Joy Tries It: Lobster, linguini and love at Peller Estates

When I meet Jason Parsons at 8 a.m. at Peller Estates for a cooking lesson, I wonder if it’s too early to sample pasta. But then I remember:  

1. It’s his signature Lobster Linguini and
2. I’m Italian. 

Before we head into the kitchen I ask him about Valentine's Day.

“Yeah, it's a big day.” he says. “It's kind of cool because we're in the quiet season right now. And when I say quiet season, I mean, we're still busy, but just relative to what the summer brings to us. Then we get these little spikes like Valentine's Day and I think Peller Estates is the kind of place where people want to come and be romantic. It also gives chefs an opportunity to create a specific menu just for Valentine's Day.”

Peller was just voted one of the most romantic restaurants in Niagara-on-the-Lake by OpenTable (rounding out the top three are The Cannery at the Pillar & Post and The Drawing Room at the Prince of Wales).  I ask him why he thinks Peller made the list.

“It's stunning here,” he says. “I think there's a lot of levels to that one. The restaurant itself is just a beautiful restaurant. It gives that indulgence and pampering feeling that you want when you're being romantic. But what's really exciting for me is the fact that this place is full of a lot of passion — passion from the servers, passion from the chefs, passion for the food, the style of service. So when you're sitting here and someone's pampering you through your every need, it just feels like a place you want to bring somebody.”​

​With a wall of windows overlooking the snowy, sleepy vineyards, an oversized roaring fireplace and plush furniture with linen tablecloths and fine china, the dining room is indeed gorgeous.

But the real magic happens in the kitchen. Aprons on, we get to work.

When I ask what goes into his signature dish, Parsons explains, “it's lobster that's been kissed with a little bit of icewine, double smoked bacon, and Sur Lie Chardonnay, which is a Peller Signature Series premium chardonnay. That’s made into a cream sauce, with hand-rolled pasta, a little bit of black truffle and fresh basil. Really simple, decadent ingredients.”

It’s been on the menu for almost 20 years — it’s that good!

“It is our most popular dish, even last year when we went through a crazy market where the lobster prices went through the roof and I was embarrassed to put the price on the menu. And yet it didn't stop. It just kept selling. So yeah, it's a fantastic dish.”

When he is asked about ingredients, and I tell him I believe in local first when possible (more now than ever), he says, “what's exciting about the locality is we have a bit of a philosophy here. We say globally inspired, locally driven. I don't own that phrase, but I love it. With this dish I would say it's like a traditional Italian, almost Alfredo, but done with a twist. The lobster is Canadian lobster, poached in our Canadian icewine.”

The cheese is a Handeck from Canada, he says, “so it's like a salty parmesan. Basil and shallots are coming from our garden (in the summer) or from a local company. The double smoked bacon is Ontario pork and of course, the Sur Lie Chardonnay is Canadian. So we're close to 100 per cent Canadian.”

In terms of the flavour profile, Parsons says, “I think this is a really great example of food and wine pairing, because we took that chardonnay and replicated it in the dish.”

The first thing that is important is the “mouth feel,” he says. “It is very rich, decadent. We wanted to go with a cream sauce to give you that same kind of mouth feel. Then you look into the wine, it's got that smoky barrel ferment coming from the barrels. So we went to bacon to replicate that, and then there's those earth tones, almost  mushroomy notes, so we added truffle to it. But then there is a little brightness to the flavour."

Chardonnays always tend to have a little bit of citrus or freshness in the bottle, he explains. “That's where the basil and the lobster come in. We really wanted to match this to the point where it is a complementary pairing.”  

When it comes to the perfect date-night dish, Parsons and I are on the exact same page. This is a sexy dish!

He agrees. “I think it is because it can be shared. If I was here on a date, I'd be getting the main course size and put it in the middle of the table, doing the whole Lady and the Tramp thing (an iconic scene from the Disney classic where the characters share a string of spaghetti — google it).  Also when we go to restaurants, we sometimes are adventurous, but this is comfort food at its best. It’s really cozy, familiar, but yet still decadent.”  

Sounds like everything you’d want in the one you love. Cozy, familiar and a little sexy.  

Bon appetit and Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo