Quebec’s crazy plancha

A plancha is a must on balconies and terraces in Quebec. Whether it is an individual appliance with its own burners or a removable plate that is installed as needed on a gas or charcoal grill, the plancha has become an essential accessory for outdoor cooking. Here’s everything you need to know about this new trend.

Posted at 11:00 am

Pierre Marc Durefage

Journalism

strong trend

The world of Quebec barbecue is undergoing its second revolution. After the rise in popularity of stoves a decade ago, we’re seeing more and more planchas as an outdoor cooking tool. A Spanish invention dating back to the nineteenth century^H Century, the metal griddle is now offered in many shapes, further democratizing the versatility of its delicious cooking.

Jean-Philippe Lavoie, co-owner of BBQ Quebec, confirms that this year he decided to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary by traveling around the world with his brother and partner Max, to see how things are going elsewhere, on the barbecue side.

“Barbecue is my world,” says the cooking-over-the-fire fanatic. When you have a bit of a spoiler, you’ll want to treat yourself to going and seeing the different cultures of restoring with such diverse techniques. We’ve been to Colombia, the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Texas and Kentucky so far. »

They also went to France, where Plancha was a great success. According to manufacturer Weber, which just launched its line of plancha appliances and accessories, Quebec has certainly benefited from its privileged relationship with France. “Consumers have been asking us for a long time when we start offering planchas in Quebec,” says Patricia Larez, vice president of marketing for Weber Canada. Although it’s still too early to gauge the trend, we do have retailers that have already restocked their inventory, which confirms our belief that it’s going to be really good. »

“In Quebec, the trend is really more than that big than in many other places in the world, even more so than in Texas, in fact, Jean-Philippe Lavoie asserts. We’ve been talking about it for a while, but we shouldn’t ignore the role of Simon de l’Est and his smashing burgers, it sure helped popularize the plancha at home! »

To smash burgers…and more!

Simon Jodoin-Bouchard, the famous Simon of the East, is indeed the man who brought the Smash burger back into fashion, thanks to the declining menu of his urban hit restaurant, Chez Simon, in Montreal’s Tétreaultville district. And to get a beef steak with the caramelized crunchy crust characteristic of a Smashburger, you need a sheet pan.

“We’re talking about smashing burgers, but the plancha also makes great patties, plus she can do so many foods on different parts of the plate at different temperatures,” says Simon Godwin-Bouchard, grateful for the hat-trick from teammate Jean-Philippe Lavoie. However, nothing is taken out of the roast; But try making an Asian stir-fry with it? Threesome Guy Wants The Complete Collection In His Backyard! »

The plancha also has the advantage of retaining the flavors of the cooked food on its surface.

Micael Béliveau, also known as the Master Smoker, has made a name for himself with his online videos and recipe books, including Smokehouse: The New Recipes for the Master Smoker. It sold 65,000 copies, and passion grill. He has just published a fourth recipe book dedicated to Plancha. In addition to more than 80 recipes, the book includes a section that helps demystify the plancha, from accessories to different cooktops, including maintenance and cleaning tips.

“On a plancha, we can keep the fat and our juices for further cooking, which we can’t do on a grill, where the fat flows out. This is why I especially love cooking my salmon fillets on a plancha; you have a contact surface on the whole piece of fish, it’s done.” The caramelization process and I don’t lose my fat. Also, compared to cooking in a pan, you can’t cook anything else in it, while you can connect the flavors on a plancha, ”explains the person whose sites are visited annually by more than 3 million Internet users.

Plancha in his own way

While the plancha is not suitable for slow cooking, it is an invaluable tool, bringing home a versatility long reserved for restaurant kitchens. “It wasn’t advertised less, and people didn’t think it was so accessible,” asserts Mikael Beliveau. But today there are a lot of brands, while not so long ago it was a luxury product. Also, with plancha, there is no danger of flame exposed, and you no longer have to wash the dishes at home which is very standardized.”

“I use it almost every week,” adds Jean-Philippe Lavoie. On Sundays I invite friends over, it’s a great night, we make single, double, triple or quadruple burgers. It must have been three or four months since we skipped a party! »

Salty and sweet on a plancha

Thai shrimp dish

Pad Thai with prawns is one of the recipes presented by Micael Béliveau at traythe fourth work of the famous Master Smoker, who welcomed us to his lair in Mauritius and to his amazing terrace, built over two floors to accommodate guests, but also each of his 32 barbecues!

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

ingredients

• 225 grams of egg noodles
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) sesame oil
• 225g medium shrimp (size 31/40)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 2 scrambled eggs
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) butter
• 60ml (1/4 cup) chopped peanuts
• 60ml (1/4 cup) green onion, chopped
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) chopped fresh coriander

To prepare the sauce

• 60ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) rice vinegar
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) brown sugar
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) Thai chili sauce or Sriracha
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) fish sauce

to prepare

1. In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the sauce. For reservations.

2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for 3 to 4 minutes. distillation.

3. Preheat the plancha on medium-high power.

4. On the hot plate, melt the butter. Cook onions for 4 minutes, stirring.

5. Add the shrimp. Add salt and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, until shrimp are tender.

6. Meanwhile, cook eggs alongside shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until combined.

7. Add the noodles and mix with the eggs and shrimp. Add the sauce and sesame oil. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Serve with peanuts, green onions and coriander.

Cheese and foie gras with pineapple

Easy to use, plancha lends itself to all experiences. Micael Béliveau also allowed himself to improvise with a super simple recipe for fresh cheese with grated pineapple and foie gras that we eat like tacos!

ingredients

• 400 grams of unsalted cream cheese
• 110 grams of foie gras liver
• 4 slices of pineapple
• 30 ml (1 ounce) of cinnamon whiskey
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) balsamic vinegar
• Black or coarse salt
• sliced ​​leek

to prepare

1. Start the stove on high.

2. Once hot, add the butter and add the pineapple slices.

3. Turn the pineapple over after about 2 minutes until the pineapple is nicely browned on both sides.

4. Put the pineapple in the plate with the whiskey, and then remove it from the plate.

5. Cut the unsalted cheese into slices, add the grilled pineapple and the foie gras pieces.

6. Salt everything generously, add shallots and balsamic vinegar, and serve!