chef_matthew_carmichael_

A HERITAGE OF FOOD AND CULTURE

Since opening its doors in 2001, Ottawa hotspot e18ghteen has emerged as one of the most successful high-end restaurants in the capital, pushing culinary boundaries from within its heritage stone walls on York Street in the Byward Market.

This success is due in no small part to e18ghteen’s Executive Chef Matthew Carmichael and

his life-long motivation to explore food and its association with the culture of fine-dining.

“Food is so reflective of how you feel, the company you are with, and where you are eating it,” he says. “If you have a restaurant that has ultra levels of service, food/wine and atmosphere, you have a winner.”

A protégé of world-renowned chef Susur Lee, the Toronto-born Carmichael, whose first culinary inspiration came from his grandmother’s kitchen, studied human kinetics at the University of Ottawa and minored in recreation. He wrote his thesis on food and tourism, which led him to the Canadian Tourism Commission and the task of incorporating food as a marketable product into its domestic and international marketing campaigns.

“Essentially, we wanted people to come to and experience all of the talented vintners, winemakers, chefs and restauranteurs that Canada has to offer.”

Carmichael’s formative years as a chef began in 1996 under the guidance of John Taylor, Executive Chef and owner of Ottawa’s Domus Café (also in the Byward Market), who was the first to recognize his student’s passion and talent for the art and who credits Carmichael with playing a large part in the success that Domus enjoys today.

“When he started with me, he had really no experience,” recalls Taylor. “But when he was finished, he was such a success. We covered a lot of ground in that time.

“He was all around fantastic. Extremely creative and hard-working, he was always there so you could always depend on him.”

Following Domus, Carmichael mentored with Susur Lee, whose self-titled restaurant in Toronto was listed as one of the world’s best by the U.K. magazine Restaurant in 2002.

The circumstances could not have been better. Studying under an internationally recognized maestro whose uncanny technique, professionalism, organization, no-waste policy and shared philosophy of working with only the best seasonal, regional and domestic products available was indispensable to the young chef’s development.

“Susur has an incredible work ethic and an unmatched respect for food,” says Carmichael, who began to refine his understanding of the subtleties and detail crucial to fine-dining.

“The first sense is always the presentation,” says Carmichael. “It must have impact. It must never supercede the flavor, but you eat with your eyes before your nose and tongue. For instance, if I slice a mushroom I will do so in a way that will highlight the naturalness of it.”

To maximize and draw the purest natural flavour out of vegetables is a constant challenge for chefs because, while the freshest produce is always preferable, it is uncontrollable. Like many other high-volume restaurants in Ontario, e18ghteen sources the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable terminal for its organic needs, but upon his arrival in November 2006, Carmichael discovered the advantages of operating in the Byward Market.

“Everyday I walk the stalls. Generally, I’ve found that fruit and vegetables in are much fresher than what’s available in Toronto. (The farmers) usually came to the restaurants in Toronto, but it was more difficult; they had to drive two hours just to penetrate the core. Here in Ottawa, we are only a half hour from farmland.”

Although Ottawa can boast advantages, there are concerns that don’t always tie into the quality side of the coin, like shortages. The Gatineau Hills, known for a diverse array of wild mushroom growth (Chanterelle, Yellow-Foot and Black Trumpet), saw little rain during its growing season in August 2007, which left some restaurants scrambling for alternatives.

“You find a way to compensate,” says Carmichael. “Back in June, we had a romaine lettuce shortage because of the citrus problems California experienced in March, and we couldn’t get any lemons. Certainly we are always at the whim of nature.”

Fortunately, this did not impact Carmichael’s Susur Lee dinner, a June 1st dining highlight for one hundred lucky people (with some being turned away) who had the privilege to enjoy an intricate seven-course meal with Lee serving as guest chef. Currently, e18ghteen is working on bringing in a New York-based chef as the next potential guest.

“I like to do these sort of dinners every once in a while; not just the winemaker’s dinner, but to have a guest chef come in so my staff can study new combinations, techniques and presentations.”

Carmichael’s greatest fulfillment is the time he spends with his kitchen staff, endeavouring to maintain and expand their interest in food. And like Lee, he challenges his staff to push creativity and service to a new level and discover new elements of technique.

“He is exceptional in his leadership and organizational skills in the kitchen, as well as his talent for sensing what his customers are looking for in terms of variety,” says e18ghteen co-owner Caroline Gosselin of Carmichael. “When we sat down, experience was a big factor because we were looking to change our approach to meet a more diverse crowd - away from a menu geared toward a particular customer base. He had a good understanding, from a business perspective, of what would work well in this region for our restaurant and for these times.”

In his dining guide of Ottawa, where e18ghteen is currently listed at eight, Chris Knights suggests that food is reflective of how you feel, the company you are with and where you are eating it.

“If you have a restaurant that has ultra levels of service, food/wine and atmosphere, you have a winner.”

This is the formula for which Matthew Carmichael has demonstrated a profound understanding, and one many Ottawa fine-dining patrons believe will soon see e18ghteen reach number one.

HOME RECIPIES

What Matthew's cooking when he's at home

Fresh Salsa recipe

Finely chop a small- to-medium size sweet onion and soak in ice water for 5 minutes to remove astringency before draining.

Drain excess liquid from canned Italian whole tomatoes and crush the remaining tomatoes with your hands into a course texture.

Add the onion, along with sugar, chili, salt, lime juice, chopped coriander and olive oil. You can also add a chopped mango or peach for sweetness.

The end result should be a nice balance of the sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

Fresh Pasta

Add three whole eggs plus one yolk to three cups of flour.

Mix by hand or in a food processor. The dough, when done needing after 10 minutes, should be fairly dry but moist at the same time. Run this through a pasta machine after letting the dough rest for one hour at room temperature.

Skin and seed fresh tomatoes, heat up olive oil in a pan, add one pounded garlic clove, chili flakes, a handful of fresh basil, followed by the tomatoes.

Blanch the pasta for two minutes, drain, cook in the sauce for 30 seconds and serve topped with grated parmesan.

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