Classically trained, and hailing from Lyon, France, Executive Chef Alain Pignard brings an international flavor to the restaurants at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montréal, Canada. He graciously shares three of his recipes for Gaspésie Seafood Poutine with Perron Cheddar, White Wine and Salted Herb Sauce; Small Lobster Charlotte from Gaspé and its Carpaccio with Oriental flavors, and Abitibi Sturgeon Caviar; and Tartare of Smoked Salmon Trout with Golden Beetroot and Blue Potatoes, Quail’s Eggs and Sturgeon Caviar from Abitibi, with Maple Vinegar and Cranberry Vinaigrette.
I had the opportunity to experience Chef Alain Pignard’s culinary vision while I had dinner at the restaurant, Le Montréalais, during my stay at the hotel in July 2011. There I learned that he honed his craft internationally working at such renowned hotels as the Hotel des Ambassadeurs in Paris; the Hotel Dorchester in London where he worked under the celebrated Chef Anton Mossiman; and the Cavalieri Hilton in Rome where he was Chef Saucier of the internationally acclaimed restaurant, La Pergola, before joining the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in 1999. Since joining the Fairmont, he has worked as Chef Saucier at the Beaver Club, as the Chef for Le Montréalais, the Sous Chef of the main kitchens, as well as working closely with John Cordeaux as his Executive Sous-Chef, culminating with his present position of Executive Chef.
Chef Alain Pignard likes to use Canadian products in his culinary creations, and states, "I feel the Chef of Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth has a great responsibility to promote the high-quality products of Quebec, and particularly those produced by the small specialized farmers."
One of his career highlights was the opportunity to cook for Chef Paul Bocuse, unanimously recognized as the chef of the century at an event in homage to Paul Bocuse for the launch of the Montréal High Lights Festivals, to which he stated, "Paul Bocuse inspired today’s cuisine. It was an honor to cook for the most respected and best-known chef in the world, and few chefs are given such an opportunity in their careers." Another highlight was being chosen by La Maison de la France to create a gourmet dinner for the "Bourses France 2000" event with world-renowned Chef Alain Ducasse.
Executive Chef Alain Pignard
Chef Alain Pignard is an award-winning chef whose many prestigious awards include Chef of the Year for Montréal by the Société des chefs, cuisiniers et pâtissiers du Québec consecutively in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he also received the national title of Top Québec Chef by the Société.
Executive Chef Alain Pignard’s Menu
Gaspésie Seafood Poutine with Perron Cheddar, White Wine and Salted Herb Sauce
Small Lobster Charlotte from Gaspé and its Carpaccio with
Oriental flavors, and Abitibi Sturgeon Caviar
Tartare of Smoked Salmon Trout with Golden Beetroot and
Blue Potatoes,
Quail’s Eggs and Sturgeon Caviar from Abitibi, with Maple Vinegar
and Cranberry Vinaigrette
Gaspésie Seafood Poutine with Perron Cheddar, White Wine and Salted Herb Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
| 8.5 | Ounces (240 grams) | Thinly sliced French fries (pommes allumettes) |
| 16 | Scallops 10/20 | |
| 12 | Raw Shrimp 16/20 | |
| 8.5 | Ounces (240 grams) | Perron Cheddar Cheese Curds |
White Wine Sauce Ingredients:
| 1 | French Shallot | |
| 0.3 | Ounces (1 cl) | Olive Oil |
| 3.4 | Ounces (1 dl) | Dry White Wine |
| 34 | Ounces (1 liter) | Chicken Stock |
| 0.3 | Ounces (1 cl) | Cream (35%) |
| 0.5 | Teaspoon | Cornstarch |
| 1 | Teaspoon | Salted Herbs |
Method: Place potatoes in large bowl filled with cold water and let sit at least one hour and up to 24 hours for extra crispy fries.
Method for the white wine sauce: In a non-reactive (stainless steel or enamel) saucepan, cook shallots in olive oil without browning. Add the wine, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to bubble and reduce. Add chicken stock and reduce by three-quarters of its volume. Mix cornstarch and cream together, blend until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Pour into sauce and add salted herbs.
In a deep fryer set to 250° F (116° C), blanch the fries for about 2 minutes. Let them rest for about 5 minutes. Then, fry them again for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a tray lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Salt and reserve.
Quickly sauté scallops and shrimps in a little olive oil. Season. Plate fries in a shallow bowl, garnish with cheese curds and seafood. Pour sauce on top and serve immediately.
Serves 10
Ingredients:
| 10 | Lobsters, 1-pound/0.45 kg, each | |
| Chives | ||
| 1 | Small Red Pepper, diced | |
| 1 | Teaspoon | Black Sesame Seeds |
| Fresh Herbs: Chervil, Corn Shoots, Pea Shoots | ||
| Sturgeon Caviar | ||
| 3 | Medium | Golden Beets, trimmed and scrubbed |
| Canola Oil |
Ingredients for the Vinaigrette Oriental Style I:
| 0.5 | Cup (118 ml) | Roasted Sesame Oil |
| 0.5 | Cup (118 ml) | Canola Oil |
| 2 | Tablespoons | Kikkoman Soy Sauce |
| 2 | Tablespoons | Rice Vinegar |
Method: You can prepare this one day ahead.
Oriental Style II: Same as above but add 2 egg yolks and mix in blender to emulsify.
Method: Preheat oven to 375° F (191° C). Toss beets with canola oil in roasting pan. Cover pan with foil. Roast beets until tender, about 50 minutes. Let beets stand covered at room temperature 20 minutes. Peel beets. Place in bowl; cover and chill at least 1 hour. Dice beets.
Choose 6 lobsters. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Plunge 2 lobsters at a time headfirst into boiling water for only 30 seconds and remove quickly. Drop in ice water.
Cook the 4 remaining lobsters completely. Put the lobsters in claws first and begin timing from the moment the water comes back to a boil – approximately 8 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a bowl with ice water and then place in a colander to drain and cool.
Method for the carpaccio: Take the blanched lobster and remove tails from shells. Place two tails head to toe together, wrap tightly with cellophane paper and freeze for a few hours.
Take the cooled cooked lobster and remove from shell. Cut in small cubes. Add chopped chives, peppers and drizzle with a little oriental vinaigrette. Marinate for at least an hour.
Presentation: Thinly slice the frozen lobster rolls with a chef knife and plate (about 5 slices placed in a circle on dish).
In a 2-inch circle set in the middle of each plate, place the diced beets (about same size as lobster die), then top with lobster preparation. Remove circle. Add fine herbs, drizzle Oriental Vinaigrette I on the carpaccio and Vinaigrette II on the Lobster Charlotte. Garnish with black sesame seeds and a half teaspoon of sturgeon caviar in the center.
As the exclusive caterer for the F1 (Formula 1) Grand Prix, Executive Chef Alain Pignard serves 30,000 VIP meals over 3 days when the illustrious race comes to Montreal. He shares his recipe for Tartare of Smoked Salmon Trout with Golden Beetroot and Blue Potatoes, Quail’s Eggs and Sturgeon Caviar from Abitibi, Maple Vinegar and Cranberry Vinaigrette that will serve 200 guests.
Chef Alain Pignard at Grande Prix du Canada
Serves 200
Ingredients:
| 15 | Pounds | Fillets of Fresh Trout |
| 15 | Pounds | Smoked Trout |
| 10 | Pounds | Golden Beetroot |
| 10 | Pounds | Blue Potatoes |
| 100 | Units | Quail’s Eggs |
| 32 | Ounces | Sturgeon Caviar |
| 34 | Ounces (1 Liter) | Mayonnaise |
| 34 | Ounces (1 Liter) | Maple Vinegar |
| 102 | Ounces (3 Liters) | Olive Oil |
| 10 | Pounds | Sweet Potatoes |
| 1 | Case | Asparagus or Daikon |
| 2 | Pounds | Cranberries, fresh or frozen |
| 12 | Units | Eggs |
Method: Cut in large pieces and mix the smoked and raw trout. Marinate in olive oil and maple vinegar for half a day. Soften mixture with a little bit of mayonnaise.
Oven-roast the blue potatoes and golden beetroot with skin until tender. Peel them and cut into cubes, and then season with maple vinaigrette. Keep a small portion of beetroot and blue potatoes in order to slice them to make a base under the tartare. Cook the quail’s eggs for 5 minutes.
Presentation: Place the sliced beetroot and blue potatoes at the base of the dish as a charlotte and then add the trout mixture. Decorate with sweet potatoes chips, half a quail egg with Abitibi caviar and asparagus or other. Finish with maple vinaigrette cordon.
Method for the vinaigrette: Mix the maple vinegar with egg yolks, olive oil, dill, and chopped cranberries that have been soaked in maple vinegar.
Le Montréalais Bistrot-Bar-Restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 am until 11:00 pm, on Saturday from 7:00 am until 11:00 pm, with Saturday breakfast buffet served from 7:00 am until 2:00 pm, and on Sunday from 7:00 am until 11:00 pm with Sunday breakfast served from 7:00 am until 10:30 am, and Sunday brunch served from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm. Afternoon Tea & Kaffee Klatsch is offered from Monday through Saturday from 2:30 pm until 6:00 pm and on Sunday from 3:30 pm until 6:00 pm.
For information on Le Montréalais Bistrot-Bar-Restaurant and the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, please visit the website: www.Fairmont.com/QueenElizabeth.
Le Montréalais Bistrot-Bar-Restaurant
Le Montréalais Bistrot-Bar-Restaurant
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
900 boul. René-Lévesque West
Montréal, Québec H3B 4A5
Canada
Telephone: +1 514-954-2261 (Restaurant)
Telephone: +1 514-861-3511 (Hotel)
Toll-Free: +1 800-257-7544 (US and Canada)
Toll-Free: +1 866-540-4483
Email: queenelizabeth.hotel@fairmont.com
Website: www.Fairmont.com/QueenElizabeth
Read other articles on Montréal, Canada in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Adventures, Restaurants, and Chefs’ Recipes sections.
For more information on Montréal, Canada, please visit the websites: www.Tourism-Montreal.org, www.QuebecRegion.com, and www.BonjourQuebec.com.
