Toronto is quite a ways north from OC’s New York headquarters, but if you love to eat, this Canadian metropolis is a flourishing culinary hotbed. Here you will find cuisine from any part of the world and a general population of self-proclaimed "foodies" eager to taste it all. “I love it ‘cause you can eat great Tibetan, Jamaican, Korean, Chinese, French, everything. It’s always nice to live in a city I’m completely proud of,” says executive chef and Vice Munchies host Matty Matheson.
Situated in Parkdale, a neighborhood in the west end of the city is Parts & Labour, the joint where Matty whips up his inventive creations using seasonal and local ingredients while still affirming the notion that “butter = better”—amen to that! In the midst of the Chrismahanukwanzaka season, we forego standard holiday fare for more sophisticated feasting, fit for the lucky Epicureans in your life. Matty, who describes his style of cooking as “refined gluttony” shows, us how easy it can be to pull together a delicious festive dish using not-so-everyday ingredients, including persimmons, buttercup squash, and chicken of the woods mushrooms.
Persimmon Roasted Quail
Yields 4 portions
Ingredients:
- 4 quail
- 2 persimmons
- 2 tbs of good maple syrup
- 1 lb of chicken of the woods mushrooms
- 2 white radicchios
- 2 treviso radicchios
- 1 buttercup pumpkin
- 2 tbs mustard seeds
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- 500 ml demi glace
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 bunch of tarragon
- 1 bunch of thyme
- 1 orange
- 1 head of garlic
- 1/2 lbs of unsalted butter roughly
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and a pepper mill
Preparation:
Pumpkin puree:
Step 1. Pre heat oven to 350.
Step 2. Cut pumpkin in half and discard the seeds.
Step 3. Place pumpkin skin-side down and place knobs of butter in the middle.
Step 4. Drizzle maple syrup and olive oil over pumpkin segments.
Step 5. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 6. Bake until golden brown and soft.
Step 7. Peel all the pumpkin "meat" away from the skin.
Step 8. Puree in a blender with 4 tbs of cold butter until smooth as a baby's bottom.
Roast quail:
Step 1. On med-high heat in a large heavy bottom pan place 3 tbs of butter and 2 tbs of olive oil.
Step 2. Season quail liberally with salt and pepper.
Step 3. Place in the pan breast side down. You want to sear it gently so its golden brown.
Step 4. Now throw in some garlic cloves and a few sprigs of thyme.
Step 5. Using a spoon, baste the quail with the butter in the pan, bathing it in the golden butter oil emulsion.
Chicories Salad Dressing:
Step 1. Mince the tarragon, garlic, and parsley finely. Chop up the red chili pepper and discard the seeds.
Step 2. Rasp in some orange zest and juice of the whole fruit. Add enough that all the herbs are about to drown but don't let them.
Step 3. Stir with a spoon ever so lightly—don't want to mash this up.