“ Michael Smith cooks up a winning show. Of course, it helps to have an international reputation for contemporary cuisine and be chef of one of the top restaurants in the country." 
—The Toronto Star

On his hit television cooking series, The Inn Chef, Michael Smith demonstrates with charm, wit, and masterly culinary skill how easy it is for home cooks to transform a few great ingredients into imaginative, unforgettable cuisine.

Each entertaining episode takes you on a culinary adventure — whether Smith is preparing one of his signature dishes, hauling lobster traps alongside the local fishermen, or picking fresh dill from the Inn’s lush kitchen garden. Along the way, Smith shares his cooking secrets, demystifies fine dining, and inspires viewers with his passion for the art of cooking.

THE INN CHEF companion cookbook takes you behind the scenes and captures the inspiration and energy of the television series. The cookbook features spectacular dishes Smith has prepared on the show — 41 dishes comprising over 160 individual recipes. Series dishes that have made Smith’s dining room one of the twelve highest rated restaurants in Canada include:  

• Oyster Mushroom Strudel with Spinach Sauce and a Merlot Swirl
• She Lobster with Roast Corn Pudding, Smoked Clam Corn Chowder, Pea Shoots, and Red Pepper Relish
• Blue Cheese–Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce, Horseradish Potatoes, and Crisp Onion Rings
• Molten Dark Chocolate Cake with Mocha Sauce, Cappuccino Froth, and Orange Marmalade Mint Compote

In addition, you can read all about the true stars of the show — Smith’s bountiful, fresh ingredients that inspire his cuisine — and share in Smith’s invaluable cooking hints. You will also go behind the scenes to experience the making of the TV show.

What people are saying about THE INN CHEF:

“Chef Michael Smith has fashioned a fantastic restaurant [at the Inn].” —Food & Wine

“Not only the mix of flavors but the structure of his dishes produce sighs of delight.” —Victoria magazine

“Smith’s food is exuberant.” —President’s Choice Magazine

“ Michael Smith cooks up a winning show. Of course, it helps to have an international reputation for contemporary cuisine and be chef of one of the top restaurants in the country.” —The Toronto Star

“Cooking practised with great invention.” —The Globe and Mail

“We’ve tried some of THE INN CHEF’s recipes. They’re great! The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The ingredients are easy to find, and we don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great meal.” —TV viewers

“ Michael Smith makes cooking easy and fun.” —TV viewer

“I really love the way he makes a complex recipe easy to understand. Everything he makes on the show I could make at home.” —TV viewer

“I have wowed many of our friends when I have used Michael Smith’s recipes at dinner parties.” —TV viewer

“THE INN CHEF has stimulated my culinary creativity.” —TV viewer

Have a taste of THE INN CHEF:

Oyster Mushroom Strudel with Spinach Sauce and a Merlot Swirl

Strudels are not just for dessert! This one is the perfect way to spotlight your favorite mushroom within an all-vegetable presentation .

6 servings

Oyster Mushroom Strudel

3 pounds / 1.5 kg oyster mushrooms or other specialty  
     mushroom
4 tablespoons / 60 mL butter
1 large onion, minced
1 tablespoon / 15 mL minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup / 60 mL sliced sage leaves
1 cup / 250 mL grated Parmesan cheese
4 sheets phyllo dough
1 tablespoon / 15 mL clarified butter
1/4 cup / 60 mL dried bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.

Reserve some mushrooms for garnish. Thinly slice the remaining mushroom stems and roughly chop the heads.

Melt 1 tablespoon/15 mL of the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan. Add one-quarter of the onions and sauté for a few minutes until golden. Add one-quarter of the garlic and one-quarter of the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until the mushrooms begin to brown. Repeat with the remaining butter, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Use more butter if necessary.

When all the mushrooms are done, finely chop half of the mixture in a food processor. In a large bowl, mix together the chopped mushrooms, the remaining mushrooms, the sage leaves, and Parmesan.

Keep the phyllo dough covered with a barely moist towel while working with each sheet. Lay the first sheet of the phyllo dough on a clean, dry surface and brush with clarified butter. Layer on a second sheet, butter it, and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the third sheet, butter it, and top with the fourth sheet. If necessary use more clarified butter or vegetable oil to brush the sheets.

Form an even log-shaped mound of the mushroom mixture along a longer edge of the dough, leaving a 1-inch/2.5 cm border. Make sure the filling extends to the edge of the pastry at each end. Brush the pastry with more clarified butter and then carefully roll the filling up tightly into the pastry. If any mixture falls out the ends, push it back in. Brush the pastry with more clarified butter. Make a series of shallow cuts with a serrated knife into the top of the strudel to mark the desired portions.

Place in a baguette mold or on a double baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is heated through.

Chef’s Hints: The cooking method is designed to extract water from the mushrooms before they are wrapped in phyllo pastry. The water would otherwise make the phyllo soggy. The towel should be just moist enough for its fibers to swell and keep air from drying out the phyllo dough. Try adding other dry cheeses to the mushroom mixture for a different flavor. The cuts on the strudel give steam a chance to vent The cooking method is designed to extract water from the mushrooms before they are wrapped in phyllo pastry. The water would otherwise make the phyllo soggy. The towel should be just moist enough for its fibers to swell and keep air from drying out the phyllo dough. Try adding other dry cheeses to the mushroom mixture for a different flavor. The cuts on the strudel give steam a chance to vent .

Spinach Sauce

1 tablespoon / 15 mL butter
1/2 cup / 125 mL minced onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce / 284 g) package spinach, cleaned
1/2 cup / 125 mL water
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and sauté briefly until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the spinach leaves and water, then stir quickly until the spinach has wilted.

Purée the mixture thoroughly in a blender. Make sure the vent hole is left open so that the hot liquid doesn’t expand violently; loosely cover the top with a kitchen towel to contain splatters.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the sauce immediately or chill it rapidly in an ice bath. It will last a day in the refrigerator if you place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Reheat it before serving.

Chef’s Hints:The stems of the spinach can be tough and fibrous and clog the blender. Don’t overcook the spinach or its color will be drab, and for the best color serve the sauce immediately.

Merlot Swirl

2 cups / 500 mL Merlot
1/2 cup / 125 mL heavy cream

Pour the Merlot into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce it until it is thick and syrupy, then stir in the cream.

Simmer the mixture gently until it has reduced to about 1/4 cup/
60 mL and thickened.

Chef’s Hint:If the sauce “breaks” just whisk it back together with a few drops of cream.

The Plate

Reserved oyster mushrooms
1 table spoon / 15 mL butter
Sage sprigs  

Reheat the spinach sauce if needed. Pour 1/4 cup/60 mL in the center of each of 6 hot plates. Spoon some of the Merlot swirl onto the spinach sauce. Swirl it gently by smoothly shaking the plate.

Quickly sauté the mushrooms in the butter just to heat them through. Arrange a few sautéed oyster mushrooms on the sauces. Place a slice of the strudel on the mushrooms and garnish with a sprig of sage. Serve with a fanfare!

(Reprinted from The Inn Chef: Creative Ingredients, Sensational Flavors by Michael Smith, Callawind Publications Inc, 1999.)