John Lau sautées snails in a hot pan along with white wine, butter, garlic and onions.
“We’re making escargot poutine,” explains the executive chef at Café Bicyclette, a licensed café in La Cité Francophone in the Bonnie Doon neighbourhood which boasts authentic French cuisine from pastries to soups and sandwiches.
This is Lau’s busiest time of the year.
The Flying Canoë Volant Festival is paddling its way into Edmonton’s French Quarter on Thursday evening and runs until Saturday night. Events each day get underway at 6 p.m.
The name comes from a tale going back more than 100 years of coureurs des bois who made a deal with the devil. It didn’t end well for the voyageurs.
The festival showcases French-Canadian, Métis and First Nations culture, traditions and food.
“We have a crêpe station, hot chocolate stands, maple taffy stands, a general store; we’re also making our rubaboo stew for everybody,” Lau said.
For the traditional Métis dish Lau is combining rabbit, duck, beef, bison and veal.
Daniel Cournoyer is gearing up for the thousands of festival goers expected to take in this year’s Flying Canoe. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)
Lau and his kitchen staff of four started their festival preparations a month and a half ago. They expect to serve more than 30,000 guests.
“The festival is all about engagement,” said Daniel Cournoyer, executive director of La Cité Francophone.
“The one directive I give is let’s quit observing culture and let’s give people an opportunity to participate, with the goal of maybe learning a little more about each other,” he said.
Cournoyer points to the art, music and outdoor activities and food as a way to do just that.
“It’s a hootenanny. We like to say it’s a great French Canadian kitchen party,” he said.
Back in the real kitchen, Patrick Dupuis is dropping off another load of cheese.
He’s driven 193 kilometres to Edmonton from Vermilion with two coolers filled with curds for poutine.
Patrick Dupuis delivering an order of his artisan cheese curds to the kitchen at La Cité Francophone. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)
“Fresh is the key,” Dupuis said. For the last three years he’s been supplying upwards of 50 kilograms a week of the vital poutine ingredient from his company Old School Cheesery Ltd.
“They’re really, really awesome,” said Lau, who places the curds on top of hand-cut french fries, finished with balsamic aioli, fresh herbs and golden brown chicken gravy.
It’s a huge plate that Lau admits is for sharing, maybe over a beer with two or three friends. Escargot poutine should be savoured slowly, he said.
Escargot poutine is just one of the dishes created in the kitchen of Café Bicyclette. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)