Onboard menus for SilverLeaf and GoldLeaf Service are created by Rocky Mountaineer’s very own Executive Chefs, incorporating regional ingredients such as Pacific salmon and prime Alberta beef. To top off the culinary adventure, meals are complemented by award winning BC wines from the Okanagan Valley and locally brewed beer. Internationally trained Executive Chefs, Jean Pierre Guerin and Frédéric Couton, bring their expertise and training from Michelinstarred restaurants and five star hotels around the globe and showcase innovative menu creations that celebrate the distinctive flavours of the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.
Here are just some of the delicious things you can eat while on a Rocky Mountaineer train vacation through the Canadian Rockies.
Hearty Butternut Squash Soup
Hearty Butternut Squash SoupRocky Mountaineer, Eat Play Love: Regionally Inspired Cuisine
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Soup
- 4 cups (900 g) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
- 4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock
- 4 cups (950 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30 g) salt
- 1 ½ (7 g) white pepper, ground
- 1 ¼ (280 ml) 33% heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 ml) sour cream
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsp (10 g) chives, chopped
- ground pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
- sprigs of fresh herbs
Preparation
Butternut Squash Soup
Peel and cut the butternut square into small piece. In a saucepan bring the water and chickens tock to a boil and add the butternut squash. Add salt and cook for 40 minutes or until the squash very soft. Keep a small amount of cooked squash to the side for a garnish at the time of serving. Using an immersion blender or hand blender purée the squash until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add white pepper and heavy cream. Transfer back to saucepan and bring to simmer.
Chive Crème Fraîche
Mix together sour cream, buttermilk and salt. Chop the chives very finely and add to the mixture. Store overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
Plating
Portion into a deep soup plate, swirl in some chive crème fraîche and sprinkle ¼ of the reserved cooked squash in the middle. Garnish with a spring of fresh herbs.
Serve with a generous swirl of chive crème fraîche.
Crispy Wonton Tower
Crispy Wonton TowerRocky Mountaineer, Eat Play Love: Regionally Inspired Cuisine
Crispy wonton tower layered with roasted vegetables and married with a smoked tomato sauce. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Wonton Crisps with Roasted Vegetables
Smoked Tomato Sauce
- 450g | 2 cups Roma tomatoes
- 60ml | ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 14g | 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
- to taste sea salt
Roasted Vegetables
- 100g | ½ cup rapini
- 60g | ¼ cup market fresh mushrooms
- 1 large red pepper
- 30ml | 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 120g | ½ cup corn kernels, frozen
- to taste sea salt
Wonton Crisps
- 1 pack wonton wrappers, thawed from frozen
- 90ml | 1⁄3 cup canola oil, for frying
Preparation
Wonton Crisps with Roasted Vegetables
Smoked Tomato Sauce
Bring 2 litres | 8 cups of water to a boil. Dip the tomatoes in hot water for a few seconds using a colander, then remove from the water and peel the skin off. Cut the tomatoes in half and deseed them.
If using a home smoker, smoke tomatoes for 1 hour, then set aside.
Saute garlic in olive oil, add uncooked or smoked tomatoes and season with salt. Simmer on low heat until the tomatoes have completely softened. Blend to a pulp using an immersion blender or hand blender and keep warm.
Roasted Vegetables
Wash rapini and mushrooms. Wash, seed and remove ribs from the pepper, then cut into small 1 cm | ½ inch cubes. Heat up the oil in a frying pan and saute corn and peppers at a high heat until nicely browned. Add in the rapini and mushrooms. Saute together, check seasoning and set aside.
Wonton Crisps
Heat up the oil in a heavy pan and fry wonton wrappers until crisp on both sides. Set to drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. You will need a minimum of 12 pieces for this recipe.
Plating
Layer fried wonton crisps with roasted vegetables. Spoon some of the tomato sauce around the layers and serve immediately.
Roasted Wild BC Sockeye Salmon
Roasted Wild BC Sockeye SalmonRocky Mountaineer, Eat Play Love: Regionally Inspired Cuisine
Ingredients
Sockeye Salmon
- 900g / 32oz sockeye salmon fillets
- 30ml / 2Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ground black peppercorn (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
Shaved Fennel Slaw
- 1 bulb fennel with greens
- juice from one lime
- 14ml / 1Tbsp olive oil
- ground black peppercorn (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
Mustard Seed Vinaigrette
- 30g / 2Tbsp whole-grain old-fashioned mustard
- 30ml / 2Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 60ml / ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
- ground black peppercorn (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
Warm Vegetable & Roasted Potato Salad
- 4 yellow flesh potatoes
- red bell pepper
- 60g / ¼cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 60ml / ¼ cup olive oil
- ground black peppercorn (to taste)
- sea salt (to taste)
- 8–10 snap peas
- 60ml / ¼cup mustard seed vinaigrette
Preparation
Sockeye Salmon
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Portion four equal pieces of salmon. Heat up the oil in an oven-proof skillet, season each piece of salmon with salt and pepper and pan fry on both sides until browned (on a high heat). Finish off the cooking process in the oven until cooked medium at the center (approximately 5 minutes).
Shaved Fennel Slaw
Cut fennel greens from bulb, roughly chop 6g/1½tsp and set aside. Using a sharp mandoline or vegetable peeler, shave the fennel bulb very thinly (paper thin). Place shavings in a bowl, add lime juice, salt, pepper, olive oil and chopped fennel greens. Set aside in the fridge until needed.
Mustard Seed Vinaigrette
In a bowl, mix together the mustard and vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil gradually until smooth. Check the seasoning (salt and pepper) and set aside.
Warm Vegetable & Roasted Potato Salad
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Wash, deseed and remove the ribs from the red pepper and cut into 1½cm / ½inch pieces. Wash, peel and cube the butternut squash. Set aside the red pepper and squash. Wash and cut the potatoes (skin on) into 1½cm / ½inch cubes and place in a bowl. Season, drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, and transfer to a roasting pan. Place in a hot oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add in the red peppers and butternut squash. Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked and browned.
Wash and blanch the snap peas separately (dip into boiling water, then quickly remove and dip into ice water). Chop into 3cm / 1 inch pieces, add in to the rest of the ingredients, toss in the vinaigrette and coat evenly using a stainless bowl. Serve immediately.
Plating
Place the vegetable and potato salad in the center of the plate. Place the roasted salmon on top of the salad, garnish with shaved fennel (on top of salmon). Drizzle the vinaigrette around the salmon.
