Paul Moran, who grew up in West Kelowna, is in the running to win Top Chef Canada on the Food Network.
Image Credit: From the Top Chef Canada web site.
May 21, 2019 - 8:24 AM
KELOWNA - Canada's new Top Chef learned the tricks of his trade while growing up in West Kelowna.
Paul Moran, who learned how to forage wild ingredients during his time in the Okanagan, won the top prize in the Monday night, May 10, finale, walking away with $100,000.
Moran prepared an appetizer of side stripe shrimp with stuffed mushrooms and a veal and tuna dish, Vitelli tomato.
It appeared as though it was his confit and grilled pigeon that won over judges. As did his dessert was a colourful plate of macarons, strawberries, goat cheese topped with a herbaceous sorrel sorbet.
Earlier in the competition Paul's brother Scott, who used to write a foraging-themed column for iNFOnews.ca, offered some insights into what made his style unique.
"Some people hunt, some people fish,” Scott told iNFOnews.ca. “We pick mushrooms.”
Scott said foraging was a part of their upbringing.
He currently sells wild herbs, mushrooms and foods at Kelowna Farmers’ Market (under the Everything Wild banner) and teaches about 10 chefs in restaurants from Osoyoos to Lake Country how to cook with wild foods.
Paul has been involved in cooking competitions since he was 14 years old, taking the top prize regularly. He was the first-ever recipient of the Hawksworth Young Chef scholarship, which awarded him the opportunity to attend an international culinary school. After completing his culinary education with a stage at the Mexico City restaurant Pujol, Paul went on to work at some of the most prestigious top-tier restaurants in Dubai and France. He is now the executive chef at 1909Kitchen at the Tofino Resort and Marina in Tofino, B.C.
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