Recipes from the Charlevoix region of Quebec

By Phyllis Steinberg

The Charlevoix region of Quebec in Canada offers a bounty of sumptuous home grown produce and delicious French cuisine for people who choose this delightful area to vacation. Indeed, I thought I was in France, when I dined at the restaurants in the area. Even the ski resorts have outstanding food.

Guy Bessone, Executive Chef at the popular ski destination, Le Massif in the Charlevoix region , created a cookbook featuring some of the delicious specialties served at the resort’s two mountain top restaurants.

In the summer, visitors can ride to the top of the mountain to see the sled dogs that spend the summer on the mountain peaks.

What’s interesting is the chef’s menus at Le Massif. Vacationers to the area are offered an abundance of healthy food choices and there is not a single fried item on the menu, not the usual fare for ski destinations. Locally grown produce is served in a nutritious manner.

The Le Massif cookbook also contains beautiful photos of the Charlevoix region and the many activities at Le Massif and the surrounding areas.

I have selected some innovative recipes from the book entitlted, “Le Massif Delicate Scents from the Sea and Morsels from the Mountains.”

Enjoy a taste of Charlevoix, by creating these unusual creations which are easy to prepare.

I have included a sensational recipe for Crème Brulee with Petite-Riviere Maple Syrup which is a favorite of visitors to Quebec City and the surrounding areas. The Charlevoix region bottles this deliciously sweet and savory Petite-Riviere Maple Syrup which vacationers often bring back to the states, but the recipe also works well by using a high quality maple syrup that can be found at your local supermarket.

Crème Brulee with Petite-Riviere Maple Syrup
Serves 10

2 cups 35 percent cream
2 cups milk
1 /4 cup Petite-Riviere Maple Syrup or a high quality maple syrup
12 egg yolks
1 /4 cup sugar
1 /8 cup brown sugar

Boil cream, milk and maple syrup for 30 seconds. Beat egg yolks with white and brown sugar, until mixture is pale yellow. Fold two mixtures together and let sit one hour. Pour into ramekins. Place ramekins in a deep pan; fill pan with water, until half-way up sides of ramekins. Bake for two hours at 300 degrees F. Cool. Before serving, sprinkle with slivers of maple sugar; broil until tops are golden.

Mrs. Smith’s Trout & Tarragon Mousse
Serves 6

3 /4 pound trout fillets, skin and bones removed
1 /4 pound smoked trout fillets, sin and bones removed
1 & 1 /4 cups 35 percent cream
2 eggs
Several sprigs of fresh tarragon, chopped finely

Puree fish fillets in a food processor, then add all the other ingredients; puree mix until smooth. Pour mousse into buttered ramekins. Place ramekins in a deep pan; fill with water, until half way up the sides of the ramekins. Cook, covered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Un-mold and serve hot, with your choice of sauce.

Creamy Broad Bean Soup
Serves 8

8 cups chicken broth (from a can or your own chicken soup recipe)
4 cloves garlic, skinned, germ removed and chopped finely
2 onions, chopped finely
2 celery stalks, chopped finely
2 pounds shelled broad beans, fresh or frozen
1 cup 35 percent cream
1 /4 cup port wine
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, except wine and cream. Add salt and pepper. Simmer one hour on low heat. Puree in food processor and then strain until smooth and homogeneous. Warm over low heat; add cream and port. Check consistency and seasoning. Serve at once.

Garden-Fresh Zucchini Pickle
Serves 6

1 cup olive oil
3 zucchini (green)
1 orange
1 lemon
2 tomatoes
1 /4 cup marinated ginger
1 /4 cup fresh basil

Remove zest from citrus with peeler. Cut zucchini into very small pieces. Dice. Soak zucchini one hour in salt brine. Use one-forth cup salt for one quart of water. Blanch (put in boiling water for one minute) and peel tomatoes; seed and cut into small pieces. Drain zucchini well. Cut lemon and orange into sections, and then into small pieces. Mix zucchini, ginger and zests with olive oil; simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and diced fruit, with their juices. Serve warm. Excellent as a side dish for grilled lamb.