Executive Chef Michael Pigeon
Kawartha Downs
3 dining venues that include buffets (roast-beef carvery, cabbage rolls), fine dining à la carte (chicken Andres with red-currant sauce), concessions, family dining (wraps, hamburgers)
3 day parts served
2,000 plus meals served daily
Kraft on Craft—Chef Michael Pigeon Takes the Kraft Challenge
The Recipe Challenge Is On
There's no better way to get acquainted with chefs than through their cooking. It reveals style, methodology, technique and flair. Challenge chefs to create something new and exciting, and perhaps a bit daring, and you invoke culinary passion. Our first recipe challenge takes us to Kawartha Downs and features Chef Michael Pigeon.
Kawartha Downs, in Fraserville, Ontario, is a venue for stock-car racing, harness racing and slots. We called on director of food & beverage, executive chef, Michael Pigeon to create a recipe using a Kraft product. He came back to us with an inspiring Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette-Marinated Salmon Florentine.
From Vinaigrette to Marinade – A Process of Discovery
Chef Pigeon marinated the salmon fillets for four hours in Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette. "Any less than that and I wouldn't get the penetration I wanted. It infused about an 1/8-inch, which is what I was hoping for."
"I was so impressed with the Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette. The citrus and cracked chilies in the dressing really came through in the fish, and the colour played beautifully with the rich colour of the salmon," says Chef Pigeon.
Thai Vinaigrette-Marinated Salmon Florentine
He also used the vinaigrette as a finishing sauce for the dish, making this happy discovery: "Not only does the Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette work well as a marinade, but is a wonderful sauce, too," he says. "It doesn't split when heated—so many vinaigrettes do. The heated dressing almost caramelized, giving the salmon a fantastic glaze."
Chef Pigeon also commented on the Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette's versatility. "I'm also going to nap this over chicken and other fish. Or I can use this marinated salmon, either hot or cold, in a salad that's tossed with the vinaigrette. It's such a great discovery. I'm so pleased."
Behind the Chef – Creating Recipes with 'Wow' Factor
Chef Pigeon finds inspiration in new and exciting combinations of flavour. This Quebec native, in the industry for more than 25 years, seeks to thrill his customers with the unexpected.
"I want people to say, 'Wow!' with a flavour combination that they weren't anticipating. I like to think outside the box so I can find that great wow factor," he says.
Chef Pigeon Unplugged
His recipe development for Kraft showcases this talent using the Kraft Signature Thai Vinaigrette as both a flavourful marinade and sauce. He has also created a knockout Philadelphia cheesecake infused with ginger and orange; skewers of beautiful grilled shrimp and liqueur-infused fruit; a smoked salmon dressing with Kraft Rancher's Choice as its base; and a robust Bull's-Eye BBQ and Chili Cheese Pot made with Bull's-Eye BBQ Sauce that offers more smoke and sweetness than heat.
Here are a few highlights from our interview with Chef Pigeon.
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KRAFT:
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If you were sent to a desert island, what three ingredients would you take with you?
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PIGEON:
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Water, beef jerky, Kraft Crystal Light!
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KRAFT:
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What is your favourite kitchen tool?
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PIGEON:
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My 12-inch French knife.
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KRAFT:
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Where was the last place you dined?
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PIGEON:
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Mandarin Chinese Buffet in Toronto.
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KRAFT:
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What is your favourite Kraft product?
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PIGEON:
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I have a few. I love the Philadelphia cream cheese because it's so versatile. I like working with the dressings because you can use them for salad, or take them in other directions and create something entirely new and exciting.
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What's next for Chef Michael Pigeon?
Next up for Chef Pigeon is a trip to Luxembourg in November, where his team, the Golden Horseshoe Culinary Team, will compete in the 2006 ExpoGast Culinary World Cup. In 2002, the team brought home a bronze medal in Category A: Hot Food Presented Cold. We wish them luck.