A BBQ is always a good idea on Father's Day. After all, what could be better than a grilled meal to gather around in order to celebrate dad?
While your choice of superstar protein has likely already been selected, you may be searching for sides. And we're here to help you with that.
We asked a few Vancouver chefs and restaurant teams to dish on their favourite BBQ sides to cook up this holiday weekend. Here's what they came up with.
Endive Salad with Pecans, Apples, and Blue Elizabeth Cheese
Recipe by: St. Lawrence chef/owner J-C Poirier
Apple Pickles
- 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled
- ½ cup (125 mL) cold basic white pickling liquid (recipe below)
Halve and core the apples and thinly slice them on a Japanese mandolin. Place the apple slices in a bowl and pour in the cold pickling liquid. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, or, even better, overnight.
Dressing
- 1½ cups (375 mL) organic apple juice
- ½ cup (125 mL) crème fraîche
- 4 tsp. (20 mL) apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt
Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the apple juice is reduced to ¼ cup (60 mL). Transfer the reduced apple juice to a small bowl and whisk in the crème fraîche, cider vinegar, and salt until fully combined. Set aside.
Candied Pecans
- ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. (15 mL) water
- 1 cup (100 g) pecans
- Pinch kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), with the rack in the centre position. Spread out the pecans evenly on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 minutes. Take out of the oven to cool down on the countertop. In a small pot on medium-high heat, heat the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pecans and cook, stirring, until they are well coated in a light-golden-brown caramel. Pour out onto a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, season with the salt, and let cool. Separate the pecans.
Breadcrumbs
- 2 big slices of a nice white sourdough bread, crust removed
- 2 tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C), with the rack in the centre position. Cut the bread slices into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes and toss them in the olive oil. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper. Spread out the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the croutons are fully dry and golden brown. Let cool, then smash the croutons with a mortar and pestle to make breadcrumbs.
Salad Assembly
- 3 white Belgian endives
- 3 red endives
- 3.5 ounces (100 g) Bleu Élizabeth or a blue cheese of your choice
- Chopped fresh chives and celery leaves, to garnish
Once you've halved and cored the white and red endives, separate all the leaves and place them in a big bowl. Add the apple pickles, candied pecans, and half of the dressing. Toss well to incorporate the dressing. Taste and add more dressing as desired.
