Prince Edward Island
Dave Mottershall is a man on the move. He’s just finishing a stint as executive chef at PEI’s Red Shores Racetrack and Casino in Summerside and Charlottetown, and in the process of opening his own bistro-style restaurant—Terre Rouge—in downtown Charlottetown.
Dave got started in the restaurant industry in the same way that many chefs do—slogging away in the dish pit of a small restaurant. He looks back on those early days in Port Elgin, Ont, and recalls that it wasn’t long before the then-15-year-old dishwasher was offered a promotion to the position of cook. He says he knew then that cooking would be his lifelong passion.
As a young man, he earned a diploma in professional cooking from Georgian College in Owen Sound, Ont; shortly after that, he landed a job at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta, spending the next six years working in the many kitchens at the hotel.
Eventually, Dave decided it was time to explore the East Coast. He worked at Claddagh Oyster House and Lot 30, among others, in PEI. In 2010, he went back out West to work in the kitchen at the Langara Fishing Lodge, catering to sport fishermen in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia.
When that season ended, Dave knew he wanted to return to PEI—and he has since made his mark on the PEI culinary scene. Among other accolades, he won last year’s Chef’s Challenge at the PEI International Shellfish Festival, and was named PEI’s Chef of the Year for 2012 by the PEI Chefs Association.
Q What inspired you to become a chef?
A I love cooking. My first job was as a dishwasher at a restaurant where the chef was the owner. Everyone loved this guy—he was a rock star in my eyes. I knew it was exactly what I wanted to be.
Q Who do you look up to?
A I look up to chefs who never forget the main reason we all joined the food service industry—to make people happy.
Q What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A Being named PEI Chef of the Year. It was an absolute honour to receive this accolade.
Q What is your favourite ingredient to work with?
A Thyme—it’s the one thing we can never have enough of in the kitchen. It’s one of the key flavourings in our stocks and sauces.
We even go so far as to use candied thyme for desserts, sorbets and garnishes. Or we smoke it and add it to marinades, soups, stews and chowders. Freshly snipped thyme added to a roast turkey gravy at the last minute can change the whole dimension of a holiday meal.
Q What kitchen tools can you not live without?
A My Shun Santoku knife; I bought it in Vancouver last year. It’s super versatile—the tip is sharp, it’s the perfect weight, perfect balance. Since I bought it, I’ve never used another chef’s knife.
I also love my Vitamix blender; you haven’t had anything puréed until you have had this machine emulsify your food. I also can’t live without a wooden spoon and my grandmother’s cast iron pans from the 1970s.
Q Do you have any cooking tips?
A Have confidence in your cooking; let the true flavours of the ingredients shine, and always focus on having fun. Try new ingredients and techniques, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The best cooking comes from the soul. And if all else fails, add garlic!
Q What foods do you eat in secret?
A Candy—wine gums are my vice for sure. I guess it’s not really a secret if you keep a stash in your knife roll, though. And once a year I have grilled hotdogs with ketchup and diced raw white onions.
Q If you could cook for any three people who would they be and why?
A My parents—they have given me so much support through this career; I would love to cook them a fine meal but they live in Ontario, and when we do get together there’s not always time to cook a nice meal.
My Grams—she has passed now, but she definitely makes the list. She taught me at a young age about gardening, composting, canning and preserving, and showed me how simple it can be to make soups.
Chef François de Melogue—he definitely helped turn me into the chef I am today; he was a true inspiration during the summer I worked as his sous chef at Dayboat Restaurant in Hunter River, PEI. I would love to have the chance to give him thanks in the form of an incredible meal.