Mitchell working his magic in the kitchen. (Kristina Edson)
Mitchell prepared a meal that included Asian style fresh basa fish with sesame ginger sauce, ginger honey baby carrots, rainbow swiss chard and baby potatoes. (Photo Kristina Edson)
Family food affair labour of love
James Mitchell and his wife are in love. With food. With life. With each other. And it shows.
Upon first glance, their Saint Lazare based business, The House of Chef James Mitchell, appears to be a gourmet, gastronomic catering and prepared meal service that relieves people of the need to cook for themselves. Whether it be for a special event, or because the kids have hockey and there’s no time to make supper, let alone a balanced meal that tastes like heaven going down. But sitting down with the pair, who are passionate about what they do, it’s clear that their business is a labour of love. A trained chef who has worked at many of Montreal’s premier restaurants, Mitchell, and his wife and GM, Danai Alexopoulos Mitchell, opened the professional kitchen in Saint Lazare after running the business out of their Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot home for almost a year. They will mark their first year at the new location next month. Mitchell still has flashbacks about last Thanksgiving and filling numerous orders for fully prepared turkeys that were anything but ordinary. “I had to put an extra oven in the garage and was going from the kitchen to the garage with a baster until 5:00 in the morning,” he said with a laugh. This year’s orders will be easier thanks to the state of the art kitchen out of which they work on rue de la Paix . Also, the deadline has passed so only those who chose from a set menu pre-ordered such tasty offerings as caramelized onion and apple cider gravy, cheddar and bacon herbed rustic mashed potatoes, savory pumpkin and sage soup, or orange bourbon cranberry sauce, among many more tantalizing dishes. The chef also offered a turkey prep service this year that included brining the bird before getting it oven ready. “Our clients provide the turkey and their tupperware and we do the work so they just have to pop it into the oven,” Danai said. And though it’s too late to sign up for the service (though Christmas is just around the corner) Mitchell’s advice to anyone cooking this weekend is to brine, brine, brine. “It’s just such a great and easy way to add flavour and moisture to what can be dry or bland meat,” he said. Another tip is cooking the turkey until few degrees before it reaches a temperature of 165 F in the breast, or 180 F in the thigh. “Take it out of the oven when it’s 163 F or 164 F and put it on a cutting board and cover it with foil. It’ll keep cooking those final few degrees but won’t overcook,” he advised, adding it’s important to watch the thermometer to ensure the turkey reaches the correct temperatures. Finally, let the turkey rest 30 minutes or more, allowing the juices to settle and not run while carving, which can lead to dry meat.
Great food made easy
Chef James Mitchell and his wife and business parter, Danai Alexopoulos Mitchell, at their Saint Lazare kitchen. (Photo Kristina Edson)
Each week Mitchell creates a new menu which he cooks for an average 200 clients who order their selections a week in advance and pick up or have delivered on a set day. Meals, which are reheated at home, come in four person, couples, single and child’s size portions. There are salads, soups, main courses and desserts (think tiramisu with Austrian dark chocolate.) The selections change each week. Danai, the business brains of the operation, has also created a Chef’s Table experience, with up to eight courses of unforgettable foods served either in their charming, rustic dining room, or at clients’ homes. And later this month will be two events: Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.: Sous Les Oliviers: a gourmet cooking class at Le Faubourg de l’Île, 101 Cardinal- Léger Blvd., Pincourt, featuring a new line of olive oils and vinegars, instructions on oyster shucking and making gnocchi. October 27 at 10:30 a.m.: Halloween Toddler Cookies Bake & Costume Party at The House of Chef James Mitchell, 1061 rue de la paix, Saint-Lazare. To reach The House of Chef James Mitchell call 514 918-1976, or go to their website: www.chefjamesmitchell.com.
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