One short Thursday in November, Noé Lainesse went to the La Petite-Patrie butcher shop on rue Beaubien in Montreal. Co-owner Charles Lefebvre welcomes him with a smile. The two men know each other well. Chuck was chef at Noé’s restaurant, O’Thym, an institution in Montreal’s Centre-Sud district.
Usually, Noé Lainesse goes to the butcher’s shop to buy beef and cold meats. But today, his gaze falls on a smaller creature, the duck, freshly delivered from a farm in the Hudson Valley. We say “small”, but that’s a way of speaking. This three-kilo duck could easily pass for a turkey.
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Duck with cranberries is a classic at the O’Thym restaurant.
The duck with cranberries, which Noé will cook for us today, is a classic from the O’Thym restaurant, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024.
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Chef Noé Lainesse in his restaurant O’Thym
Duck is a flagship product for Quebec, and also for me.
Noé Lainesse, chef, O’Thym
At his restaurant, Noé Lainesse uses “99.9%” local ingredients. He also tries to reduce the amount of waste his kitchen generates. “It’s something that my girlfriend and I already do at home, and I apply it in restaurants whenever possible,” explains the father.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOÉ LAINESSE
This fall, the chef interned at Silo in London, a 100% zero waste restaurant.
In September, Noé also did an internship at Silo, in London, a 100% zero waste restaurant. The Montreal chef doesn’t have this claim for his restaurant, but one step at a time, his team managed to reduce the number of black bins from six to just two per week.
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Noé visits the La Petite-Patrie butcher shop.
Reducing waste is also at the heart of the values of the La Petite-Patrie butcher shop. Every two weeks, Charles Lefebvre and his team receive a whole beef carcass, which they divide themselves. They also offer customers the opportunity to bring their container from home.
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Noé Lainesse (right) with the co-owner of the La Petite-Patrie butcher shop, Charles Lefebvre
Do you want to make this menu with zero waste in mind? Noé Lainesse advises you to speak to your butcher about this desire when you reserve your duck and duck or veal stock. Most of the ingredients in the recipes that follow can be purchased in bulk. “Bring your reusable bags and refuse, if possible, all packaging,” he advises.
Are you ready ?
Choose your duck wisely
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
A mulard duck at the La Petite-Patrie butcher shop
The following recipe is designed for a duck of approximately three kilos. The mulard duck, known as fat duck, and the Muscovy duck often have this weight. Reserve it in advance with your butcher. If you opt for a less meaty Peking duck (like those raised by Canards du Lac Brome), subtract 30 minutes from the cooking time and make half a stuffing recipe.