bistro
Pulled Pork Pressed Sandwich pork loin slow cooked and pulled in BBQ sauce, pressed with mozzarella on ciabatta bread
Muffaletta capricolla ham, salami, corned beef, and black olive tapenade, pressed with mozzarella on ciabatta bread
Schnitzel pork tenderloin thinly pounded and breaded. Served with our famous house-cut fries

 

Share
Tundra Cassoulet Irving’s Farm pork belly, Canadian goose, lamb, bison sausage, white northern bean, and root vegetable
Alberta Chick’erel Alberta fresh lake pickerel in crispy free range chicken skin, wild chanterelle mushrooms, spiced sweet potato puree, bacon, and wild mushroom volute

Chef O'Flynn's Alberta Chick’erel with bacon at Share Restaurant
Chef O’Flynn’s Alberta Chick’erel with bacon at Share Restaurant

The Harvest Room
Nova Scotia Lobster Chowder Lobster claw meat, boar bacon, fingerling potatoes, mussels, corn

 

The Marc Restaurant
Canard aux Petit Pois seared duck breast, peas, pearl onion, lardons, frisee, carrot puree, ginger beer mustard

 

Rostizado
Frijoles Charros pinto beans and Alberta pork belly, stewed in a rich broth, topped with sliced jalapeños, chicharron, and queso fresco
Cemita de Guisado slow braised, shredded pork sandwich, served on a fresh made, toasted black sesame bun. Topped with shredded queso Oaxaca

 

Sorrentino’s Downtown
Fennel Crusted Grilled Pork Chop red wine caramelized onions, apple confit, spinach risotto
Grilled Chicken sundried tomato butter, warm truffle potato salad, oyster mushrooms, boar bacon
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad meyer lemon dressing, prosciutto crisp, sieved egg, asiago

 

Select
Chicken Masala Perogies sautéed bacon and onion, tamarind yogurt

 

Hoang Long Casual Fare
Kimchi Noodle Soup with pork shoulder
Pork Banh Mi
Pork Steam Bao with hoisin sauce

 

De Dutch Pannekoek House
Ham, Edam & Pineapple Tostie choice of sourdough or whole grain bread, grilled with ham, edam, and pineapple

 

La Ronde
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast chorizo sausage and asiago stuffing, red currant jus, rice pilaf

 

Fionn MacCool’s
Bacon Clam Linguini

 

Wildflower Grill Edmonton
Organic Chicken Breast Supreme chasseur mushroom sauce | smoked bacon, fingerling potato | truffle | balsamic glazed beets

 

The Burg 
The “Norm” Burg 8oz beef patty with aged cheddar, house made bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Burg Sauce

 

Central Social Hall (Downtown location)
Kale Caesar Salad Croutons, bacon, parmesan, scratch made caper dressing
Cheddar Bacon Burger Lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, scratch spicy relish, garlic mayo, served with your choice of side
Bacon & Deviled Eggs Red pepper relish aioli

 

Chop Steakhouse & Bar
The Chop Burger a hand-formed burger with aged white cheddar, double smoked bacon, Dijon, onion relish and basil aioli on a toasted kaiser. Served with our Chop cut fries
Caesar Salad double smoked bacon, shaved Grana Padano

 

Normand’s Bistro
Chicken Cutlet baked with parm ham mozzarella, saute potato arugula salad

 

Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar
Walnut, Pecorino & Prosciutto Pizza

 

The Old Spaghetti Factory
Chorizo Sandwich served with fries
Baby Back Ribs served with choice of spaghetti or fries

 

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
Pulled Pork Sandwich House made pulled pork on a garlic herb bun, served with julienne fries and “super” slaw