Beet and Pearl
Barley Risotto
alberta ingredients
add fresh flavours to
this comforting dish
Locavore
Thinking Locally
a central alberta chef champions the provincial bounty
BY LIaNe FaULDeR
ReseRve a seat at Westlake Grill and
you’ll taste more than Michael Ubbing’s
finely honed, steakhouse-inspired fare—
though recent dishes like Alberta yak
tartare and a salted caramel chocolate
mousse are worth relishing. You’ll also
savour the sum of the local food experi-
ence he brings to the table at Red Deer’s
Heritage Ranch.
For years, Ubbing has been at the
forefront of locavorism in Alberta: “I
started out at franchises when I was
young, and asked myself, ‘How can this
be improved?’ The answer was better
ingredients. I remembered eating car-
rots from my grandma’s garden, and
picking Saskatoon berries, and all the
flavours and experiences behind that.”
After earning his Red Seal certifica-
tion, in 2008 Ubbing joined Red Deer’s
now-closed Restaurant 27, which was
committed to sourcing from artisanal
producers long before it became trendy.
“Farmers would bring in 200 pounds
of beets every couple of days, and we
had to figure out how to use them all,”
Ubbing says of the challenges—and
rewards—of cooking exclusively with
in-season, local ingredients.
He continued to spread the local-
food gospel. A season running the café
at Lacombe’s Ellis Bird Farm, a working
farm and wildlife sanctuary, added to
his knowledge and connections with
producers. He was also part of the coali-
tion that in 2014 successfully lobbied
to allow backyard hens in Red Deer.
Now, as executive chef at Westlake
Grill and its more casual sister space,
Roosters Wood Fire & Smoke, Ubbing
forges onward, using ingredients from
such local purveyors as Steel Pony
Farm, Bowden Chicken, Sylvan Star
Cheese and the Alix Hutterite colony
to create succulent staples like his
signature Jack Daniels-infused rib-eye
with maple curry glaze.
He also continues to engage diners
at his innovative chef ’s table evenings.
Through his cooking, he imparts lessons
on what sustainably sourced food can
mean for the plate and the economy.
“Local food,” he says, “creates conver-
sation at the table and beyond.”
1 cup steel Pony farms
red or yellow
beets, diced small
1 tbsp duck fat or olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 tsp garlic purée
1 cup pearl barley
2
1 /
2
1 /
2
cups dry white wine
cup
lemon juice
1 cup sylvan star grizzly
gouda or parme-
san cheese, finely
shredded
1 /
3 goat cheese
cup
1 tsp kosher salt
1 /
4 white pepper
tsp
Steam whole beets until
tender, about 30 to 45 min-
utes depending on size. allow
to cool somewhat, then use
paper towel to gently rub off
skin. Cut into small pieces.
add duck fat (or olive oil),
onion and garlic to a thick-
bottomed pot and cook on
medium-low heat until onion
pieces are translucent.
add pearl barley and stir
for one minute.
add all liquid and beets;
simmer on low until barley
starch is apparent and the
barley itself is al dente (about
20 minutes).
Stir in all cheese and sea-
soning. season further to
taste as necessary and serve.
(Serves four)
AMA InsIder
wInter 2016
61