The Brookstreet hotel and the Ottawa Senators Foundation held their 7th annual Lumiere charity gala on June 24th. It was a magnificent evening of amazing food & live music, and the weather couldn't have been better.
The live music was performed by Ottawa's Diana White, Roxy Swan and Jennifer Putinski, and the gala menu was prepared by Executive Chef Clifford Lyness and his four-diamond culinary team. Other well known spectacular Ottawa chefs, such as Chef Michael Blackie and Chef Duane Keats, were also there to help.
The famous spit roasted whole hog was featured again last night. Three hogs, approx 55 lbs each, were brined and then roasted over a spit fire for 8 hours before they were ready to eat.
The food was organized in separate stations, and here is what was served:
Station One – Sweet corn and haddock chowder with a crab hushpuppy.
Station Two – Cold pressed short rib served with fois gras and acidulated beet with black plum paint.
Station Three – Cedar planked halibut with a saffron & cauliflower pulse, and smoked tomato relish. This was a fairly mild dish with a kick of spiciness from the relish.
Station Four – BBQ AAA Striploin with a spring onion & truffle potato whip, caramelized pearl onion and Mennonite speck toffee. This dish is for truffle lovers...a strong truffle oil was drizzled over top of this dish as a finishing touch.
Station Five – Gruyere soufflé with blue mussel, melted leek, Riesling hollandaise, and an arugula toss.
Station Six – Scallop 3 ways: ceviche, Bay with lobster cognac redux, and pan seared with caper butter. The giant pan seared scallop was served by executive sous chef Rob Macdonald, and was my favorite of the 3. I ended up eating 5 of the pan seared scallops that evening.
Station Seven – Spit roasted whole hog with white cannellini bean cipolinni cassoulet, and wild blueberry and ginger gastrique. This dish was by far my favorite of the night!!! The hog was nice and tender and the creamy white bean cassoulet was perfect.
Station Eight – Grilled lamb chop with wilted brassica, Yukon pave, sous vide carrot, charred rosemary & port reduction, and wild blueberry & ginger lick. This station was run by one of my favorite chefs, Duane Keats.
Station Nine – Sushi six different ways served with traditional condiments. I don't think there was any raw fish served. Everything I tasted was smoked. I'm guessing it was for hygienic reasons.
The sushi was prepared by Chef Yasuda, and accompanying him in the photo below is Chef Clifford Lyness and hostess Kana Graves.
Station Ten – Apple tart tatin, peanut butter crème brulee, chocolate truffle and macaron. The macarons were imported from France, and tasted delicious.
Look at how beautiful the Himalayan sea salt truffles were.
Station Eleven – Banana Foster. I couldn't help myself and had dessert before dinner. This was the first thing I ate upon arrival.
For the guests, the evening ended with a live auction and spectacular fireworks.
For the chefs, the evening went on. Below is a picture of the chefs at their post-gala celebration party.
Bravo! It was a spectacular event!
525 Legget Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-271-1800
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7 comments:
I have your blog on my LJ feed, and I love the entries. This is the first time I commented. Is there a way to get more information on a dish seen here? I'm interested in the Himalayan Sea Salt Truffles. Did you try them? I wish I could get the recipe - they look awesome!
What an amazing event, 11 food stations with wines paired at every turn! This is a highlight on my calendar every year. The ability to prepare and deliver such a high class event is a true testament of what Brookstreet, its culinary, and events teams can deliver.
I live in Ottawa and never knew about this event. The food looks lovely, and it will definitely be on my radar next year. Thanks for sharing your experience. The truffles look so neat.
I've never heard of this event!Was this event heavily promoted? Everything looks yummy.
dorie,
Thanks for your comment. I looked to see if you can contact Chef Clifford Lyness directly on the Brookstreet website but it doesn't look as though there is a specific email address for him. He was the one who organized and put the menu together so if you wnat to get more info on a dish, I would suggest contacting Perspectives Restaurant at the Brookstreet hotel. All the contact info is at the bottom of my post. I did get a chance to try the truffles and they were awesome. I'm a fan of salty foods, and it was a great salty + sweet balance.
sarah & hungry hippo,
Not sure how heavily promoted the event was but a great source for food events info is Ron Eade's blog or FoodMODE magazine. They are always promoting events happening in the city.
Mmm. Everything looks amazing. I wonder if there's anything like this in Toronto.
My God that pig looks amazing...gimme a fork and some privacy!
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