AUTUMN SONG

A crisp juniper berry and… tea syrup that’s then mixed with G’vine Floral Gin, a touch of Aperol Italian Aperitif and elements of dandelion and burdock, balanced out with a little citrus that conjures up images of autumn at its peak.

Ingredients

Collins Glass

1 ¾ oz G'Vine Floral Gin

1.3 oz Juniper Berry Tea Syrup

0.3 oz Lemon Juice

3 Dashes of Dandelion Bitters

0.3 oz Aperol Italian Aperitif

Rosemary Stem (for garnish)

Recipe       

• Add all ingredients to Boston Glass and shake
• Fill Collins Glass with large ice
• Half fill the Collins Glass with soda
• Double strain the ingredients from the Boston Glass into the soda 
• Garnish with a stem of Rosemary 

Drop by the Raw Bar to try out the Autumn Song and some of the other amazing cocktail creations by Coin Tait and the Raw Bartenders.  Our new winter cocktail menu is launching shortly.

CHEF'S TABLE: BREAKFAST HASH

BREAKFAST HASH 

Tim Strain and Craig Boje at Chef's Table at Kensington Riverside Inn have created a delicious Breakfast Hash to experience at Chef's Table in the mornings or for weekend brunch.  Please note that Chef's Table at Kensington Riverside Inn, like Raw Bar at Hotel Arts, is open to both in-house guests and the public-at-large.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes

4 sprigs of Thyme

1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar (Demerara)

1 sweet potato (medium) - medium dice (½ inch by ½ inch by ½ inch)

1 butternut squash (medium) - medium dice (½ inch by ½ inch by ½ inch)

Salt and pepper to taste

250 grams mushrooms - rough chop

Sliced prosciutto (about one slice per portion) cut into long, thin pieces.

Flat Leaf or Italian Parsley - fine chop

Eggs - for poaching

Method:

Place butter into a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Once melted, remove pan from heat and add the chili flakes and half of the thyme (for more kick, add more chili flakes). Let rest for 10 minutes.  

Strain through a fine sieve. Discard thyme and chili flakes. Stir brown sugar into the butter and set aside.

Peel and dice the sweet potato and butternut squash. Toss with the butter-sugar mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet tray. Place into a 400 degree oven and roast until tender, but still slightly chewy (approx. 20 minutes). Stir halfway through the roasting time.

A couple of options for cooking the mushrooms:

1. Lightly oil and season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Spread on a sheet tray and add to the potato-squash mixture while still in the oven, for about 10 minutes.
2. Lightly oil a frying pan and quickly sauté mushrooms over medium to high heat. Season with salt and pepper. This is what we do.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat. Add prosciutto slices and cook until lightly brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to turn on your hood fan since the pan may smoke (but its good smoke...).

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer (a boil with break up the eggs, too low a simmer and the eggs will stick to the bottom). Add 2-3 Tablespoons of white vinegar to the water. Crack eggs into individual bowls and gently add to the water. Cook for four minutes or until the egg white is set but still wiggles. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen cloth.

In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potato, squash, mushrooms and thyme leaves from the remaining sprigs. Adjust seasoning.

Spoon portions into individual serving bowls. Top with crisp prosciutto, chopped parsley and finally the poached eggs. Garnish with large grain salt (we use Maldon smoked sea salt flakes) and serve. Accompany with fresh melon, like cantaloupe, and bread - which compliment the flavours of the hash and provide interesting textures. Let the server handle complaints and the cook the compliments.

Brunch at the Inn
Brunch hours Saturday 8:00am - 1:00pm, Sunday 9:00am - 1:00pm and of course, daily breakfast Monday - Friday 7:00am - 10:00am for those on their way to work or a business breakfast meeting!   

SASKATOON BERRY BBQ SAUCE

Hotel Arts was a sponsor of the 51st Annual Chinook Centre Stampede Breakfast that took place on Saturday, July 9, 2011. The breakfast was one of the biggest, not to mention BEST, serving 65,000 people. Chinook Centre raised over $20,000 for the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation and used 2200 pounds of sausages and 4200 pounds of pancake mix.    

Dressed up in our chef outfits, we took home the "Stampede in Style" award. Looking the part, we took on a sausage station with an extra little twist; drizzled with Saskatoon Berry BBQ Sauce. Patrons of the breakfast thought our sauce was spectacular so we thought we would share the recipe with you. We look forward to seeing you at the breakfast next year! 

Ingredients 

• 500 ml Saskatoon Berries
• 500 ml Veal Stock
• 250 ml Ketchup
• 100 ml Brown Sugar (packed)
• 125 ml Soy Sauce
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 2 cloves Garlic diced
• 50 ml Whiskey
• 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika
• ½tsp Six Spice
• 1/2tsp Espelette Pepper

Directions 

• In a medium size sauce pan, sauté the onions until tender (approximately  3-5 minutes)
• Add the garlic and continue cooking for 3 more minutes
• Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes
• Using a hand blender purée the sauce until smooth
• Cool and fridgerate until ready to use. (will keep for up to 1 week)