Extravagant, opulent, high-end, classy, fine dining, and up-scale are all monikers given to those restaurants who exude the finest of all things.  The food, décor, plating, staff and ambience are all impeccable.  Dinners at restaurants like these are only for special occasions hence the expense one will incur.  Surprisingly, some of these elaborate dinners can be replicated at home, saving your wallet, and giving yourself a huge sense of pride upon completion!

There is nothing better than arriving at a posh restaurant and having the valet greet you as he or she opens your door.  The cars in the lot are all luxury.  The facade of the restaurant is gorgeous.  As you saunter through the front door, the smell of extravagant cuisine hits your nose.  Everyone dressed to impressed, including the entire staff, gives you a feeling of prestige.  Being seated to your table brings joy knowing this will be a dinner to remember.

The impeccably trained server greets you and your group warmly.  The Sommelier recommends only the best wines.  Realizing that an award-winning chef will be creating a culinary masterpiece for your table excites you immensely.  From the appetizers to dessert, this night will be memorable.

Let’s discuss some of Canada’s greatest restaurants.  And why they are so awesome.  Then, break down some of these extravagant dinners in an easy to prepare, and effortless to master strategy for the home cook.  Our current sale has everything you need to become your own award-winning chef!

Toqué! co-founded by the James Beard Foundation Award winner Normand Laprise and famous Quebec Chef Christine Lamarche in June 1993 has become one of the greatest, most decorated, and highly regarded restaurants in Canada.  Just this year, Mr. Laprise won the lifetime achievement award with Toqué!

Toqué!’s extravagant dinners arrive after the wonderful appetizers.  The duck confit ravioli and veal carpaccio are second to none!  Raviolis at home are simple to make using a Marcato Atlas Multipast Wellness Set.  Straight from Italy, this tool creates all types of pasta to perfection.  And as for carpaccio, a Miyabi 5000 MCD 67 7” Santoku Knife will slice that veal or beef paper thin after an hour in the freezer!

After savoring those great appetizers at Toqué!, the lamb saddle or the rack of suckling pig appear.  Chefs Laprise and Lamarche are true artists.  These dishes are worth every dollar!  But, roasting a suckling pig can happen at your home following some straightforward instructions, and using the correct equipment.  A Winco Aluminum Baking Sheet with a Scanpan Classic Roasting Rack is an inexpensive start to an extravagant dinner.  Lamb dinners can be achieved utilizing an All-Clad Stainless Roaster with Rack.

Antonin Mousseau-Rivard of Le Mousso has been named the most innovative chef of 2019 according to Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.  Chef Mousseau-Rivard transposes seasonal ingredients to a whole new echelon.  His 12-course tasting menu is one of the best in Canada, if not the world!  $190 is worth the expense when dining at Le Mousso.  The urchin and caviar on hazelnut purée are to die for!  The two types of lobster are a culinary masterpiece.  Lastly, the turbot with foie gras is part of this extravagant dinner tasting menu you will never forget!

Being classically trained from the best makes Chef Mousseau-Rivard one of the best.  By using the proper tools and kitchen equipment, you, as a home chef, can come very close to replicating some of Chef Mousseau-Rivards’ extravagant dinners.  Seafood and shellfish are a breeze when using our quality products.  A purée can be refined with the use of any of these great products: A Vitamix Blender, an All-Clad Electric Pressure Cooker,  an OXO Potato Ricer, a Eurodib Tin-Plated Food Mill, or even a Browne Double Mesh Strainer and a Vollrath Spatula.  Many dishes have multiple options to produce flawless results.

Alo, one of the world’s 50 best restaurants lies in Toronto.  Under the mastery of Executive Chef Patrick Kriss, Alo’s website makes one drool before even venturing to the establishment.  Venetian caviar along with cauliflower bavarois & Hokkaido sea urchin with fennel, yuzu, and wasabi encompasses the finer things for the palate.  The bread and butter are mentioned in high regard due to the exceptional butter from local cream, and the buttermilk make delightful pain au lait buns.

Squab breast and roasted leg are Chef Kriss’ standout dish.  Squab is a delicacy that is quite easy to make at home.  Typically, squab comes with suckling pig.  As mentioned above, suckling pig can be accomplished in the oven.  Another technique is sous vide and finish on a spit.  Here is our recipe to serve both as an extravagant dinner.

Squab

Ingredients

1 squab per person

¼ stick of butter per bird

1 tablespoon olive oil per bird

1 garlic clove per bird

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (thyme, marjoram, savory, rosemary, basil, sage, and lavender) per bird

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Remove heads if still attached.  Separate legs from body.  Mix all ingredients to make a paste/marinade.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook for about 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 128 degrees.  Pull immediately from oven as they will continue to cook.  That’s it! Easy!

SOUS VIDE SUCKING PIG

Ingredients

1- 15-pound suckling pig

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 large sous vide bag

Directions

Mix marinade well.  Add the pig in the bag.  Pour marinade over the pig.  Using a Vesta Sous Vide Immersion Circulator and a large plastic container, place the pig in 162 degree Fahrenheit water for five hours (covered).  Remove.  Dry thoroughly.  Place the pig under a broiler or use a spit if available to crisp the skin.  The pig has been cooked perfectly!  This last step is to ensure a crispy skin only.  Do this as quickly as possible under high heat.  Try to avoid drying out the pig.  Placing a glaze on before the final step is optional.  A molasses-based glaze adds a sweet crust that is well worth the title of an extravagant dinner!

Have a great time when you can visit one of our great Canadian fancy restaurants.  Just remember, using Williams Food Equipment as part of your own home restaurant will create cuisine just as astounding as the legendary bistros mentioned in magazines and online! Reproducing terrific recipes is flattery to the restaurant, yourself, and your guests.