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Martin Picard (Quebec): Cooking without complexity
Etienne Labrunie-2009-10-12
Celine Dion be warned. Another Quebecer is ready to steal the limelight. Not a singer this time, but chef, Martin Picard, the well-fed, fully-bearded, forty-something owner/chef of the Pied de Cochon restaurant in Montreal. However, don’t expect chef whites and an army of waiters with Picard. Instead, you’re guaranteed an original ambience and a personality with more than a hint of rock’n’roll.
"I don’t see why you have to wear a uniform to be seen as credible," says Picard, his trademark cap fixed to his head. "You Frenchmen," he says affectionately and without even a hint of provocation, "are prisoners to your own strict traditions. By contrast, we have the freedom to not do things perfectly." The freedom to succeed as well it would seem. Picard's restaurant in the trendy Plateau district of Montreal is always busy and you’ll need to book well in advance to bag a table.
It was seven years ago that Picard bought this former pizzeria, retaining the use of its vast wood-burning stove. The concept was simple: "a hearty brasserie-style menu that would revitalise the region’s dishes." Much of the menu centres on pig, described by Picard as "a likeable animal and, at the same time, the only one that can be eaten from head to toe." Two a week are used to satisfy customers in the 88-cover restaurant.
It was seven years ago that Picard bought this former pizzeria, retaining the use of its vast wood-burning stove. The concept was simple: "a hearty brasserie-style menu that would revitalise the region’s dishes." Much of the menu centres on pig, described by Picard as "a likeable animal and, at the same time, the only one that can be eaten from head to toe." Two a week are used to satisfy customers in the 88-cover restaurant.
Poutine with foie gras
What, then, can you expect to see on your plate? Well, for starters there’s the famous duo of foie-gras hamburgers and poutine that first established the restaurant’s international reputation. All the ingredients of the hamburger are homemade, from the onion bread to the two thick slices of foie-gras that replaces the usual ground mincemeat (the ducks are force-fed with maple syrup by Picard himself). The result is both outstanding and provocative, as the very notion of a foie-gras hamburger will make the hair of the “foie gras-fundamentalists" that Picard crossed during his apprenticeship in France and, in particular, Alsace, stand on end.
The chef is fiercely proud of his poutine with foie gras. “Everyone complains about poutine but it still pulls in the crowds even at three clock in the morning," Picard says with a degree of irritation. So just what is poutine you may be asking? Well, roughly speaking, it’s a mountain of fries covered in gravy and cheese. "This is real people food so it’s something as rare as it is inspired! I slaved over this dish for years before I knew what it might look like for me." Picard’s reinvented and revitalised Poutine now stands as something of an expression of national pride for a free-thinking Quebec.
In the same way, Picard has revitalised dishes such as Boulettenragout (meatballs in a ragu sauce) with roasted ham hock, Cipaille (a traditional pie consisting of six layers of pastry filled with meat and potatoes), tourtière (a pie made from minced pork and/or veal or beef), beans with bacon and chômeur pudding (a kind of cake served with a maple syrup sauce). Picard also tried a pork belly with lobster stuffing ... "I cook simply to please as many people as possible," is how he sums up his work. Judging by the numbers that flock to his restaurant, word of mouth seems to have played its part in helping Picard achieve this aim. A godsend, given the high initial financial risk attached to the venture: "My parents lent me the necessary capital," he confides.
The chef is fiercely proud of his poutine with foie gras. “Everyone complains about poutine but it still pulls in the crowds even at three clock in the morning," Picard says with a degree of irritation. So just what is poutine you may be asking? Well, roughly speaking, it’s a mountain of fries covered in gravy and cheese. "This is real people food so it’s something as rare as it is inspired! I slaved over this dish for years before I knew what it might look like for me." Picard’s reinvented and revitalised Poutine now stands as something of an expression of national pride for a free-thinking Quebec.
In the same way, Picard has revitalised dishes such as Boulettenragout (meatballs in a ragu sauce) with roasted ham hock, Cipaille (a traditional pie consisting of six layers of pastry filled with meat and potatoes), tourtière (a pie made from minced pork and/or veal or beef), beans with bacon and chômeur pudding (a kind of cake served with a maple syrup sauce). Picard also tried a pork belly with lobster stuffing ... "I cook simply to please as many people as possible," is how he sums up his work. Judging by the numbers that flock to his restaurant, word of mouth seems to have played its part in helping Picard achieve this aim. A godsend, given the high initial financial risk attached to the venture: "My parents lent me the necessary capital," he confides.
Unconventional and a little rebellious, Picard continues to wage war on political correctness in the kitchen. "Anyone who goes to a restaurant to eat salad, quite obviously a problem," he scoffs. At the same time he never tires of talking up the quality of his produce. He thinks nothing of travelling for miles in his hunt for a suitable supplier or closing his restaurant once a year to take his entire staff on a fishing trip to Nova Scotia.
Picard is not a man who does things by halves and unashamedly admits to being an avid eater prone to excesses. This is evident in his role in The Wild Chef, a docu-soap vehicle produced by broadcaster, Radio Canada. In one episode, Picard takes the audience on a moose hunt and later demonstrates how to cut up a moose with an electric saw. "It’s a live butcher’s shop that aims to show everything without any of the usual taboos." The show and Picard was acclaimed as a success.
Picard is clearly the man of the moment. The pride of Quebec, a city that each year attracts another crop of young French chefs eager to earn their fortune. "I love Quebec and all the riches it has to offer. This gives me a home advantage." Furthermore, Picard knows exactly where he wants to go, at least "as long as I keep a cool head..."
Picard is clearly the man of the moment. The pride of Quebec, a city that each year attracts another crop of young French chefs eager to earn their fortune. "I love Quebec and all the riches it has to offer. This gives me a home advantage." Furthermore, Picard knows exactly where he wants to go, at least "as long as I keep a cool head..."
As well as a calm head and strong character, Picard clearly has a good sense of humour. As he confides: "My problem is that I like to eat and I don’t mind growing bigger!"
Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth Est
Montréal (Québec)
H2L 1A9
Tel.: 514.281.1114
Fax: 514.281.1116
Montréal (Québec)
H2L 1A9
Tel.: 514.281.1114
Fax: 514.281.1116
Meals priced from $12.50 (approx £7.00).
