LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

SMOKE & BUBBLES

Serve on a toasted bagel with anything from chives and green onions to capers and gherkins over cream cheese or sour cream.

WHITEFISH + ONTARIO SPARKLING

Whitefish from Georgian Bay has been fished by Shawn Zurawski’s family for four genera- tions, and is now smoked in-house and sold exclusively through his Metis Fish Market store in Midland, Ont. This is a rich and flavourful fish, and its Ontario heritage is best served by an Ontario sparkling wine with similar pedigree.    Available only from metisfishmarket.com for shipping across Ontario. Available in 250-g vacuum-sealed packs with a two-week shelf life. Kew Vineyards Organic Riesling Sparkling VQA LCBO 645309, $19.95 A precise and lively wine made with organic Riesling grapes, this is a lime-driven sparkler that seems tailor-made for seafood.

Where to buy

Supplier direct Ontario suppliers ship fresh or frozen fish for next-day delivery within Ontario. Modern flash-freezing and vacuum packaging locks in nutrients and texture. Many suppliers offer sauces, condiments and smoked fish patés—which make great gifts or fun extras. Online Order online or by phone for delivery across Ontario. Family-owned purveyors like Purvis (purvisfisheries.com), Metis (metisfishmarket.com) and Kristapsons (kristapsons.com) offer whole smoked fish, fresh or frozen, or packaged fillets starting from 250 g and up. Seafood stores Toronto’s Seafood Online (seafoodonline.ca) and Kitchener’s Caudle’s Catch Seafood (caudlescatchseafood.com) work with multiple local purveyors, offering one-stop shopping for a wide variety of smoked fish from Ontario and beyond. Shipping across the province. Grocery and retail Grocery and specialty food stores may carry smoked fish products in the freezer section. Shelf-stable (non-frozen) vacuum- packed options are also widely available, as well as tinned spreads and patés.

Top devilled eggs with smoked fish, sour cream, pepper and a sprig of dill.

SOCKEYE SALMON + CHAMPAGNE

Order direct from metisfishmarket.com for shipping across Ontario. Available in 250-g vacuum-sealed packs with a two-week shelf life.

Smoked wild sockeye salmon from British Columbia is renowned the world over as a luxurious delicacy. Full-bodied, rich and supple, it’s the red meat of smoked fish. Metis Fish Market sources premium wild sockeye from B.C. for its limited produc- tion: perfect for a holiday treat. To match, sip the world’s greatest sparkling wine. Champagne, that is, with all the grace, body and poise required to dance with the ultimate expression of smoked fish.

Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut Champagne LCBO 308056, $64.00

A classic Champagne, beautifully balanced with lemon and green apple moderated by biscuit tones and sweet spice. A supple, elegant wine that makes for an elegant pairing.

92 

HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK