LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

3 Remove bowl from freezer and make a small well in centre. Add milk and 1 egg. Mix with a fork to combine. Lightly knead a few times in bowl until flour is just incorporated, being careful not to overwork. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. 4 Roll dough into a rough rectangle about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Sprinkle evenly with choco- late and lightly press into dough. Fold one-third of dough over itself to centre, then the other one-third overtop. Give dough a quarter turn and roll out again to 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Repeat folding. Give dough a quarter turn and lightly roll out to a 9 x 6-inch (23 x 15 cm) rectangle, about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Trim edges if needed. Using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise into thirds, then crosswise into quarters to create 12 even squares. Arrange on prepared baking sheet 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Freeze for 10 minutes. 5 In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with water. Brush lightly overtop each scone. Sprin- kle with coarse sugar. Bake on middle rack until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. 6 For the board, arrange Dark Chocolate and Cheesy Herbed scones on a large board. Fill small bowls with clotted cream, butter and preserves, and place on board with ham, ched- dar and brie. Tuck figs and chestnuts among other ingredients to fill any gaps. CHEESY HERBED SCONES Make Dark Chocolate Scones, but use only 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar in dough and omit cinnamon. Omit chocolate and sprinkle dough in step 4 with 1 cup (250 mL) grated mature white cheddar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped sage and 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) thyme leaves instead. Omit coarse sugar and press 1 sage leaf into top of each scone before baking. WHAT TO SERVE This local white brings honey, pear and green ap­ ple flavours, a delicate sweetness and crisp acid­ ity to complement and contrast the board’s many flavours and textures. Or, go another direction with this amber-hued fortified wine from Portugal with earthy oak spice, rich notes of dried fig and raisin, and a long, warming finish that will work well with the inviting honey, nut and fruit flavours of the board. Megalomaniac Local Squeeze White VQA LCBO 357418, $12.95 Casa dos Vinhos 5 Year Old Madeira LCBO 27375, $20.55 Serves 6 to 8

HOLIDAY CHICKEN &WAFFLES Chicken thighs are double-dredged for an extra-crispy coating. Don’t worry if the flour mixture gets a few clumps: It’ll just add more crunch. To make life easier, the chicken can be fried up to a day in advance and reheated in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

3 Set 2 wire racks on countertop. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, turning to coat. Shake off any excess, then dip into egg mixture. Let excess drain back into dish, then return to flour mixture, patting on flour to fully coat. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken. Let stand for 20 minutes. 4 In a large heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a candy thermometer, pour a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) depth of vegetable oil. Place over medium heat until it registers 350°F (177°C). Working in batches of 5 or 6 pieces, fry chicken, turning often, until deeply golden brown, about 5 min- utes. Remove with tongs to a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Drain for 5 minutes, remove paper towel and keep warm in a low oven while you make the waffles. 5 For the waffles, preheat waffle iron accord- ing to manufacturer’s instructions. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a second bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolks until combined. With a clean whisk, whip whites in a third bowl until stiff peaks form. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture, whisking just until smooth. Using a spatula, gently fold in egg whites until no streaks remain. 6 Brush waffle iron lightly with butter. Spoon batter into iron and cook until golden and lightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a rack and repeat with remaining batter. 7 For the board, cut waffles into quarters and arrange on a large board with fried chicken. Fill a bowl with cranberry sauce and place on the board with Roquefort and honeycomb. Tuck pears and dried apricots among other ingredients to fill any gaps. Sprinkle micro- greens overtop to finish. WHAT TO SERVE A sparkling wine cuts through all the rich, salty- sweet treats, thanks to its complementary tastes and refreshing acidity and bubbles. Served chilled, this local cider achieves the same effect, while its light sweetness and apple flavours provide a wonderful harmony to the board’s fruit, cheese and honeycomb elements. Outset Sparkling Wine VQA LCBO 14791, 250 mL, $4.65 Serves 6 to 8

FRIED CHICKEN 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 lbs (680 g)

1 tbsp (15 mL) fine sea salt, divided 1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped rosemary 1/2 tsp (2 mL) fennel seeds, finely chopped Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) buttermilk, divided 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder 1 egg Vegetable oil for deep-frying WAFFLES 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking 2 eggs, separated BOARD Cranberry sauce 7 oz (200 g) wedge Roquefort cheese 7 oz (200 g) honeycomb Sliced Ontario pears, such as Bosc or Bartlett 1 For the fried chicken, open up chicken thighs and cut crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips. Place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, rosemary, fennel and pepper. Toss to coat. Pour in 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk. Stir to combine. Cover and refrig- erate overnight. 2 When ready to fry chicken, whisk flour, bak- ing powder, remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) salt and pepper in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk egg with remaining 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk. Remove chicken from marinade, draining excess. Pat dry with paper towel. Turkish-style dried apricots Microgreens, such as arugula

Coffin Ridge Forbidden Artisanal Cider LCBO 374496, 473 mL, $3.40

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FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2021