New Brunswick Canada

Tempt your tastebuds with these delicious recipes from some of New Brunswick’s top chefs. Showcasing regional cuisine and seasonally inspired ingredients, these gourmet recipes highlight New Brunswick’s abundance of fresh seafood, farm-raised meats, local produce and artisanal specialties.

• Beausoleil Oyster Duo with Marinated Cucumber Salad

  Chef Alex Haun 
  Savour Restaurant, St. Andrews by-the-Sea
  
  Ingredients
  Bacon and Sabayon Oyster
  4 Beausoleil oysters
  2 egg yolks 
  1 drop fresh lemon juice
  ¼ cup white wine
  6 chives, thinly sliced 
  2 slices bacon, chopped
  ½ onion, diced
  1 tbsp. oil
  Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
  
  Crispy Oyster with Aioli
  4 Beausoleil oysters
  ½ cup mayonnaise
  ½ clove garlic, minced
  1 tsp. parsley, minced
  ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
  1 egg, whisked with ¼ cup milk
  ½ cup panko
  ½ cup flour mixed with 1 tsp. minced parsley
  Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
  
  Marinated Cucumber Salad
  ½ English cucumber
  1 cup white wine vinegar
   ½ red bell pepper
  Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
  

  Preparation
  Cucumber salad: Julienne the bell pepper and place in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours until the pieces are curled. Cut cucumber in half and remove seeds. Julienne the halves to create thin long strips. Place strips in a mixture of vinegar, salt and pepper for 20 minutes. Assemble by forming cucumber pieces into mounded balls and placing them in 4 cleaned shells reserved from the oysters. Top with pepper curls.

  Bacon and sabayon oysters: Sauté bacon and onion in oil until slightly golden in colour. Remove and drain excess fat. Shuck oysters, reserving shells. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer; cover with a bowl that fits snugly onto the pot. Make sabayon by placing yolks, white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the bowl and whisking until slightly stiff and stable (do not scramble). Assemble by placing 1 oyster each in 4 of the reserved shells. Top with the onion-bacon mixture, followed by a tablespoon of sabayon. Garnish with sliced chives. If desired, slightly hit each oyster with the flame of a blow torch for some colour. 

  Crispy oysters with aioli: In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper to create aioli. Set aside. Shuck oysters, reserving shells. Coat oysters evenly in flour, dip in egg-milk wash, then follow with a coating of panko. Place in deep fryer (or frying pan with hot oil) until golden brown. Place oysters on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Assemble by placing a small spoonful of aioli in 4 of the reserved oyster shells, topping with an oyster. 

  To assemble: On a rectangular plate, assemble 3 individual piles of sea salt. Place the shell with the cucumber salad in the middle of each plate. Place the oysters on either side of salad shell. Repeat with 3 more plates and serve. 

  
  Serves 4

• Beausoleil Oysters with Horseradish Ginger Mignonette

  Chef Lizzie Stewart 
  The Blue Door Restaurant & Bar, Fredericton 
  
  6 Beausoleil oysters
  ½ cup (125 ml) rice wine vinegar
  ¼ cup (65 ml) sugar
  ¾ tbsp. (12 ml) ginger, minced
  1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh horseradish, grated
  
  Whisk vinegar and sugar together in a small saucepot. Bring to a simmer and turn off. Transfer to refrigerator and chill. Meanwhile, shuck the oysters and arrange them neatly on an ice-covered serving dish. Mix ginger and horseradish into the chilled vinegar mixture; transfer to a small serving bowl and place in the centre of the oysters. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
  
  Serves 2

• Fire-Grilled Clams with Cucumber “Drawn” Butter

  Chef Jesse Vergen
  Saint John Ale House, Saint John
  
  12 large Bay of Fundy soft-shell clams, purged (cleaned of sand)
  2 tbsp. (30 ml) English cucumber brunoise 
  3 tbsp. (45 ml) melted butter 
  1 tsp. (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
  Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
  
  Cucumber Drawn Butter: Cut English cucumber into a fine dice and chill. Place melted butter in a small bowl. Add chilled cucumber to butter; season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Swirl to emulsify.
  
  Clams: Heat grill to high heat; place clams directly on the grill. Cook until they pop open, about 4 to 5 minutes, and place on a plate. Remove the skin from the foot along with any unwanted bits. Divide “drawn” butter over the tops of the clams and serve. 
  
  Chef’s notes: Use a large, coarse salt as a base for the clams to sit on. To make it really tasty, do it over a driftwood fire on a sandy beach!
  
  Serves 4