LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2019

Stratford’s all decked out for the holidays, and one local chef shares his family’s storybook-classic recipes for Christmas dinner (with a twist!). Plus we spill on a can’t-miss list of what to see and do if you can squeeze in a visit to that charming little city. There is a stageful of reasons to take a holiday trip to Stratford. Festival postings are replaced by festive shopping trails, symphony and choir concerts, holiday cooking classes, themed Chefs School dinners, open markets to buy fresh turkeys and herbs plus special tastings at breweries, distilleries and tea shops. The vibrant restaurant scene is fuelled by local products showcased by creative chefs such as Ryan O’Donnell, the executive chef at Mercer Hall Kitchen + Beer Hall + Hotel (mercerhall.ca), who feels “the city is a chef’s dream.” We asked Chef Ryan to share the recipes for his family Christmas dinner. He calls it “storybook classic but with a few refreshing twists.” A spicy brine for the turkey includes coriander seeds, star anise and chili flakes, and a raw cranberry citrus relish is the go-with. Garlic brown butter gives a lift to the mashed potatoes, and the rutabaga is golden roasted.

Chef Ryan O’Donnell After years in the film business, Ryan came to the Stratford Chef School. That was 12 years ago and he can’t imagine leaving the city. His passion is “creating clean, bold flavours that aren’t muddled by unnecessary ingredients.” This attitude spills over to Christmas dinner which he celebrates with a large family gathering (hovering around 40) in St. Thomas, Ont., south of London. Sometimes he stops at Stratford’s Slow Food Market for his favourite fennel sausages from McIntosh Farms for the stuffing or picks up farmer’s sausage from Briwood Farm Market in St. Thomas. While all family members contribute by bringing partially prepared ingredients—such as peeled rutabaga and trimmed Brussel sprouts—for their assigned dishes, all the final cooking is done under his mom’s direction. Delegation is a vital skill for a chef and Ryan knows he learned from the best.

STRATFORD PHOTO BY BILL CHAN; PORTRAIT OF RYAN O’DONNELL BY TERRY MANZO

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FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2019