Chef Jean-Luc Boulay at Ashuapmushuan
Chef Jean-Luc Boulay is a master in the art of maximizing harvests. We followed him on a hunting and fishing trip. Our goal? To learn how to better prepare bear meat and to cook pike, game and fish found at a number of Quebec wildlife reserves, which are known to cause local hunters and anglers fits in the kitchen. Discover the story of his flavourful adventure at Réserve faunique d'Ashuapmushuan. (Videos in French only)
Chef Boulay: Exceptional hunter and angler
When he arrived in Quebec, Jean-Luc Boulay had never touched a fishing rod in his life. But the father of Linda, the woman who would later become his wife and the mother of his three children, was a real hunting and fishing enthusiast.
"My father-in-law taught me everything I needed to know."
Cooking bear
Many hunters are baffled when it comes time to eat bear meat, not knowing how to prepare it. However, it is healthy, tender, and tasty, and is one of the most popular types of game meat. According to Chef Boulay, bear meat has incredible underestimated potential in the kitchen. The time has come to honour this beast by concocting delectable sausages and stew.
Cooking pike
Often recognized as being difficult to fillet, pike is nevertheless a delicious fish, which has made the reputation of numerous illustrious European chefs. In this fishing trip, Chef Boulay gives us all the reasons to cook this local resource in its entirety. With him, no bits go to waste! The fish is cooked from head to tail, and it’s a real delight.
Pike filleting
With these few technical tricks, you can go from pike to fillet in just a few simple steps. It's time to sharpen your knives!
Boreal cuisine
Curious to learn more about Quebec's pantry, Jean-Luc has been interested in boreal cuisine for more than 15 years. According to Chef Boulay, Labrador tea, dune pepper, myrtle seed, and pine nard, all products from the boreal forest, wonderfully replace imports from the four corners of the world. Follow him into this open-air pantry.