French Cuisine with a Québécoise Accent

Quebec City has long been known for its innovative and inventive cuisine. Since my early traveling days, visiting Quebec was always a go-to destination for beautiful vistas, old world charm, support of local craftspeople, and great food. On our recent trip, we were invited by Destination Québec Cite to meet several of the talented young chefs specializing in the distinctive boreal cuisine.

Boreal – from Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind – as it relates to cooking, refers to the bounty nature provides in the northern forests that are dominated by conifer trees and indigenous plants, berries, and ferns. These are native to a specific area – in this case the Provence of Quebec.

Nordic cuisine uses lean fish such as cod (which is especially rich in protein) or salmon, mackerel, herring, and trout (which are high in omega-3 fatty acids). They also use game meat that is very rich in protein and almost completely without saturated fat. The vegetables and berries from the region contain antioxidants and vitamins B and C. Nice to know, especially as all these are also delicious.

Boreal cooking in Quebec was developed during the period when the territory was known as New France, before the conquest by the British in the mid-18th century. Ingredients that were the basis for French cooking were not readily available. The native peoples taught the French settlers about the abundant sources of food in the forests, the local animals, and preparing the indigenous products.

Once the British displaced the French, boreal cuisine was further developed and became a totally new cuisine in Quebec, where only locally sourced seasonal ingredients are used.

Each of the chefs we spoke with told us that boreal cuisine is an ongoing creative process. It demands constant and extensive seasonal experimentation to discover nutritional and flavoring alternatives to lemons, olive oil, and traditional spices since these items are not native to the area.

Like any constantly changing cuisine, it’s necessary to suspend your prior training and expectations and be willing to experiment with new unfamiliar ingredients. All of the chefs said they enjoy the challenge and are excited about the health benefits of seeking locally sourced seasonal ingredients, as they create delicious, nutritious dishes from their serendipitous finds.

My first experience in boreal dining was at Chez Boulay Bistro where Chef Jean-Luc Boulay and his associate, Arnaud Marchand, have developed a menu using regional ingredients harvested seasonally at their prime. The physical restaurant was a traditional-looking French bistro with a bar along one side and an open kitchen at the rear. Friendly, knowledgeable waiters described each dish, but as with most boreal dishes, I was unfamiliar with many of the ingredients.

I began with nougat of foie gras, with berries and yellow birch syrup. It was delicate, savory, and good to the last succulent drop. The menu that day offered a Walleye fish chowder and a Rabbit Rable along with an unusual dish of Jerusalem artichoke Patia with willowherb tea, Viennese herb crust, and black Jerusalem artichokes.

Throwing caution to the wind, I went with the artichokes, and I’m so glad I did. It turned out to be an absolutely divine dish, beautifully presented with wonderful flavors complementing each other. I must admit that I wasn’t as thrilled with the dessert selection, but after two wonderful dishes, my companions and I left raving.

Another impressive Chef, Dereck McCann, is one of the co-chefs heading the kitchens at Le Monastere des Augustines, called Le Vivoir Restaurant. He has a total hands-on approach, making sure his guests are well-fed and knowledgeable of the health benefits of boreal cuisine.

Serving three meals a day, he oversees an impressive daily array of salads, entrees, and desserts, as well as offering al a carte menu selections, all locally sourced. He has a personal relationship with all his providers, securing only the best, freshest meats and poultry, vegetables and fruits at their prime.

Since our group was staying at Le Monastere, Chef Dereck went all out with a tour de force dinner of organic mushroom ravioli, fresh octopus with dried peppers and tomatoes, sturgeon with creamed corn mélange, barbequed ribs with caramelized carrots, Portuguese herbed chicken, and souse-vide carrots.

He complimented the meal with wines personally selected from Muldova and ended with a variety of tasty treats and a small harvest cherry liqueur from his private cellar.

A short drive outside of Quebec City in a spectacular setting in the woods took us to the First Nations Wendake Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations and dinner at Restaurant La Traite. Chef Marc de Passorio introduced us to his vision of boreal cuisine after our visit to the amazing Sound and Light show, Onhwa Lumina, set in the forest a few minutes’ drive from the hotel.

Elated after the experience in the forest, we sat down to a late three-course dinner with a choice of selections. Chef de Passorio is a classically trained chef but became captivated by boreal cooking. He had to relearn how to select unusual ingredients and combine them in unique ways.

Example: Oushata salmon was served with watermelon radishes, corn puree, sage, Gaspesie seaweed vinaigrette, and his butternut squash puree with star anise confit, green alder pepper, black garlic cream, pear, and lime.

The entrees were Lake Walleye with forest tea, corn, braided cabbage, winter apples, and ice cider beurre blanc. My selection of dinner entrées was deer medallions, root vegetables with cedar salt, mushrooms, and candied lemons. Again, dessert was unremarkable, but the mixologist at the bar kept us all well-hydrated and happy.

The author received a complimentary meals and hotel stays for this article, but as always, we are dedicated to giving you unbiased accounts of our experiences. See our Disclosures page for more information.