jordan spizike Chef Renée Lavallée's Ultim

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Take for instance her hand made crackers (perhaps the secret lies in the one cup of sour cream she adds) paired with her family’s recipe for creton- a Quebecois pork pate of sorts if you will. Lavallée’s version featured chunks of pork amidst the smoother [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], pate-like spread with just the right hit of spice. Paired with her special crackers, this is a dish worth repeating. Esteemed colleague and Globe and Mail columnist Lucy Waverman went so far as to suggest that Lavallée open her own cracker and creton stand at the Halifax Farmer’s Market.
On a blustery, late winter’s night last February, a group of food writers was invited to dine at Halifax, Nova Scotia’s venerable The Fish Fishermen restaurant where talented young Chef Renée Lavallée helms the kitchen. After a full day of exploring the culinary delights of nearby Annapolis Valley (don’t miss Gaspereau Vineyards where Gina Haverstock makes terrific wines including a port-like Maple wine), it was a treat to head to one of the city’s best known seafood restaurants.
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It's unclear whether Lavallée is going to take Waverman’s advice (she should- nudge, nudge), but in her inimitable, hospitable way, she was kind enough to share her fabulous cracker recipe with Food Trends readers.
Crackers for The Crackers and Creton
After a trip to the “Mussel Bar” where you can sauce up your mussels to spec, the group enjoyed everything from local lobster tails to scallops. And while yours truly and company enjoyed all of the evening’s fine offerings, including a few glasses of the coveted Nova 07 white by Benjamin Bridge (fast becoming a sell-out cult hit amongst wine fans near and far), it was Chef Lavallée’s independent creations that the group collectively swooning.
As Lavallée writes in her engaging blog, “In case you haven’t heard [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I have a soft spot for cheese and crackers... the beauty part of it is that I make my own crackers. It might sound daunting to some, but this recipe couldn’t be easier. I put all my ingredients in my food processor and then roll it out with my Grandmere’s rolling pin (a very treasured Granger family heirloom that has been passed down through many generations). I hope that the next time you decide to indulge in some cheese eating, or even a bowl of tomato soup that deserves a trusty companion [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], you’ll muster up the time to cook off a batch of these bad boys.” Food Trends would add you go to Halifax and ask Chef to whip up a batch of these and her creton for you. Well worth it- guaranteed!
Easy Peasy Crackers – recipe courtesy of Chef Renée LavalléeIngredients:3C. all purpose flour2 tsp baking powder2 tsp salt1/2 C. cold butter; cubbed1C. sour cream2 eggs2 tbsp sugarMethod:Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor until it becomes a coarse meal.Add in wet ingredients and quickly pulse until the dough comes together.On a floured work surface, roll out the dough until desired thickness and cut into any shape (I like long, narrow rectangles).Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.