C’est Magnifique!

Mini tourtière

A French Canadian Feast at Fort William Historical Park

Review and photos by Sidney Ulakovic

Friday nights call for dinner and a show, and last week at Fort William Historical Park (FWHP), you could find one with a French twist. 

The French Canadian Feast took place on March 20 in McGillivray's Landing at FWHP, featuring an extensive menu of traditional dishes prepared by The Chanterelle. The evening married fine dining with an exploration of the country’s French heritage, as FWHP’s interpreters guided diners through the evening with palate cleansers of song, dance, and storytelling between courses.

Small parties sat at shared tables and were encouraged to get up and mingle as canapés were served traypass-style during cocktail hour. One of the evening’s first bites was cretons—slices of baguette topped with pork pâté, Dijon aioli, and fresh relish with cream. Alternatively, you could whet your appetite with a mini tourtière, which balanced savoury meat filling with plum purée and pickled beets in a wonderfully buttery crust.

Cretons

A golden split pea and ham soup arrived at our table, signalling the beginning of table service. It was a robust bowl of blended, peppery vegetables, tender pork hock, and crispy fried sage enjoyed before dinner service was paused for an intermission of voyageur-style partnered dancing with live fiddle.   

Split pea and ham soup

Afterwards, an apple and endive salad was served as a second course. Dressed with a fragrant and tangy mustard vinaigrette, the salad was a refreshing moment to savour (along with an intermission for a French Canadian singalong) before a hearty, family-style main course graced the table. 

In the days of the fur trade, French colonists continued to eat their traditional cuisine in whatever ways they still could, however, they also learned some culinary techniques from Indigenous peoples—including the process of creating maple syrup, which was certainly on display here. Melt-in-your-mouth maple-roasted carrots and parsnips were served alongside fèves au lard, (maple baked beans with pork), making for a warm, caramel-y complement to the meal’s heavy-hitters. 

Poutine and fèves au lard

Elsewhere on the table, diners could find duck confit with wild blueberry compote—a lovely incorporation of something you can find growing naturally in the region—and red wine jus. The duck skin was satisfyingly crispy, and the meat itself was decadent and packed with deep, rich flavour from the jus. And what French Canadian meal would be complete without a helping of poutine? Thick-cut fries were topped with giant cheese curds and soaked in a light, thin gravy for that classic poutine texture.

For dessert was the simple but delightful pouding chômeur, a white cake baked in maple syrup and served with vanilla ice cream, It had a lovely crust on the outside from the syrup, while the cake underneath remained perfectly delicate. One of my tablemates shared that this was a staple in her family, always made for holidays and family gatherings. 

Pouding chômeur

All in all, The Chanterelle successfully combined the elevated, delicate elements of traditional French cuisine with rugged, filling ingredients that characterized colonial life in addition to incorporating Indigenous influence, reflecting a shared history in the space of a menu. C’est magnifique!