Tag: chef Christopher Chafe

Recipe: Oka Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Posted on by Sharman

Alberta Pork is a proud sponsor of Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. For this year’s holiday dinner, Fairmont JPL executive chef Christopher Chafe and his culinary team featured Alberta Pork and Alberta Milk & Dairy Farmers of Canada by serving up an Oka crusted pork tenderloin.

What you’ll need…

1 small pork tenderloin
1 tbsp salted butter
4 slices of Oka cheese (approximately 20 grams each)
a few sprigs of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and/or sage
canola oil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice tenderloin into four medallions; pat dry with a paper towel and season with oil, salt and pepper. Set aside for 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Sear pork medallions on one side until dark golden crust is formed. Flip and sear on the other side. Add butter and fresh herbs and baste the pork with the melted butter in the pan as the medallion is cooking.
  3. Once pork is seared on both sides transfer to a baking sheet and top with sliced cheese. Place pork medallion s in the oven and cook until an internal temperature of 155F is reached and the cheese is melted, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for a few minutes until ready to serve.

Recipe: Fairmont JPL’s Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Bisque

Posted on by Sharman

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge‘s Executive Chef Christopher Chafe and his culinary team served an incredible number of meals to three waves of guests at this year’s Christmas in November. As part of the 30th anniversary menu, chef Chafe shared a Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Bisque that warmed my soul, and my belly.

The tasty twist in this BLT soup is the popped lentils, which give the smoky bacon soup a wonderful crunch. * You’ll need to pop the lentils overnight before making this savoury soup, but it’s worth it!

What you’ll need…

Popped lentils
¼ cup green lentils
¾ cup vegetable stock or water
¼ cup canola oil

Bacon lardons
20 strips thick cut bacon

Tomato Bisque
1 thyme spring
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
½ tsp peppercorns
2 onion; chopped
1 fresh red peppers; chopped
1 celery stalk; chopped
4 cloves garlic; minced
4-500mL can of tomatoes
2 L (8 Cups) vegetable stock or water
½ bunch basil; thinly sliced
200 mL whipping cream
to taste kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and sour cream

Directions:

Popped lentils
One day prior to making the soup, Cook over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain.

Set on an oiled baking sheet one layer thick, in a preheated oven at the lowest temperature setting (160 F) overnight.

The next day, heat a frying pan with ¼ cup of canola oil until oil is about to smoke.

Fry the dehydrated lentils in the shallow frying pan in the hot canola oil until crispy. Drain and reserve.

Bacon lardons
Lay out bacon on a sheet tray one slice at a time and ensure that they do not touch each other.

Bake in preheated oven, 14 minutes or until done, in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F. Drain fat and reserve aside to cool.

Chop bacon into coarse bacon bits.

Tomato Bisque
Strain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice.

Lightly coat the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes at 450˚F for 30 minutes and set aside.

Make a spice bag (sachet). Use a piece of cheesecloth and place the thyme sprig, bay leaves, fennel seeds and peppercorns. You can tie the sachet with a piece of string to keep it together.

In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and celery in 2tbsp olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Add the roasted tomatoes and juice. Add your sachet, a pinch of salt and reduce for 10 min bringing remaining moisture from the tomatoes. Add the stock and simmer for another half hour.

Remove the sachet; add in half the basil and purée the soup in your blender until the smooth.

Using a fine sieve strain the soup back into your pot. Add the whipping cream and bring to a simmer. Set aside and keep warm.

To assemble, add half a teaspoon of crispy lentils and half a teaspoon of bacon bits to the bottom of the bowl, ladle in a serving of the soup, and spoon in a dollop of sour cream you may add some fresh ground pepper and basil as additional garnish. Enjoy!

Recipe: Pork Tenderloin Medallions & Braised Cheek

Posted on by Sharman

Each year at Christmas in November, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge‘s Executive Chef Christopher Chafe shares his passion for pork through a variety of Alberta Pork dishes. From the opening reception featuring a pig roast, to glazed ham at the farewell brunch – a beautiful bite of pork is never far away during each of the three night packages.

For the past few years, Alberta Pork has proudly sponsored the Gala Night dinner. This year, chef Chafe and his team treated guests to Alberta pork served two ways. Tenderloin medallions and braised pork cheeks were served alongside carrot and curry squash puree, queen violet fingerlings, clamshell mushrooms and twin meadow’s zucchini and a tarragon mustard jus – proving just how lovely pork can be for your feature holiday meal.

Alberta Pork Tenderloin Medallions & Braised Cheek

8 – 3 oz Alberta pork tenderloin medallions
8 – 3 oz Alberta pork cheeks
3 cups dark stock: chicken or pork or veal
1 cup dry red wine
1 small onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 small carrot, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 rib of celery, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
5 tbsp canola oil
to taste – salt and pepper

Pork Cheeks
Season pork cheeks with salt and pepper. Lightly coat the cheeks with approximately 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Sear in a heavy bottom sauce pot until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the cheeks from the pain. Add in the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Saute until nicely browned but not burnt. Deglaze the pan with red wine and reduce by half.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the pork cheeks and fresh herbs. Cover with an oven-proof lid or wrap with foil. Place into a 300F oven and cook for approximately 2.5 hours, or until cheeks are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove cheeks and allow to cool.

Can be made ahead and kept warm or reheated. Reserve braising liquid to make the tarragon mustard jus (recipe below).

Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Heat a heavy bottomed saute pan to medium high heat. Season medallions with salt and pepper and place in saute pan. Brown nicely on both sides until well caramelized. If needed, place into a hot oven until internal temperature of 140F is reached. Allow to rest before serving.

Tarragon Mustard Jus
Reserved braising liquid from the pork tenderloin recipe

1 tbsp chopped tarragon
2 tsp grain mustard
to taste – salt and pepper

Place braising liquid back onto stove and reduce to sauce consistency. If needed mix equal parts corn starch and cold water into a slurry and add a bit at a time to the liquid until sauce consistency is reached.

Finish with the chopped tarragon and grain mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain liquid and cool down or keep warm until ready to serve.

Carrot & Curry Squash Puree

1 medium sized red curry squash, peeled and approximately 8 oz, cut into small pieces
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and approximately 8 oz, cut into small pieces
to cover, water
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp heavy cream
to taste – salt and pepper

Place carrots into a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil then simmer until both are tender and easy to puree. Drain the water and place the veg into a blender and puree with butter and part of the heavy cream. Puree until smooth adding more cream if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Queen Violet Fingerlings
6 large queen violet fingerling potatoes, cut into coins 1 cm thick (or any variety of fingerling)
2 Tbsp canola oil
to taste – salt and pepper

Toss potatoes in canola oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400F oven until lightly browned and tender. Keep warm until ready to serve.