Brunch at Craft Farmacy: Dispensing Deliciousness

"Dispensing Deliciousness" is the tagline for Craft Farmacy, a modern farm-to-table restaurant in London by chef and co-owner Andrew Wolwowicz, who sources local ingredients from places such as Shogun Maitake Mushrooms, Loco Farms, Soiled Reputation, Gunn's Hill Cheese, and Monforte Cheese. One of the local pioneers of Londons homegrown and ethical farm-to-table movements, Wolwowicz was an early proponent of using locally grown ingredients from farms specializing in sustainable agriculture, organic growing practices and ethically raised livestock. His farm-to-table menus are progressive, with menu items crafted from local, regional and hyper-seasonal ingredients and are executed with aptitude, innovation and flair. Arriving for brunch one weekend with our friends Cory and Richard, we started with chef Wolwowicz's freshly baked homemade buttery scones and Craft Bloody Caesars, followed by a feast of savoury brunch classics including Andrew's Chorizo Hash served with two sunny side up eggs, red pepper, onion, 'Chris's Country Cuts' fresh chorizo, braised beef cheeks and home fries, decadent Fried Chicken and Homemade Waffles with lime aioli and home fries, and outstanding House Smoked Atlantic Salmon and Crispy Potato Latkes with soft poached eggs, cucumber crème fraîche and Soiled Reputation local greens. London is a culinary treasure trove of wonderful restaurants and thanks to Cory and Richard, we always explore the most interesting and exciting of the city's burgeoning food scene.

Craft Pharmacy's brunch menu of farm-to-table dishes

Warm homemade scones with butter

Bloody Caesar

Chorizo Hash with two sunny side up eggs, red pepper, onion, 

'Chris's Country Cuts' fresh chorizo, braised beef cheeks and home fries

Fried Chicken and Homemade Waffles with lime aioli and home fries

House Smoked Atlantic Salmon and Crispy Potato Latkes with soft poached eggs, 

cucumber crème fraîche and Soiled Reputation local greens

A perfectly cooked and runny poached egg

Forest City Cookbook focuses on local producers, artisans and chefs in the London region,

including recipes from chef Andrew Wolwowicz

www.craftfarmacy.ca

Andrew Wolwowicz’s Wildwood Duck Salad 

Serves 4 appetizer or lunch-size portions

Recipe courtesy of chef Wolwowicz 

12 oz duck breast

6 whole roasted beets, peeled and cut to preference

16 oven-dried cherry tomatoes

toasted hemp seeds

3 oz Monforte ‘Nika’ cheese

4 cups mixed greens 

8 oz apple cider

1 oz sea buckthorn juice

2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

1 good squeeze of a nice floral wildflower honey

2–3 oz unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

To marinate duck, whisk together some extra virgin olive oil, a good splash of sherry vinegar, orange juice, bay leaves, juniper berries and smashed garlic cloves. Just know to go easy on the acids here, a couple splashes will do fine with about 1/2 cup of oil. Wrap in ziplock bag and place in fridge for six hours.

To cook the duck, pre-heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Season the duck breast and lay skin side down in the skillet to begin rendering off some of the fat. When skin is golden brown and starting to crisp up, place the skillet in a pre-heated 400°F oven until duck is cooked to your preference. Cooking about five to six minutes for a nice medium rare is a good general guideline. Set the duck aside to rest the juices.

To make the dressing, place the hot skillet, with the duck fat as a base, over a medium low heat. Add the beets, apple cider, orange juice, sea buckthorn juice and the squeeze of honey. Reduce by about a quarter volume, then turn the heat to low. Slowly add the chilled cubed butter, a couple cubes at a time, while whisking. You want to achieve a creamy, velvety finish. Season very lightly with a little coarse salt.

To plate, lightly dress the greens with a light acidic dressing, and combine with dried tomatoes. Crumble Nika cheese over greens and sprinkle with the toasted hemp seeds. Place onto the centre of a dinner plate. Assemble beets, along with warm dressing, around the greens. Slice duck breast and divide equally over the greens.

Chef Wolwowicz likes these suppliers:

Bistro Greens, Beets — Soiled Reputation

Duck, Sea Buckthorn Juice — Everspring Farms

‘Nika’ Sheep’s Milk Cheese — Monforte Dairy

Apple Cider — Western Fair Farmers’ Market