Chuck Hughes welcomes us back into the kitchen with his new cookbook, Chuck's Home Cooking, packed with 85 recipes that'll make you fall in love with cooking again.
Finally, the season for soaking up every last moment outside has passed. We still might venture out to a Toronto café for a cozy morning cuppa, but the urgency of summer is over. While it’s a little bittersweet, we’re excited to get back into the kitchen without FOMO. Aside from the occasional meal at one of Toronto's best restaurants or one of the city's highly anticipated new Michelin restaurants, we'll be making and enjoying meals in the comfort of our homes (and sometimes in our jammies). It’s time to grab your apron, clear your weekend plans and start finding some favourite dishes to make again and again this fall and beyond.
Chuck Hughes — Montréal restaurateur, cookbook author and TV show host — is a busy man. When the co-owner and executive chef of Garde Manger is not behind the pass, he’s at home cooking for friends and family, including two of his fiercest critics: his sons Charlie and Henri.
Across 85 tasty recipes, Hughes shows us how to create memorable meals that will turn into family favourites to lean on when we need something delicious on the table. Plus, the chef offers his top tips for home-cooking perfection. Hughes knows the importance of preparing your mise en place and keeping knives sharp, so he shares the keys to setting up for success (and minimal stress) in the kitchen.
From staples like a crusty loaf of bread and the perfect pizza dough, to seasonal fare including cozy soups and stews and fresh-from-the-garden vegetable dishes, Chuck’s Home Cooking provides tasty inspiration for every mood and energy level. We give you a sneak peek into the cookbook, with recipes for seafood chowder, potato risotto, lamb ragù and a pecan pie just in time for hosting season.
Whether you’re planning a feast or enjoying the weekend, Chuck’s Home Cooking promises to level-up your culinary game with a dash of Canadian inspiration.
Chuck Hughes's Seafood Chowder Recipe
This hearty soup is a crowd-pleaser as the nights start to cool down. It might seem like a lot of prep, but none of it is time sensitive. And the result is so worthwhile.
Serves 4
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
½ cup water
3 Tbsp salted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups fish stock
1 cup whole milk
1 cup table cream (18%)
1 can (10 oz) whole shelled baby clams, drained and juice reserved
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
11 oz haddock, cut into 2-inch cubes
7 oz snow crab meat, cooked and picked over for bits of shell
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
3 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Croutons, for garnish
Method
Combine the bacon and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Once the water has completely evaporated, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the bacon until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Scoop out the bacon, leaving the fat in the pot, and set aside.
Add the butter, onions, leeks and celery to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the fish stock, milk, cream and reserved clam juice, then increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, toss in the potatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the clams, reserved bacon, haddock, crab meat, salt and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Stir in the parsley and ladle the chowder into bowls. Top with the croutons. Store leftover soup, without croutons, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Chuck Hughes's Potato Risotto Recipe
Brighten up your table with this luscious side dish that partners perfectly with pretty much any main.
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
8 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, diced and peeled
1½ Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
5 Tbsp salted butter
1 cup grana padano cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
Method
In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for about a minute, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add 1 cup of the simmering vegetable stock to the potatoes and simmer gently, stirring, until most of the stock is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and stirring until the potatoes are soft and creamy but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes total. You may not need all the stock. Add the butter and cheese and stir until both are fully incorporated. Remove from heat and adjust the seasoning.
Serve the potato risotto with a little more cheese over top.
Chuck Hughes's Lamb Ragù with Conchiglion Recipe
Make this dish on a day when you have nothing to do but lay under a comfy blanket with a book and get up every so often to stir.
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 4.5 hours
Ingredients
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 oz pancetta, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
3 cans (5.5 oz each) tomato paste
6 cups water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
18 oz conchiglioni (large pasta shells)
Grana padano cheese, grated, for serving
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb, break it apart with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring often, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from the pot and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, toss in the onions and pancetta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes.
Return the browned lamb and any juices to the pot. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the water, salt and pepper and stir well to combine everything. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 hours, until the sauce has thickened. Discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaves. (The sauce is even better the next day. You can completely cool the sauce and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
When the sauce is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, transfer to a large bowl and mix with a ladleful of the sauce so it doesn’t stick together. Divide the pasta between bowls. Top with more sauce and the grated cheese.
Chuck Hughes's Maple Pecan Pie Recipe
The maple syrup in the filling is a sweet treat for cozy season, and it's the perfect opportunity to sample a local Ontario variety.
Serves 8
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup salted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 large egg
1 Tbsp ice water, plus more as needed
Filling
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream (35%)
1½ cups pecans, toasted
Method
Make the pastry dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, butter and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and ice water. Add to the flour and, using your hands, bring the dough together until it just barely hangs together. Do not over-mix. If it’s too dry, add more water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until it just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead for 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.
On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick. Lay the dough in a 9-inch pie plate and gently press it against the edges of the dish. Prick small holes across the surface of the dough with a fork. Trim excess dough and crimp the edges.
Make the filling and bake: In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, egg, brown sugar and cream until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Spread the pecans evenly over the filling. Bake until the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. Store leftover pie, wrapped in plastic wrap, on the counter for up to two days.
