Whistler chef Jasper Cruickshank—of Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar—is a national champion.
The local chef de cuisine bested nine other top chefs from Canada at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa on Feb. 2 and 3.
“This weekend, full of trials and obstacles, was an incredible learning experience,” Cruickshank said in a release. “Being able to represent Wild Blue on a national stage and bring home the gold to Whistler is a true honour.”
Cruickshank drew on his B.C. roots and a profound appreciation for local ingredients for his championship entry, the "Wild B.C. Experience."
"This award-winning dish, paired with Roche Tradition Pinot Gris, featured a Side Stripe shrimp terrine with a daikon parcel filled with leek purée and a leek-wakame tuille; a Dungeness crab tartlet with delicate fuille de brick, poached Dungeness crab, crab espuma, and masago rice pearls," the release said. "A Geoduck reduction provided the perfect complement to the ensemble."
The two-day competition started Friday, Feb. 2 with a Mystery Wine Competition, in which chefs were challenged to craft a dish (while staying within a budget of $550 for 250 servings) complimenting an unlabelled wine. The catch? They received the wine just 24 hours prior.
"Cruickshank's winning creation, a Pork Terrine with pickled mustard seed, kohlrabi, caramelized parsnip puree, natural jus, and chive oil, perfectly harmonized with the wine later revealed to be Zweigelt from Lailey Winery Niagara River VQA," the release said.
The next day, the chefs competed in the Black Box Competition, followed by the event's Grand Finale, in which Cruickshank emerged victorious.
Read more about the Canadian Culinary Championships here, and check back with Pique later this month for an interview with Cruickshank.
