In case you didn’t have enough of my rich, messy, and gluttonous post about poutine, (who really ever has enough rich food) I bring you more devilish food from Montreal. I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t extremely excited to go to Au Pied de Cochon, in fact I was giddy all day before we made our way, practically skipping, to a foie gras filled evening. Au Pied de Cochon means leg of pig, and in case you were wondering, pig leg is on the menu. I know that may not seem appealing some, but people all over the world have been cooking with pig feet for years and years. Those rich sauces and stews you love from that fancy French restaurant in your neighborhood most likely has used a pig foot or two for flavor, but don’t think about it too much. The flavors are just too good.
When you come here think French cooking, the richness, the butter, the flavor; but we are not in France, so although Quebecers speak the same language as their counterparts overseas, they do things a little differently. For one, they use their famed maple syrup, which chef Martin Picard drizzles upon some of his popular dishes. My amateur palate would describe the food as French comfort, a meal that Montrealers are proud to admit will keep them warm in the winter.
The menu is a little intimidating including tongue, kidneys, ears, and other goodies that would leave most American children with their mouths shut. For an appetizer (entree in French) we chose Plogue à Champlain, a type of foie gras. The foie gras was seared perfectly and melted like a piece of butter in your mouth. As if the guilt hadn’t set in from eating rich duck liver, the foie gras sits atop a slice of cheese, bacon, a pancake, and potatoes. The dish is then topped off with chopped apples, parsley and maple syrup. It reminds me a little of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe dessert all wrapped up in one. It’s delicious, addictive, and extremely filling.
Duck in a can was our main course. Stereotypically foodies tend to shy away from any food that comes out of a can. My experience with Spanish conservas, food preserved in a can, has taught me differently. They can be quite costly and delicious, therefore the duck in a can seemed like an interesting option.
The duck is cooked within the can after it is dropped in boiling water. This method can be compared to sous-vide where food is slow cooked in an airtight plastic bag, however our server explained that the duck in a can is cooked no longer than 7 minutes, to ensure the juiciness of the duck. He opened the can in front of us and the truly amazing part about the dish was its presentation after our server placed its contents over the toasted bread and potatoes. You will notice the well placed sprig, dangling from the top of the dish. The breast of duck is accompanied with a thin layer of duck fat, foie gras of course, butter-braised cabbage and a sauce that seems made for this dish and this dish only. It’s a good thing all of this sits atop mashed potatoes and toasted bread because you will need something to sop up all the sauce when you are finished.
My interest in Au Pied de Cochon was no doubt influenced by Anthony Bourdain’s trip to the restaurant when he visited Montreal. Chef Martin Picard told his server to keep giving food to Anthony and only ‘when he dies stop.’ I knew that Au Pied de Cochon would be an enjoyment of excess and I wasn’t disappointed.
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