The potential carried by a changing season is always exciting. We eagerly welcome a new time of year as it brings forth hope and the promise of unknown opportunities. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in the Great Gatsby, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” For us at Artemano, the possibilities presented by the season are just as colourful as the foliage that marks it.
As Falls leads our natural progression indoors, we see another occasion to proceed on our journey of creating memorable ambiances. Using the season’s resources and holidays as inspiration, we strive to transform our indoor into an oasis that will make our home a place of comfort and a true escape not only for ourselves, but also for our guests.
We look to use natural elements that are part of the season’s harvest. Pumpkins, gourds, corn, wheat, apples and even maple branches rich with leaves can all play a role in dressing up our space. Placing these items on a console or buffet in our entryway, on our coffee tables or night stands, they become accessories that accentuate our décor. Their earth tones provide an added dose of warmth that complements both our organic and recycled woods.
Whether used to fashion unique center pieces or even as candle holders we love incorporating nature-borne-gifts into our home. They’re symbols that reflect this time of year, while also being instrumental in our quest of bringing the outdoors in.
With Canadian Thanksgiving around the corner and as we are constantly guided by nature we adore the harmony that ensues when pumpkins and candles decorate our dining room tables. These are the ideal table dressings for a quaint and romantic fall-inspired dinner. Indeed, as Guillaume Barry, executive chef from "Un Chef à Québec", a made to measure concept that provides at-home cooking activities, and ArteVino, a Quebec city space that hosts business dinners in an exclusive setting which also offers a private wine cellar, told us during a recent conversation, “Fall is a season that is more conducive to throwing small dinner parties of four to six people”. “It fosters intimacy and allows for better interaction between the hosts and their guests,” he explained.
In general, for Barry when throwing a dinner party at home, making guests feel very comfortable is key. As is ensuring that the food is prepared and plated in such a way that it’s the star of the evening. For Fall or Thanksgiving dinners, he emphasises creating dishes that are inspired by the season, as his Tatin d’endive, his magret et miel and his macarons au chocolat – all recipes provided below. He encourages the use of local, seasonal products and mixing flavours so that they work within an autumnal theme and colours.
Tatin d'endive Magret de canard Macarrons
Throwing cozy soirées in our home, is very Artemanoesque. It’s one way for us to celebrate and honour Fall. It’s also a reason for us to play-up our ambiances; to create signature Artemano atmospheres, where friends and family feel at home and at ease in our personal sanctuaries. We encourage you to follow suit and to tell us how you celebrate the season and incorporate its traits in your own home.
Recipes
Tatin d'envive
Preparation time 30 min – Cooking time 18 min, Yield: 8 SERVINGS
Ingredients
2 large endives
Puff pastry (250g or ¼ cup)
2 tbsp. salted butter
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
45 ml flour
500 ml 3.25% milk
45g fresh foie gras
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200oC or 400oF in bake mode.
Cut the endives into 8 pieces of about 4cm or 1.5 inch each. Cut the puff pastry in 8 discs approx. 12 cm or 5 inches in diameter.
Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put 8 small pieces of butter on the baking sheet 12 cm of 5 inches apart so that the tarts won’t touch (use two baking sheets if necessary). On each piece of butter, put a slice of endive, being careful not to damage the leaves. Carefully stick the puff pastry onto the endives.
Place tarts in the oven (on the lower rack) and bake for about 18 minutes. When the time is up, make sure that the endives have caramelized properly by gently lifting them from the parchment paper. Put them caramelized side up on a grill and leave them for later.
Prepare the white (béchamel) sauce:
Weigh all ingredients.
Season the foie gras with salt and pepper and gently cook in a large saucepan until golden.
Add the unsalted butter and the flour. Cook for about 1 minute.
Add the cold milk. (Milk can be replaced with poultry broth and a splash of milk.)
Allow sauce to thicken over mild heat for about 15 minutes. Stir often to keep sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Blend the sauce and pass it through a sieve. Adjust seasoning and add curry powder (to taste).
Place the endive tarts on a plate and drizzle each one with sauce. Done!
Suggested accompaniment: You can accompany this dish with arugula salad, olive oil, fleur de sel and roasted pine nuts.
Magret de canard
Preparation time 15 min – Cooking time 20 + 30 min, Yield: 6 SERVINGS
Ingredients
3 duck breasts, approx. 350g (3/4 lb) each
100 ml (1/2 cup) liquid honey
10 black peppercorns, 10 pink peppercorns, 10 long peppercorns, coarsely ground
1 rosemary branch
A dash of olive oil and vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
For the puréed parsnips:
6 large parsnips
2 tbsp. butter
2 grey shallots
Bouquet garni
100 to 200 ml (about 3/4 cup) 35% cream
Preparation
In a saucepan, bring honey to a boil. Turn off heat and add coarsely ground peppercorns and rosemary branch. Cover and let steep for a few hours.
Preheat oven to 200oC or 400oF.
Prepare duck fillets by scoring the skin side with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern.
Add salt and pepper on both sides.
Add a dash of vegetable oil to a skillet and heat to smoking point. Remove hot oil and add a dash of olive oil. Put duck breasts skin side down in skillet. Reduce to medium low heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until skin is golden brown.
Flip duck and cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove duck from skillet and place (skin side up) on a baking sheet.
Cover skin side generously with peppered honey. Make puréed parsnips while duck finishes cooking in the oven (about 10 minutes).
Preparing the puréed parsnips:
Peel parsnips and cut into small cubes.
Peel shallots and cut in 4.
In a casserole or saucepan, heat vegetable oil. Add butter. When browned, add shallots and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes (until golden). Add parsnips and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat.
Cover with vegetable broth, add bouquet garni and let bubble for another 15 minutes.
You can now put the duck breasts in the oven.
Remove the bouquet garni and purée the parsnips. Add a bit of cream until purée is smooth and unctuous.
Preparation:
In a large plate, place two generous quenelles of the purée. Pull one of the quenelles with a tablespoon.
Slice the duck breasts lengthways, add a bit of honey if necessary, and place each half breast over the elongated purée quenelle.
Macaroons
Preparation time 45 min – Cooking time 16 min, Yield: 60 macaroons
Ingredients
For the macaroon shells:
240g (8.5oz) ground almonds
240g (8.5oz) icing sugar
90g (3oz) + 90g egg whites
25g (1oz) bitter cocoa powder
240g fine granulated sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) water
For the caramel:
290g (10oz) fine granulated sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) 35% cream
200g (7oz) unsalted butter
5g (1 tbsp.) fine salt
Preparation
Making the macaroons:
1 – Sift ground almonds and fine sugar and mix together with spatula. (This is the almond sugar mix.)
2 – Put water and fine granulated sugar in saucepan over medium heat (syrup preparation). Put a mercury or digital thermometer in syrup.
3 – With a spatula, mix in 90g of egg whites. Stir vigorously – or “macaroon” – until the mixture begins to shine.
4 – In a mixer, put remaining 90g of egg whites.
5 – When syrup reaches 115oC, turn the mixer on high and beat the egg whites until stiff. As soon as syrup reaches 121oC, slowly pour mixtures onto the sides of the mixer (this is the Italian meringue).
6 – Leave mixer on to cool the meringue (about 40oC). Using a spatula, mix together the almond sugar mix and the meringue.
7 – Using a piping bag and a 8mm socket, make macaroons (about 4 cm or 1.5 inch in diameter) on a sheet of parchment paper.
8 – Place the macaroon sheets in a hot oven (140oC or 280oF) ventilated for 14-15 min. When macaroons detach from sheet, they are ready.
9 – Put baking sheet on a clean surface and let cool. Then remove macaroons. They are ready for the garnish!
Making the caramel:
1 – Melt sugar without water until desired colour (caramel).
2 – Stir in hot cream with wooden spatula.
3 – Cook at 125oC (use thermometer).
4 – Add butter in pieces and salt. Beat mixture.
5 – Use mixture only when cooled at about 15oC.
Assembly:
Set macaroons (upside down) two by two. (Choose pairs of the same diameter.)
With a spoon or a piping bag, garnish one shell per macaroon with cooled down caramel.
Assemble pairs of shells and keep in refrigerator in a sealed container.