Gilles Jourdenais, owner of La Fromagerie Atwater since 1983
Photo by Dominique Viau
Summer is in full swing in Montreal with endless days spent outside along the Lachine Canal popular with cycling enthusiasts, joggers, people enjoying a day out and the many boats navigating their way through the locks between the Old Port and Lac Saint-Louis. Inaugurated in 1977, the bike path along the Canal has become a must for tourists and locals alike, owing its success to the magnificent parks and natural green spaces along the way, however the culinary heart of the area is Atwater Market with its Art Deco-style architecture among the most beautiful buildings in the city. Open year-round, it's celebrated for its many butchers and cheesemongers, and market gardeners who set up their stands around the building as soon as summer begins. Whether a locavore or on the hunt for gastronomic treasure, you'll find high quality, seasonal and fresh produce each and every day.
La Fromagerie Atwater is our favourite destination when we visit Montreal each summer. A unique gastronomic experience, Gilles Jourdenais' family run cheese shop is known for their impressive selection of Québéc and European cheeses, including the delicious runny cream coloured Charlevoix, considered the Quebec cousin of the French Reblochon, and Le 1608, a unique deeply flavoured semi firm cheese made exclusively from the milk of a Canadian cow from a single herd located in Charlevoix. Gilles has a passion for cheese and loves to share his knowledge with customers, as he did the last time we visited, introducing us to one of his favourite cheeses — Alfred le Fermier. Named after the great grandfather of its producers, Alfred Le Fermier is an organic, sunset yellow raw-milk cheese with a lovely supple texture and gorgeous woody aroma. Terrines and Pâtés is another delightful shop we simply can't resist, with their impressive selection of homemade terrines, patés, rillettes and foie gras.
During the summer season, Pôle des Saveurs at the Atwater Market is a focal point for innovative and tasty fast food, offering a culinary world tour in just a few steps, from Vietnamese banh mi, South Asian satays, Middle Eastern falafel, to Japanese sushi and more, enjoyed relaxing at one of the many picnic tables or large patio facing the Lachine Canal. Arriving at the market after a leisurely morning boating along the canal, we stopped for lunch at Le Petit Sao for Vietnamese Banh Mi, then began our culinary tour around the market to pick up our favourite cheeses and terrines. Life is good.
Paddle boarder on the Canal
The Canal Lounge is a floating bar-lounge docked at the base of the Atwater Market
with an extensive menu cocktails and delicious appetizers
Farm-fresh lettuce at Atwater Market
Barrels and baskets of fruit
Glorious variety of zucchini
in Montreal
and he was right — it's tremendous
such as Le Petit Sao popular for their Vietnamese dishes
Fondue Pain Surprise au Reblochon ou au Kénogami
Serves 4-5
Recipe courtesy of Fromagerie Atwater
1 country loaf or artisanal bread, about 9-10-inches in diameter
1 Reblochon farmhouse cheese or a Kénogami
2 tbsp white wine
A little chopped chives
1 sprig of thyme
2 peeled garlic cloves
1lb Russet potatoes
Charcuterie Accompaniment:
10 thin slices of coppa or bresaola
10 slices of prosciutto
10 slices of white ham with rind
Buy the bread 1 or 2 days in advance to leave it to stale. Cut off the top of the bread ball. Hollow out the inside and remove the bread crumbs. Select a cheese to measure the circumference. Cut the removed bread crumbs and the top of the bread into small cubic pieces.
Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub the inside of the bread and place the thyme inside. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and immerse the potatoes, with or without peel, in a saucepan of cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and check the cooking by inserting a blade into the potato. Remove or scrape the rind on the upper part of the Reblochon or Kénogami to a thickness of 1 mm. Place the cheese inside the bread and drizzle with white wine.
Bake. As soon as the cheese is melted, serve and sprinkle the bread with chopped chives. Serve with potatoes and cold meats. Use a fondue fork to select a piece of bread, dip it in the fondue and enjoy.
Note: You can brown the pieces of bread in a little olive oil to obtain golden croutons. It’s divine!
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