The cold days are well settled in Québec City and there is no better time to enjoy home-cooked meals and indulge in local flavors. Chef Simon Renaud from the Québec City Convention Centre’s exclusive food and beverage partner shares 2 seasonal recipes to try at home.
Level: Intermediate
6 servings
Boreal croquettes ingredients
- 400 g of cooked navy beans (160 g of dried navy beans = 400 g of cooked navy beans)*
- 40 g of squash puree
- 8 g of garlic scape puree
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 2 oz of maple syrup
- 1 L of vegetable broth
- 100 g of chickpea flour
- 5 g of Épices du Guerrier
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
*Makes about 400 g of croquettes
*Serving size is about 3 croquettes per person (approximately 20 g per croquette)
Toppings
- 6 mini betteraves rouges rôties coupées en quartiers
- 1 c. à thé d’épices du Guerrier
- 1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive
- Micropousses de mesclun
- Sel et poivre (au goût)
Squash puree ingredients
- 350 g of butternut squash
- 75 ml of soy cream
- 10 ml of maple syrup
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Boreal salad ingredients
- 200 g of butternut squash cut brunoise-style
- 150 g of cooked navy beans (50 g of dried navy beans = 150 g of cooked navy beans)
- 40 g of Québec apples cut brunoise-style
- 1 tablespoon of Maison Orphée cider vinegar
- 6 chopped sage leaves
- 20 g of pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sumac spice
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Equipment required
- Thermomix (or hand mixer)
- Deep fryer
Boreal croquettes preparation
- Soak the navy beans in cold water the day before and let them sit overnight.
- Peel and chop the onion, then mix it with the navy beans and the sprig of thyme.
- Cover the beans with vegetable broth (keep 100 g of cooked navy beans aside for the boreal salad).
- Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour. After 45 minutes, add salt so that the beans are well-cooked and tender (skim if necessary). Store the cooked beans in the refrigerator.
- In the Thermomix, add the cooked navy beans, the cold squash puree, the garlic scapes and the maple syrup. Mix at speed 5, incorporating the chickpea flour and the Épices du Guerrier. Transfer the mixture into another container and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, turn the deep fryer on to 350°F and make 20 g balls. Do not cook all the croquettes at the same time.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then place them in a dish lined with absorbent paper.
Boreal salad preparation
- Peel and dice the butternut squash.
- Boil in salted water for 5 minutes and cool in ice water before refrigerating.
- Peel and cut the Québec apples brunoise-style, then transfer them into another container. Cover them with a small dash of lemon juice and olive oil to prevent the apples from oxidizing.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toast the pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cider vinegar at 350°F in the oven for 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Rinse the sage leaves, then pat them dry and finely chop them.
- In a salad bowl, add the squash brunoise, cooked navy beans and apple brunoise. Pour 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped sage and 1 teaspoon of sumac spice
Topping preparation
- Thoroughly wash the beets under running water, then place them in cold water with a pinch of coarse salt.
- Bring to a boil, then continue cooking for 20 minutes. Beets are done if the tip of a knife pierces the flesh easily.
- Transfer the beets into another container of cold water, then remove the skin with a cloth.
- Cut into quarters.
- Add 1 teaspoon of Épices du Guerrier, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper (to taste). Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes.
- Serve 1 beet per person.
