3 Summer Recipes to Make at Home from Vintage Hotels

Summer will be upon us soon. To make the most of the season, we have asked our Executive Chef’s to share some summer dinner ideas – ones that are ideal for enjoying the weather outside with a pitcher of iced tea or a chilled glass of rosé. Our summer recipes are courtesy of Executive Chef Chris Smythe from Noble Restaurant at Prince of Wales, Executive Sous Chef Pete Tindall from Inn On The Twenty Restaurant at Inn On The Twenty, and Executive Chef Nicolas Petitjean from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa.  

Smoked Chili Glazed Chicken Salad 

Compliments of Executive Chef Chris Smythe from Noble Restaurant at Prince of Wales.  

This is not your average grilled chicken salad. Put those boring salads to the side and give your taste buds a treat with smoked chili glazed chicken and a brown butter vinaigrette

Serves 4 People

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz) Chicken breasts
2 Romaine hearts
6 oz White aged cheddar
2 pieces of Corn on the cob
2 oz good quality Barbeque sauce
1 oz Maple syrup
1 tbsp smoked Chili powder
½ cup Pecan halves
4 oz Butter
2 oz Rice vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small Shallot
Sea salt

Method:

1. Pan roast the chicken breasts until they are cooked through.
2. Prepare the glaze by mixing the barbeque sauce, maple syrup and chili powder creating a paste.
3. Take the chicken breasts out of the oven and glaze them with the paste.
4. Toast the corn on a grill and pull the kernels from the cob.
5. Brown the butter in a small pot and cool. In a mixing bowl, add the rice vinegar, diced shallots, dijon mustard and whisk the vinaigrette together then set aside.
6. Cube the cheddar then toast the pecans in the oven for 5 minutes at 375 degrees and toss in the sea salt.
7. Cut the romaine hearts into 4-inch segments and place in a large bowl then lay the chicken on top and garnish with the pecans, corn, cubed cheddar and brown butter vinaigrette.

Tips:

Serve the salad immediately after it is dressed.

Pan Seared Atlantic Halibut with Sweet Potato Gnocchi 

Compliments of Executive Chef Pete Tindall from Inn On The Twenty Restaurant at Inn On The Twenty.  

This pan-fried halibut recipe represents the classic way to serve white fish complete with bok choy, and radish. The sweet potato gnocchi is a wonderful addition to seafood, bringing in a wonderfully buttery flavour to the rest of the dish.

Serves 4 People

Ingredients:

4  4oz Portions of Halibut
1 large Sweet potato
2 Whole eggs
3 to 4 cup of All-purpose flour
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
2 heads Bok choy cut in half
4 Breakfast radishes cut in half

Method:

1. Peel and cut the sweet potato in equal pieces, place in medium to large pot cover with water and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium to high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Using a strainer remove all the water from the potatoes. Place in a large bowl and mash with potato masher. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Fill a large pot ¾ of the way full of water and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil add eggs, flour, salt and pepper to the sweet potatoes. Mix together to become a dough, add more flour if sticky to the touch. 
4. Flip dough onto a floured cutting board and cut into four pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll into ½ inch logs. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces. Repeat for the other 3 dough portions.
5. In a large nonstick frying pan, add oil on medium heat and cook the halibut on one side for 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove halibut from pan.
6. Add gnocchi to boiling water slowly, cook until they float.
7. Add gnocchi, bok choy, and radish to the frying pan that the halibut was in. cook until gnocchi is golden brown. Place on plates.

Tips:

This dish is great served on a large platter garnished with fresh lemon slices and with a nice glass of your favorite wine.

New York Astoria Salad

Compliments of Executive Chef Nicolas Petitjean from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa.  

Citrus compressed apple, walnut sand, celeriac raviole is refreshing for the Summer season. The name of this salad is derived from the fact that it combines nuts and fresh ingredients as a cold appetizer. A New York Astoria Salad is a perfect starter for your dinner. 

Serves 4 People

Ingredients:

200 g Celeriac
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Lemon
40 g Micro Bull’s Blood
30 g Walnuts
25 g Olive Oil
120 g Tofutti
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Slice the celeriac in thin slices, cut them with a ring cutter, blanch them in boiling water then shock them in ice water. Blot the celeriac on paper towel. Reserve them in the fridge.
2. Roast the walnuts in oven at 350˚F until golden brown (5 minutes approximately). Cool down then purée until it’s a sand texture.
3. Cut an apple into 4, removing the core. Place in a vacuum bag with 5 grams of olive oil and half of a lemon zest. Keep it sealed for 4 hours in the fridge and then dice.
4. Whip the Tofutti in a mixing bowl with half of a lemon zest and juice, season to taste. Place in piping bag with a star pastry tip.

Tips:

Leave the apple in a vacuum bag for a full day which will give it the texture and translucid effect when used in a five star Michelin restaurant.