SMOKED BUTTER SEAL
RECIPE CREDIT – SIMON MATHYS, EXECUTIVE CHEF: MANITOBA
In the first episode of “The Chef’s Seal” we introduced you to Executive Chef Simon Mathys of Restaurant Manitoba and his delicious “Smoked Butter Seal” (Price : $16.00). Now we want to show you how to make this recipe at home (or at least give it the ol’ college try)!
Although the recipe does require a little effort to find the accompanying herbs and plants, it does not have a lot of cooking and is fairly easy to prepare for the whole family.
One seal loin is equal to about 5-6 portion.
INGREDIENTS – SEAL FILLET:
- 50 g of seal fillet (each fillet should make two-three servings depending on size)
- 3 tbsp. of butter
- A pinch of fleur de sel
INGREDIENTS FOR DRY “DIP”:
- 3 tbsp. Roasted buckwheat
- A pinch of Oxalis
- A pinch of daylily buds
- A pinch of dried sagebrush
- A pinch of dried calendula flowers
SMOKED BUTTER:
If you have a smoker, you can make smoked butter yourself. Just put the butter in a dish and put in the smoker for about 1 hour. Make sure the butter is melted before you add it to the seal fillet. If you do not own a smoker, you can simply melt the butter in the microwave.
PREPARATION:
- Sear the seal fillet in a very hot pan. Add oil before cooking the filet. It needs to be served very rare, similar to a “blue” cook on a steak. Sear the outside very well for about two minutes on each side. Let rest for 4-5 minutes. Click here for our Seal Loin Tataki Recipe and for the Recipe Video!
- Slice the seal fillet into very thin slices.
- Place the sliced seal fillet on a plate, arrange them as you see in the above photo.
- Place the roasted buckwheat next to the seal, followed by the remaining ingredients in the “dry dip.”
- Add about two tablespoons of the smoked butter over the seal meat.
- Finish with a pinch of fleur de sel.
- Serve and enjoy! At Restaurant Manitoba, Chef Simon Mathys encourages patrons to enjoy this meal with your hands, paying homage to how seal is traditionally enjoyed here in Canada. Simply grab a slice of seal with your fingers and run it through the “dry dip.” Deliciousness follows.
Where to find:
SeaDNA Seal Loin (*Recommended to call ahead to ensure availability)
Montreal:
Poissonnerie la Mer
1840 René-Lévesque Blvd East
Montreal, QC
(514) 522-3003 (ext. 231)
Quebec City:
Poisson d’Or
960 Cartier Avenue
Quebec, QC
(581) 300-1510
Other stores where to buy seal meat.
Dry Dip Ingredients
(These could be a little harder to find. Feel free to experiment with herbs that have similar flavour profiles)
Roasted Buckwheat:
Can be found at many specialty and normal supermarkets. Examples in Montreal: AVRIL SUPERMARKET SANTÉ or at ALIMENTS TRIGONE.
Oxalis:
You can find this flowering plant in many forests across North America. The edible herb has an acidic flavour profile. This can be harder to find but is available via foraging or contacting local plant stores.
Daylily:
This wild flower is both delicious and fragrant. Available at many local plant and flower stores
Sagebrush (Wormwood or mugwort):
This plant brings an earthy, herbal boost to the dish. This is the plant that can create Absinthe. Can be found at local plant and flower stores.
Calendula (Marigold):
Known for a similar taste to saffron, the flowers bring a unique color and taste. A common garden staple, it can also be found at specialty markets and local plant and flower stores.
