Deer + Almond chef wins local leg of national culinary championship

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This article was published 19/10/2023 (1089 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Sunday night, Deer + Almond’s Kristopher Kurus emerged the winner at the Manitoba leg of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, also known as the Canadian Culinary Championship.

Chef Kurus, who competed against five other chefs to claim the crown, had served judges two faultless dishes with ingredients sourced from the province.

Unlike previous competitions, which were held in a gala format, this year’s private event saw five judges (including the Free Press’s AV Kitching) visit six restaurants in one night, to sample each chef’s dish, which was paired with a specific wine.

Kurus’s first dish, served on the first leg, was a sublime Manitoba pork terrine “en choux” with duxelles perogies, celeriac purée, Manitoba pickles and tomato jus, paired with Pearl Morissette, 2018 “Racines du Ciel” Cabernet Franc.

His second offering, served on the night of the awards, was a Manitoba smoked goldeye tart with crème fraîche, fresh and pickled celery and white fish roe.

Kurus will be representing the province in the Canadian Culinary Championships next February.

“I am super-stoked to be repping Winnipeg on a national scale,” he said. “I hope to make the city proud.”

Competitors were awarded marks in six categories: visual, texture, taste, technical, wine compatibility and wow factor.

Graham Peltier of Sous Sol nabbed the silver medal for his chanterelle- and sumac-spiced Manitoba bison carpaccio with smoked Salt Spring mussel velouté and herb oil, fermented wild blueberry gelée, and sourdough focaccia toasted in chanterelle butter, paired with Rosewood Estates Riesling AF.

Bronze was awarded to Made by Paste’s Renée Girard for her hand-rolled carrot capunti with spicy braised Vietnamese beef, complemented by 2021 Nichol “The Village” Syrah.

The competition has been running for 17 years. Winnipeg’s Emily Butcher is the most recent local chef to reach the podium with a bronze medal in 2020.

Chef Edward Lam (Yujiro Japanese Restaurant), winner of #KPWinnipeg2022, was inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame at the event.