OPEN KITCHEN
A Chef’s Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune

1999 Cuisine Canada award winner!

by Michael Smith
foreword by Anita Stewart

"Cooking is about sharing. OPEN KITCHEN is dedicated to demystifying fine dining, removing it from its pedestal, and making it accessible to all who relish good food."  —Chef Michael Smith

In OPEN KITCHEN, Michael Smith invites you to spend an inspiring day in his kitchen at The Inn at Bay Fortune on Prince Edward Island. The engaging Smith shares many secrets of his cooking — a style of contemporary creative cuisine that has established the Inn’s dining room as one of the top 12 restaurants in Canada (according to Where to Eat in Canada).

Smith’s cooking is unpretentious: he uses simple, fresh ingredients, innovative taste combinations, and healthful vegetable-thickened sauces. OPEN KITCHEN recipes have short ingredient lists of readily available ingredients. What’s more, the recipes include detailed information about ingredients, preparation, timing, and wines. Color photographs and the author’s own food illustrations accompany many of the book’s breakfast, lunch, and multicourse dinner recipes, such as:

• Whole Wheat Apple Flipjacks with My Mom’s Applesauce, Caramel Butter, and Bacon Roast Apples
• Reuben Bread Pudding with Maple-Onion Jam
• North Side Scallops and South Side Clam Chowder with an In-Between Potato Crab Cake
• A Time for Chocolate: Molten Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Cookie Clock Hands, Allspice Pepper Sautéed Bananas, and Rum Froth

OPEN KITCHEN presents Smith’s highly praised recipes from a "day in the life of a chef" perspective, which is enlivened by the author’s anecdotes. The introductory chapters focus on Smith’s practical approach to cooking and on tasting as the key to good cooking. Later chapters follow a time line from breakfast to dinner. You’ll find out what chefs like to eat for lunch "when no one’s looking," what basic kitchen equipment is recommended, how to prepare the Inn’s signature stocks, sauces, and spice mixes, and how Smith plans the day’s menus.

What people are saying about OPEN KITCHEN:

“I can’t put this book down. I’ll say it now and probably again. I love this book and this chef. The book is not only full of fabulous recipes but the narrative by Smith demonstrates how much he loves food, fresh ingredients and that food prepared with care is bound to be delicious. If you are a cook, a food lover or just like a good read, OPEN KITCHEN is a delight to behold.” —Haliburton Echo

“ OPEN KITCHEN: A Chef’s Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune is a handsome book that combines useful food information, lively recipes, and tales of his high-stress job as a chef. Included, as you work your way through the attractive pages, is a short and snappy cooking course. It’s an impressive book.” —The Montreal Gazette

“[ OPEN KITCHEN makes] a super gift for the food lover in your life. The helpful chef’s hints bring a professional touch to your dinner table.” — Chatelaine

“Topping my choice of cookbooks this year is OPEN KITCHEN: A Chef’s Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune. Smith has been amazing and satisfying diners at the Inn for years, and is largely responsible for the Inn’s rating as one of Canada’s top 12 restaurants. Along with his tips and useful information about ingredients and techniques, readers will enjoy this personal insight into a chef’s kitchen.” —Halifax Chronicle Herald

“The award-winning chef at The Inn at Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island, offers a history of the inn and his life in cooking. There are also elaborate recipes — made easier by numerous “chef’s hints” — and some great photos.” —Springfield News-Leader

“ Michael Smith’s recipes and many hints make a good informal cooking course as well as delightful reading.”
—The Ottawa Sun

“His dishes are quite interesting. OPEN KITCHEN is worth a look from those who are attracted to well-thought-out combinations.” —South Carolina Post and Courier

“Packed with delicious recipes.” —Halifax Daily News

Michael Smith has worked with the most prestigious professional chefs and has earned an international reputation.” —North Andover Eagle-Tribune

Have a taste of OPEN KITCHEN:

Island Blue Mussel and Sweet Potato Chowder with Spicy Butter Swirls

This is the single most requested recipe at the Inn, and a great way to show off the sweetness of our native mussels. Prince Edward Island mussels are available all over North America. They are easy to work with, their beards have been removed for you, and they are grit free because they are farm raised.

4 to 6 servings

Island Blue Mussel and Sweet Potato Chowder

5 pounds island blue mussels
2 medium sweet potatoes, grated
4 tablespoons water
2 cups milk
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Bay Fortune seasoning (see Chef’s Hints)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium carrots, grated
1 teaspoon Tabasco

Place the mussels and water in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Place the pot over high heat and steam the mussels for 10 to 12 minutes until the shells open. Discard any mussels that don’t open. Remove the meat from the shells and set the meat aside, and reserve some shells to use in the presentation. Strain and reserve the remaining liquid.

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the butter over high heat for about 10 minutes. Stir frequently, and turn the heat down slightly every few minutes to prevent burning. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is golden brown. Add the carrot, sweet potato, milk, cream, Bay Fortune seasoning, salt, Tabasco, and 1 cup of the mussel broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot. (While it is simmering, make the spicy butter.) After 30 minutes, check the vegetables for doneness. If they are soft, remove the pot from the heat. If they are still slightly al dente, simmer a few minutes longer or until done.

Purée the soup thoroughly in a blender, and strain through a fine mesh strainer. If necessary, adjust the consistency of the soup with the remaining mussel liquid. The soup should be pleasantly thick but not goopy.

Return the soup to the pot and heat it, stirring frequently, until it is almost at serving temperature. Add the reserved mussel meat, and heat, stirring, for a few minutes until heated through. Serve the chowder immediately with the spicy butter.

Chef’s Hints

• To make Bay Fortune seasoning, simply combine equal parts, by weight, of whole dried bay laurel leaf, coriander seed, and fennel seed. Grind them together in a spice grinder, and store the powder in an airtight, opaque container, as light will damage the delicate nature of the blend.
• It is important not to overcook the mussels. Steam them for only a few minutes after the shells have opened; the mussels should stay plump and juicy.
• Let the reserved mussel liquid stand, and some sediment may settle to the bottom of the pot. Carefully pour out the liquid, avoiding the harmless silt.
• Using a blender is the best way to get a perfectly smooth soup, but a food processor will work almost as well.

Spicy Butter Swirls

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Put the butter, cream, molasses, Tabasco, allspice, and cloves in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Presentation

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle the spicy butter around the surface of the soup. Gently shake each bowl to swirl the butter slightly. You may also pull a toothpick through the butter to create patterns. Use a few of the mussel shells to garnish the soup, or tuck them in between the bowl and its underliner.

Wine: Light- to medium-bodied off-dry to lightly sweet white wine such as Chenin Blanc or Vouvray.

(Reprinted from Open Kitchen: A Chef's Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune by Michael Smith, Callawind Publications Inc, 1998.)