When Published on Main’s executive chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson heard what this year’s Krug pairing ingredient was, he felt a little nonplussed.
“I think it’s definitely a more challenging ingredient, because it is often such a background player,” he explains. “It’s seldom the star of any dish. On the flip side, we have had a number of carrot dishes at Published, and some of them lasting several years.
“We do love a carrot,” he adds. “But we needed to find a way to present it in a way that is interesting, unique, and of course, something that would pair well with the champagne.”
Photo by Patrick Hinton.
The first Krug X Single Ingredient challenge was launched in 2014. It called upon its designated Krug Ambassade restaurants around the world to present an inventive pairing of its wines with a single dish built around the tomato. Since then, the celebrated champagne house’s ingredient choices have included rice, potato, and lemon, the resulting recipes collated into an annual book. Last year—Published’s first year of involvement—the ingredient was flowers.
Krug is known for its impeccable blending of the best grapes and vintages chosen by cellar master Julie Cavil, and its vintages and expressions are some of the most delicious and exciting champagnes you will find. From September 12 to 28, diners at Published have the opportunity to taste three different bottles: Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition, Krug Rosé 28ème Édition, and Krug Vintage 2004.
Although Krug calls on its Ambassades (Published is one of only two restaurants in Canada awarded this designation) to create a single dish to pair with either the cuvée or the rosé, Stieffenhofer-Brandson and his team gave themselves a much harder challenge. They created a six-course tasting menu celebrating both the humble carrot and these extraordinary champagnes.
The first place Stieffenhofer-Brandson went was dessert—the result becoming the official Krug X Single Ingredient dish, available to order on its own with a glass of the grande cuvée.
Photo by Patrick HInton.
A sorbet of carrot juice blended with frozen sea buckthorn berries is studded with frozen discs of various complementary ingredients—ginger, coffee, cardamom, blackcurrant leaf—that provide a different dimension to the central ingredient.
“Each individual item is delicious. Together they are super harmonious,” Stieffenhofer-Brandson says, noting that his approach was inspired by visiting Krug in Champagne this summer, learning and tasting as he went. “I thought that the way the team builds the cuvée, layering all these different plots and vintages, I thought it was kind of cool to have a dessert that reflects a similar expression in how it’s layered.”
Photo by Patrick Hinton.
Those who book the full tasting menu will find carrots treated in myriad ways, from amuse bouches that include a witty take on a bagel and lox, and a delectable miniature carrot pie with caviar, to a fish course featuring pickerel on a bed of white carrot kimchi, bathed in a moreish and comforting butter popcorn sauce.
“We’ve come up with a number of dishes that highlight carrots in playful and hopefully interesting ways and showcase a lot of technique,” Stieffenhofer-Brandson says.
“People can come in and just have the dessert. But if you are someone who loves champagne, this is a way to try different expressions of Krug that you might not normally be able to.”
Krug Week at Published on Main runs September 13-28. Read more food and drink stories.
