The GOODS from RauDZ Regional Table

Kelowna, BC | Praised by head judge James Chatto for his staunch localism, Chef Rod Butters of RauDZ Regional Table took his ‘blueprint for supporting local’ to the Vancouver edition of Gold Medal Plates 2011. The GMP is the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in cuisine, wine, sport and entertainment. The Vancouver competition is one of nine that will be staged across Canada raising funds for the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

The much-talked about ‘local’ plate showcased Chevon (goat) raised espressly for the competition by Takoff Farm in the Joe Rich area of Kelowna, with Chef Butters creating a curried shoulder, apricot chutney sausage, masala loin with quinoa and chevre and chai reduction. The entire plate (except salt) was from the Okanagan with many of the items grown specifically for this competition.

The Apricot Chutney Sausage was prepared by Thauberger Charcuterie 93.2 kms from the restaurant in Oliver while the micro mint, cilantro and quinoa were grown by Green City Acres, a mere .8 kms from the kitchen door. Jon & Sher Alcock of Sunshine Farm 11.1 kms away provided the colourful indigo carrots, noma radishes and cucumbers for the pickled gerkins and spices including ginger.

Each competitors dish was paired with a beverage, and again Chef Butters pushed the envelope resisting the usual wine pairing by creating his own beer. Continuing the flavour of the apricot from the chutney sausage, 51 lbs of wild apricots from a tree in Chef Butters yard were used by Cannery Brewery in Penticton to create an APA styled beer, suitably named ‘Apricot Pail Ale’ referencing both the wild apricots and the metal pails used to collect them. To ensure that the dish would pair perfectly with this newly created beer, they taste tested the beer with the dish on three separate occasions making adjustments to both the beer and the dish along the way to ensure perfection. RauDZ will also feature their Apricot Pail Ale at the restaurant for a limited time for you to enjoy.

On the night of the competition, eleven of the provinces top chefs took to their stations and presented their food to almost 600 guests and seven discerning judges. When all the food had been served and the glasses emptied, the judges awarded the gold medal to Chef Feenie of Cactus Club Restaurants for a rabbit leg confit with ragout of veal tongue and porcini mushrooms, Dale McKay of Ensemble placed a very close second with a dish featuring spot prawns and Thai spices with Chef Joel Watanabe of Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie capturing third with a pork belly dish.

Although Chef Butters, RauDZ Regional Table did not reach the podium, he was recognized unanimously by the judges as the fourth place chef for his “fascinating collation of goat meat–curried shoulder, a sausage spiked with apricot chutney, the loin rubbed with masala mix, the tissue-thin vegetables” and “kudos to Chef Butters for his staunch localism and all-round courage”.

Although shut out of the medals “the philosophy of eating local was shared with these hundreds of guests and people have a far greater awareness that almost any ingredient can be sourced locally” says Butters. “I’m proud to have worked with such passionate farmers and artisans who helped create a dish of which we are so proud to represent the Okanagan.”

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, the arts and athletic achievement. Celebrated in nine cities across Canada, Gold Medal Plates features superb wines and the premier chefs in each city, paired with Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, in a competition to crown a gold, silver and bronze medal culinary team in each city, and subsequently nation-wide at the Canadian Culinary Championships. Founded in 2003, the goal of Gold Medal Plates is to raise substantial funds for Canada’s high performance athletes, while celebrating Canadian excellence. Since 2004, this event has received tremendous support and accolades all across Canada, and generated a combined net total of close to $5 million for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes!

RauDZ© Regional Table is located at 1560 Water Street, in downtown Kelowna, BC.
Open 7 days a week from 5:00 pm.
250-868-8805
www.raudz.com
Follow Chef Butters on Twitter @raudz
Follow Audrey Surrao on Twitter @raudzbar

About RauDZ Regional Table

RauDZ Regional Table is owned and operated by the award winning team of Chef Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao. Located in the Okanagan Valley, an area described by Chef Butters as the “ultimate chefs playground” the menu focuses on fresh, regional cuisine with fun presentation.

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