Canoe - Taste Corn

Ending the summer right with a delectable meal from @ChefHorne at @Oliver_Bonacini's Canoe. #GoodEats

I'll be honest, when I heard there was a tasting menu based around corn I was a bit hesitant of it. I mean really, how interesting can it be? It's corn afterall, and a couple months earlier I was just blown away by Taste Berry (which, at the time of this post, was the best meal I've ever had). But my faith, confidence, and experience in the creativity and imagination that John Horn has with food put any uncertainty aside with my first bite.

A meal like this is hard to describe since there are so many elements to each dish, from texture and temperature contrasts, to the progression of flavours throughout the meal. Each dish building upon one another, and taking ingredients from across Canada and bringing them together into a vibrant and effervescent harmony that's Tast Corn. This was undeniably a meal to remember.

On a side note, the option of wine pairings are generally local wines or global wines, on this occasion we were treated to a mix of both local and global pairings.

Amuse Bouche

Starting things off was an amuse bouche featuring a humble mussel with cauliflower and a crisp. Paired with Hinterland's Les Etoiles Prince Edward County Ontario 2009. I have a couple bottle of this sparkling wine at home and absolutely love it.

Course 1: Swordfish Tartare

For our first course we had Nova Scotia line caught swordfish tartare with charred corn, fennel, sweet chili and Chef Horne's grandmother's recipe piccalilli. Paired with Fielding Rock Pile Pinot Gris Lincoln Lakeshore Ontario 2012. One of most interesting things for me was the salad of corn hair garnishing the dish, I never knew that part of the corn was edible, let alone have any flavour or use for it. It, along with the husk, are the parts you usually toss in the bin when cooking corn, or it gets stuck in your teeth when eating corn on the cob. This was delicate and not fibrous at all, it was a joy to eat. The dish was great but I wanted more of the corn hair just because it's something I've never had before.

Couse 2: Corn Custard

Served on a platter our second course consisted, the corn custard with thin slices of truffled salami, pickled wild  hand picked Saskatchewan chanterelles, spiced organic yoghurt, and corn nuts. Paired with Château Montus Blanc Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl France 2010. The corn custard is made almost purely of corn, it's first puréed then cooked, thickening by it's own natural starch, then set with a bit of gelatin. The truffled salami is from a local salami maker in Caledon that grinds whole truffels into the salami mix and allowed to cure. The fragrance from the truffle salami just enveloped the table, just amazing.

Couse 4: Wild Québec Sturgeon

While not part of the tasting menu, Chef Horne treated us to the special of the day. Wild Québec Campfire Sturgeon with curried squash, a duch haggis croquette, and mulled currants and raisins. This was a stellar dish, featuring some ingredients from Société-Original (last year Canoe featured them in a one night tasting). The sturgeon was cooked 3 times, first smoking it to impart a nice campfire smokiness, then sous-vide to ensure a perfect doneness, and finally pan fried in butter to serve. Fantastic.

Intermezzo

Intermezzo of corn soup with rum and a corn foam.

Course 5: Mackerel & Lobster

Mackerel and Lobster served with buttered baby turnips, Algonquin grits, spinach, and brined cucumber. Paired with Pearl Morissette Cuvée Black Ball Barrique Riesling Jordan Ontario 2011. This was easily one of my favourite dishes of the evening, the buttery lobster, with perfect scallops, and meaty mackerel (one of my favourite fish to eat).

Course 6: St-Canut Suckling Pork Loin

St-Canut Suckling Pork Loin with an unbelievably crispy skin (I have no idea how Chef Horn did it, so f*cking good!) served with cornbread, caramelized onions, black mustard seeds, and pressed maple braised pork. Paired with Sequillo Cellars Red Swartland South Africa 2009. I think my earlier comment summarized how much I liked this dish.

Course 7: Corn Clafoutis

About a month prior to this dinner I had the opportunity to try the corn clafoutis, it was one of the reasons that made me want to come for this tasting. It was fun and surprisingly delightful, not to mention it's probably the least sweet dish of the night. Served with white chocolate corn flakes, roasted peach, and popcorn sherbert. Paired with a Lighthall Vinyards Muté Prince Edward County Ontario 2011. A very nice way to round out the meal.

Petit Fours

Last but not least, petit fours to be enjoyed with a coffee or night cap. Lemon custard with lychee and Saskatoon berry jelly.

Thanks to Chef Horne and his team for a fantastic meal, sommelie Will Predhomme for amazing pairings, and my friend Tracy for treating me to this delectable meal!

8 years after my first experience at Canoe, there's no doubt that it remains my favourite restaurant in the city. Yet another fantastic meal to remember.