Susur Lee's blog: No duck-ing this one
Madeline’s in Toronto
This summer, I spent ten days in Taiwan, where I had been invited to judge the World Culinary Competition in Taipei. The event was a seven-day tasting marathon, with judges from Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Canada and the US comparing sequences of dishes from 12 culinary teams. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I was working-- assessing recipes, taking tasting notes, comparing techniques and flavours!
Every day the contestants had to present their dishes based on a certain theme—vegetarian, for instance, or seafood, for which Taiwan is renowned. One day there was a “black box” competition, and in the “box” was grouper.
The winner of the culinary competition was a chef from Northern Taiwan. He had a very clever, thorough and convincing manner of “capturing the story of the dish,” using folk tales and legends to explain his rationale for employing each ingredient. The judges were seduced by his story-telling! But his food was also wonderful and imaginative.
What I love about traveling is that it gives me an opportunity to continue my education as a chef, learning new techniques and recipes and discovering new foods. Taiwan’s central and southern areas produce amazing fruit and vegetables—peaches, pears, and mangos. I sampled a strange plant called “worm’s vegetable”, because its roots, which are cooked, are wormlike. This chef had used the shoots of the plant instead.
I also tasted the jade plant, which the Taiwanese call the “white stone lotus.” It’s a very succulent leaf that you eat raw—I would use it in a salad. My son Levi loved it.
One of the dishes I tasted was Taiwanese Peking duck, which they marinate and steam, and share at the table. It gave me an idea for our restaurant, Madeline’s, as our menu is based on the sharing concept. I decided to add “French-Chinese Duck for Two” to our new Fall menu at Madeline’s -- a slowly roasted, thin-sliced duck breast with three garnishes: chili and honey, soy bean preserve and mango-chutney. The duck will be presented with light crepes, so that you can design your own Peking duck roll. It’s half-French, half-Chinese, and very reasonably priced: $24 for two! And I should mention that I’m not cooking the duck Taiwan-style, completely well-done; the breast will be medium rare—as it should be.
By the end of the trip my belly was so full that I was using the tips of my little chopsticks to sample the dishes, and apologizing that I couldn’t swallow another bite! But it was worth it, because I learned an amazing new technique: one of the chefs taught me how to carve tofu into a beautiful chrysanthemum. It’s a dish that demands a very special occasion, and I think I’ve found one—the opening of my new restaurant in Singapore, Chinois by Susur, on December 23rd!
Chef Susur Lee maintains two successful restaurants in downtown Toronto – LEE and MADELINE’S -- and now has a restaurant in New York (Shang) and Washington (Zentan).
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Reader Comments:
Cool blog Susur, I'd love to try that tofu dish!