LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2026

Taste the Trend from page 62

6. To serve, divide the orzo and broth between four bowls. Top each with an equal amount of chicken and crispy skin. Scatter extra dill over each and top with a few grinds of coarse pep per. Serve with sour cream to dollop into bowls.

1. For the dressing, finely chop cheese in your food processor. Set aside.

2. Combine remaining dressing ingredients, except for the black pepper, in a blender and run until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese and the black pepper. (Reserve rest of cheese for serving.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat (dressing will keep for 5 days in fridge). 3. Working with one at a time, place chop between sheets of plastic wrap (or, better yet, in a heavy-duty jumbo zip-top bag) and pound until about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. 4. Put flour in one shallow bowl. Whisk eggs with mayonnaise and sesame oil in a second. Place panko and sesame seeds in a third and season with 2 tsp (10 mL) kosher salt. 6. Heat a 1/4-inch (5-mm) depth of canola or grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 350°F (177°C). 7. Fry schnitzels, working in batches as necessary, until golden on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden and the pork is just cooked through, 2 minutes more. 8. Transfer to a rack. Repeat with remaining schnitzels, skimming out dark crumbs and adding fresh oil as needed. 9. Toss lettuce with dressing to taste (save any extra dressing for another use). Divide the schnitzels between four plates and top each with Caesar salad. Garnish each with a drizzle of olive oil, top with remaining Parm and serve with lemon wedges. WHAT TO SERVE Flat Rock Riesling VQA VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 43281, $19.95 With floral, citrus and sharp green apple notes and laser acidity, Riesling from Niagara’s Benchlands is fabulous with pork and will work beautifully with this tangy, spicy, rich Caesar-style dressing. 5. Dredge each chop in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing so the coating adheres. Serves 4

BROTHY DILL PICKLE, ORZO & CHICKEN BOWL

Serves 4

Warm pickles. It’s possible we’ve said enough, but in case you need more convincing, this one-skillet dinner takes you from stovetop to oven and back to stovetop again with about 45 minutes of passive cooking time to spend on the couch. And there’s schmaltzy chicken fat to flavour the orzo, a slippery little noodle that barely needs chewing. 2 lbs (905 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) dill pickle brine, from a jar of baby garlic dills 4 cups (1 L) reduced-sodium chicken stock 1 cup (250 mL) water 11/4 cups (310 mL) orzo 1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped dill, plus more to serve 1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced garlic baby dill pickles Sour cream to serve 2. Season chicken skin only with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof sauté pan. Cook chicken, skin side down, 6 minutes or until skin is crisp and deeply golden. Remove to a plate. 3. Add onion to pan. Scrape up any sticky chicken bits and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add pickle brine and nestle chicken back into pan. Slip into oven and cook 30 to 35 minutes or until juices run clear. 4. Remove chicken to a board. Return pan to medium heat; pour in stock and water; bring to a boil. Add orzo, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on brand (orzo will continue to cook while you’re plating things up). Stir in dill and pickles. 1. Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C).

WHAT TO SERVE Quinta Da Aveleda Vinho Verde LCBO 89995, $15.00

Matching wine to tart dill pickles is a challenge: a crisp, tangy white from Portugal’s Vinho Verde region can cope and bring fresh citrus and apple to the table.

FRESH-TAKE CAESAR & SCHNITZEL Hate anchovies? Here’s the fresh take—put fish sauce in your Caesar dressing instead. After looking at the ingredient list here, a purist might say this isn’t a Caesar salad at all. But they’d be wrong. What this is: a more delicately funky dressing that tastes and feels just enough like the real deal and maybe even better, for both the anchovy-haters and lovers alike. If it wasn’t obvious, the schnitzel is like a giant crouton, and it’s just as good at room temp as it is straight from the pan. FISH SAUCE & TAHINI CAESAR DRESSING 4 oz (115 g) Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, roughly chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce 3 cloves garlic 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard 1 tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup (80 mL) tahini 1/3 cup (80 mL) lemon juice 1/2 tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper 4 boneless pork loin chops, each 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick Diamond Crystal kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 2 tsp (10 mL) mayonnaise 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil 2 cups (500 mL) panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup (60 mL) sesame seeds, deeply toasted Canola or grapeseed oil for shallow-frying 8 cups (2 L) torn romaine or Little Gem lettuce Lemon wedges and extra virgin olive oil for serving

5. Meanwhile, tear chicken and skin into large chunks; discard any unappetizing bits.

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———————— SPRING 2026