Wild for Woodford! The Ultimate Chef and Bartender Challenge
Sometimes the stars align and the universe listens. That’s the only explanation for the Woodford Reserve Culinary Cocktail challenge. A challenge that pairs two of Canada’s top chefs with two of the country’s top bartenders to create a masterpiece for the palate.
It’s also a challenge where we reap the benefits!
Here’s what these experts were tasked with achieving: the chefs had to pair a dish to a cocktail created by the bartenders, and the bartenders had to pair a cocktail to a dish created by the chefs. And each used Woodford Reserve as the featured ingredient. For real! Has a better challenge ever been invented?
Not in my opinion.
Woodford offers more than 200 flavour nuances in every sip, giving these bartenders and chefs the perfect canvass to paint from. They’re billed as a Spectacle for the Senses and now I know why!
The first perfect partnership hails from Ontario, and features Carl Heinrich, Head Chef from Richmond Station in Toronto and former Top Chef Canada winner, along with Evelyn Chick, one of the country’s best bartenders who has created mouth-watering cocktail menus in both Vancouver and Toronto.
Their theme: lazy days!
Evelyn presented Carl with a cocktail that was inspired by a classic sweet tea, with a fall twist. She created a cashew syrup and added Woodford Reserve, sherry and citrus. (Full recipes at the end of this article.) Carl knows a light drink requires a light dish, so he played on the same flavours, splashing Woodford Reserve on a cured piece of fresh fish, coating it with salt, brown sugar and citrus and garnishing with watercress. No cooking required and a match made in heaven.
Next it was Carl’s turn to create a dish for Evelyn to pair with a cocktail. Carl chose a warm and hearty theme, creating a roasted maple glazed squash, with a Woodford Reserve vinaigrette topped with bacon, dill, pepper and endives. As soon as Evelyn tasted the dish, she knew she wanted to play on the savoury and sweet notes from his dish, mixing classic fall spirits like apple brandy and Woodford Reserve with a chili infused maple syrup. She garnished it with thyme knowing it pairs perfectly with squash. A stunning pairing, called Warm Rejoice.
Now for the second dynamic duo representing the West Coast. Meet Ross Bowles, the head chef from River Café in Calgary who is also one of the youngest head chefs in the country – appointed at just 24! Ross partnered with James Grant, Alberta’s reigning Manhattan champion and star bartender from Edmonton at Pablos. Their first challenge centred around a Game Day theme.
James challenged Ross to create a restaurant quality dish that paired perfectly to his cocktail inspired by a classic punch. He added Woodford Reserve, sherry and a homemade Oleo Saccharum to really test Ross’ pairing skills. But Ross didn’t fumble, he responded with a brilliant recipe for Game Day Wings, slow cooked in duck fat until crisp with a sweet bourbon glaze and a parsley puree. Yum!
Then the tables turned and James had to create a cocktail to Ross’ dish. His theme – Date Night-In! Fitting as Ross was just married in August!
Ross created a light fish dish of Barley Blini’s with a creamy Sabayon that melts in your mouth. After tasting it, James knew exactly what cocktail would pair perfectly. He created a twist on a Flip, incorporating nutmeg, cream and Woodford Reserve. Nailed it!
Now, if you’re like me and want to try each of these recipes immediately – I highly recommend it. It allows you to create restaurant quality dishes and drinks from the safety of your own home. And then, someone can help me decide who won the challenge? Was it the East or the West? For now, I’ll call it a draw – a true bourbon draw.
Thank you, Woodford Reserve, for creating this challenge – can I be the taste-tester for the next one?
RECIPES:
ONTARIO: EVELYN AND CARL
Lazy Theme
COCKTAIL
1 oz Woodford Reserve
0.5 oz Amontillado Sherry
0.75 oz Cashew Orgeat **
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
Shake, add to a tall collins glass, add crushed ice, garnish with mint and angostura bitters
Blend 500ml Cashew milk with 500g granulated sugar in blender until smooth, add 1 dash orange flower water. Bottle & Refrigerate.
DISH
1 large Trout Fillet (300 g)
25 g Woodford Reserve
40 g Kosher Salt
30 g Sugar
30 g Brown Sugar
Zest of one Lemon
Zest of half an Orange
Mix the salt, sugars and zests in a bowl. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a tray and sprinkle a small amount of the cure mix the size of the fillet on top.
Place the fillet of trout skin side down on top of the sprinkled cure. Drizzle the bourbon on the fish and gently wash it into the flesh with your fingers.
Sprinkle all of the remaining cure mix on top of the fish and spread evenly.
Fold up the sides of the plastic wrap so the fish is fully enveloped. Place another tray on top of the fish (about 1 kg of weight) and put in the fridge for 12 hours (or more or less depending on the size of the fillet). Open the plastic and rinse the fillet well. Pat dry with a towel and return to the fridge uncovered for 1 hour. Slice off the skin thinly on a bias and serve with your choice of accompaniments.
Warm and Hearty Theme
DISH
1 small Squash, peeled and cut into thick wedges (about 500 g of cut squash), butternut works well
5 g Kosher Salt
20 g Maple Syrup
20 g Woodford Reserve Double Oak
20 g Vegetable Oil
Toss the squash with the salt. Mix the maple, Woodford Reserve and vegetable oil and mix with the squash. Line a pan or tray with parchment paper and spread the squash onto the tray. Bake at 400 F until very soft, roughly 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature on the tray.
DRESSING
60 g Woodford Reserve Double Oak
20 g Maple Syrup
15 g Dijon Mustard
10 g Lemon Juice
8 g Sherry Vinegar
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
50 g Sunflower Oil
5 g Woodford Double Oak
Pour 60g of the Woodford Reserve Double Oak into a small pot and gently reduce by half on medium heat. Pour into a bowl. Add the maple, dijon, lemon, sherry vinegar, cayenne, oil and 5 g of Woodford Reserve Double Oak. Whisk well to emulsify.
SALAD
80 g slab Bacon, cut into lardons
1 head Belgian Endive, leaves separated, washed and spun
1 small Shallot, finely diced
4 sprigs Dill, picked
Render bacon on medium high heat in a sautee pan until caramelized, drain the fat and place in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the squash and endive and vinaigrette and gently mix. Divide among two plates and sprinkle with the shallots and dill.
COCKTAIL
1.5oz Woodford Reserve Double Oak
0.5 oz Calvados
0.5 oz spiced maple syrup (cayenne, chicory)
0.75oz Lemon Juice
Top with Ginger Beer
Add to a rocks glass with ice and garnish with charrred Thyme Sprigs
ALBERTA: JAMES AND ROSS
Game Day Theme
COCKTAIL
1.5oz Woodford Reserve
0.5oz Alvear Medium Dry Sherry
0.5oz Lemon Juice
0.5oz Oleo Saccharum* (peach, orange and lemon)
Shake all ingredients with ice and stain into a punch saucer on the rocks. Garnish with a mint bouquet.
*Oleo Saccharum - in a non-reactive container, combine 2 cups white sugar with half a peach (roughly chopped) and the zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange. Allow to macerate for 3 hours before combining with one cup of water over medium/low heat. Once combined, strain and transfer to clean bottle. Store in the fridge.
DISH
7 Chicken Wings (not drumettes)
1 cup Woodford Reserve
1 cup Sugar
¼ cup Honey
1 cup Blanched and Squeezed Parsley
1 tbs Grapeseed Oil
¼ Cup Vegetable Stock
1 Clove Blanched Garlic
Salt
Brine the chicken wings in a 5% salt/water solution for 1 hour, then slow cook in fat (duck, chicken or oil) for three hours until crisp. Make Woodford Reserve Bourbon glaze by adding sugar, Woodford Reserve and honey: cook down until thick and glaze chicken wings. Finish by adding the remaining ingredients to a blender / food processor and puree on high until smooth to create parsley puree– cool over ice and add.
Date Night In Theme
DISH
½ cup sugar
12 Eggs Yolks
3oz Woodford Reserve
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 Tbs Nutmeg
Whip the sugar, egg yolks and Wood Reserve in a Bain Marie until thick. In a bowl, whip the whipping cream, sour cream and nutmeg, the fold into the Sabayon mix. Use to top a dish of Barley Blini’s or Cured Trout Roe or whatever light fish you prefer. is available.
COCKTAIL
1.5oz Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
0.5oz Tia Maria
0.5oz 1:1 Demerara Syrup
1oz Heavy Cream
1 Egg
3 Heavy Dashes Angostura
Nutmeg Garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice and stain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with fresh nutmeg.