cook this: 3 recipes for mother's day brunch from a montreal cook, including an asparagus and ricotta tart
9 minute read
clockwise from top left: author lesley chesterman, gravlax with caraway and coriander, asparagus and ricotta tart, and croque monsieur. photos by maude chauvin
our cookbook of the week is a montreal cook by lesley chesterman.
jump to the recipes: asparagus and ricotta tart, croque monsieur, and gravlax with caraway and coriander.
sometimes, lesley chesterman wonders if she’d have the same love of food if she hadn’t grown up in montreal.
“my whole career is based on my city, and my love of my city. i have this really deranged love of my city. people pull me aside sometimes and say, ‘that’s enough, lesley.’ i have so much love for this city,” says the pastry chef and food writer, who was a food columnist and restaurant critic for the gazette from 1999 to 2019.
chesterman’s second english cookbook, a montreal cook (simon & schuster, 2026), is “a love letter” to her birthplace that she says was a long time coming. with new recipes and adjusted text, it’s the english version of her second french book, un week-end chez lesley (éditions cardinal, 2022). looking at the recipes with fresh eyes, chesterman changed the theme, dedicating it to the way a montrealer cooks at home.
“when i really looked at what i was laying out, i thought, ‘this is my dinner party dish. this is my apéro spread. this is my mother’s indian spread.’ although she was far from being indian, but my dad was english, so we had curry often because that was his favourite thing in the world. and so, i just really thought, this is the way a montrealer cooks.”
chesterman’s mom, sylvia, was from winnipeg, with ukrainian roots, and her dad, anthony, was english and irish. growing up, family meals included dishes from their respective heritages, “and yes, the occasional shake ’n bake.”
her parents took her to restaurants, and chesterman was exposed to excellent food early on. sylvia was a good cook as well — they watched julia child together every week and were avid readers of gourmet magazine, which chesterman still has in her basement. the influences were many, she says. “it was my city, but my family as well, and my travels.”
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though chesterman is an anglophone, she and her sister went to a french school, “so the french influence in our lives is huge.” the book reflects the effect france has had on montreal’s food culture in general, in dishes such as boeuf carottes and chesterman’s parisian brother-in-law’s take on poulet grand-mère, as well as the many bistro-style dishes she grew up eating, such as croque monsieur and bostok.
a montreal cook is lesley chesterman’s “love letter” to her city.
simon & schuster canada
she emphasizes that though she included some québécois recipes, a montreal cook isn’t a québécois book. “i think it’s canadian,” she says. “we have so many influences that come from everywhere. i’m not making a tourtière every night at home, and no québécois person is either.”
there is a tourtière recipe in the book, however (which chesterman notes is technically a meat pie because it uses ground, not cubed, meat), as well as other québécois classics, such as pouding chômeur (unemployment pudding); an “amazing” shepherd’s pie, known as pâté chinois in quebec; baked beans, popular in sugar shacks, breakfast spots and the city’s few remaining “bineries“; and poutine.
chesterman concludes a montreal cook with her address book — where she goes for bagels, cakes and pastries, smoked meat, “posh poutine,” kitchen equipment and more — and includes tributes to classic spots such as beautys luncheonette and her favourite restaurant, l’express.
writing the book made her examine the way she cooks and how her approach was shaped by her city. “we always think of people who are vegetarians or things like that, but i always think of the way people are cooking because of their city and their backgrounds — their cultural influences, but their city’s influences that they had growing up.”
chesterman notes that though montreal has always been “a great food city,” the country’s culinary landscape has changed around it. other canadian cities have cultivated excellent food scenes as well, which wasn’t the case when she was young.
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“the big thing about montreal that is very different from everywhere else is the influence of the french,” she says. “the influence of the language. the attitude of the people in restaurants. they will eat liver. they will eat kidneys. they’re maybe more adventurous.”
chesterman hopes that readers of a montreal cook consider how they cook according to their city, whatever it may be. “in this city, there are so many influences, and it’s not just québécois cooking. you know, i’m not martin picard,” she says, laughing, “so i’m not going to cook that way. and i’m not a restaurant chef, so this is the way we’re cooking at home.”
asparagus and ricotta tart
“a savoury tart is such a treat with a salad for lunch,” says lesley chesterman. “they’re very elegant with a nice little glass of sancerre.”
maude chauvin
serves: 6
about 3/4 lb (350 g) flaky pie dough, store-bought or homemade
1 bunch (about 10 oz/300 g) asparagus
salt
1 cup (250 g) ricotta
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (30 g) finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup (60 ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 bunch (about 10 oz/300 g) asparagus
salt
1 cup (250 g) ricotta
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (30 g) finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup (60 ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
step 1
roll out the dough to line a 9-inch (23-cm) round or square tart pan and fit it into the pan. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
step 2
preheat the oven to 200c (400f) and blind-bake the tart shell.
step 3
meanwhile, cook the asparagus: prepare a pot of boiling salted water and set up an ice bath. cut off or snap off the woody bases of the asparagus stalks, and rinse them well under cold water. plunge the asparagus a handful at a time into the boiling water, allowing 3 minutes (for al dente cooking), then plunge into ice water. drain the asparagus, transfer to a paper towel on a plate, and refrigerate.
step 4
for the filling: in a medium bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients with a fork.
step 5
when the tart base is blind-baked, spread the cheese mixture over it, getting it well into the corners. garnish generously with rows of the asparagus and season the top with salt and the pepper.
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step 6
place in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 350f (180c).
step 7
bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling begins to puff up around the edges. remove from the oven and cool a bit before slicing and serving.
croque monsieur
this is “a real-deal croque monsieur,” says lesley chesterman. “it has to have béchamel on it.”
maude chauvin
serves: 4
8 1-inch-thick (2.5-cm) slices good-quality white bread
1 cup (25 0ml) béchamel sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup (75g) grated swiss cheese (such as gruyère or emmental)
8 to 12 slices ham
1 cup (25 0ml) béchamel sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup (75g) grated swiss cheese (such as gruyère or emmental)
8 to 12 slices ham
step 1
preheat the oven to 425f (210c). prepare a foil-lined baking sheet.
step 2
lightly toast the bread (my preference, but it’s not necessary) and place the slices on the baking sheet.
step 3
whisk the béchamel until smooth and then whisk in 3/4 cup cheese. spread about a tablespoon of the sauce onto 4 slices of bread (make sure to spread it right to the corners) and then top each with 2 or 3 slices of ham. spread another tablespoon of béchamel over the ham on each toast and then top with the second pieces of bread, pressing down lightly. spread the remaining béchamel equally over the tops of the 4 sandwiches, and then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
step 4
bake until the tops are golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes. let cool slightly before eating.
bÉchamel sauce
makes: 2 cups (500 ml)
3 tbsp (45 g) butter
3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
or 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk and 1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste, preferably white (for colour)
pinch of nutmeg
3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) milk
or 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk and 1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste, preferably white (for colour)
pinch of nutmeg
step 1
in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. add the flour and with a whisk, stir vigorously for a good 30 seconds. while whisking, slowly pour in a cup of milk, and continue whisking to remove any lumps. add the remaining milk (or milk and cream) a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
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step 2
use immediately, or pour into a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface, and refrigerate for up to a week.
gravlax with caraway and coriander
“i love gravlax even more than smoked salmon. i just have to always plan a little bit more ahead than i usually do,” says lesley chesterman.
maude chauvin
serves: 10-15
6 tbsp (90 g) sea salt or kosher salt, divided
1 2-lb (900-g) sushi-grade salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (preferably white pepper)
2 large bunches dill
1 2-lb (900-g) sushi-grade salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (preferably white pepper)
2 large bunches dill
step 1
wash the salmon: fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. stir until the salt is dissolved, then add the salmon. leave to soak for 10 minutes.
step 2
in a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the caraway and coriander seeds, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind fine.
step 3
meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining salt, the sugar, ground spices and pepper.
step 4
remove the salmon from the bath and pat dry with paper towels. place the salmon skin side up on a clean work surface and sprinkle about half the salt mixture all over it, then rub it in with your fingers.
step 5
arrange half the dill in the bottom of a rimmed dish large enough to hold the salmon. place the salmon, skin side down, on the bed of dill and rub the remaining salt mixture over the top and sides of the fish. reserve a handful of dill for the sauce (recipe follows) and place the rest of it directly on the fish flesh. cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and then place a weight on top (i use a small cutting board with a few cans on top). refrigerate for 1 day.
step 6
after 1 day, unwrap the salmon, remove the dill, and turn the fillet skin side up. cover again with the dill, followed by the plastic wrap, and put the weight back on top. refrigerate until sufficiently cured, 1 day longer for a lighter gravlax or 2 days longer for a firmer, saltier gravlax.
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step 7
to serve: unwrap the salmon, scrape off the dill, and place on a work surface. using a very sharp chef’s knife, cut the gravlax on the bias into thin slices. arrange on blini or pumpernickel or rye bread toast points. drizzle with dill-mustard sauce (recipe follows), if you like, and serve.
step 8
the gravlax can be stored in the refrigerator, well wrapped in plastic, for about 5 days after the 3-day preparation period.
cut the gravlax into thin slices on the bias before serving with dill-mustard sauce.
maude chauvin
dill-mustard sauce
makes: 1/2 cup (125 ml)
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp coarsely chopped dill
1/4 cup (60 ml) dijon mustard
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp coarsely chopped dill
1/4 cup (60 ml) dijon mustard
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
in a blender or mini food processor, or using an immersion blender in a small, deep bowl, combine the vinegar with the chopped dill, mustard and sugar and blend until the dill is very finely chopped. gradually pour in the oil and blend until a smooth sauce forms. season with salt and pepper.
recipes and images excerpted from a montreal cook by lesley chesterman. published by simon & schuster canada.
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