Dale Nichols is a chef that can stand the heat of the kitchen. In fact, he prefers the cutting, cooking and carving of culinary creations to the mounds of paperwork that usually inundate executive chefs. The preference is not unusual-most chefs prefer to cook. The difference here is that, as executive chef at Keltic Lodge, in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Dale cheerfully puts in the long hours required for the job. That means juggling the paperwork with what goes on in the kitchens, as well as teaching the student cooks his style of food preparation. At his desk by 7 a.m. and seldom back at his lodgings before 9 p.m. Dale figures he has the best of most worlds.
"I'm happy at Keltic," he says. "It's a great place to work, to exercise your knowledge and abilities."
The pleasant environment comes not only from the beauty that surrounds the area but also from making the right choices when hiring the students who will turn out the menus Dale creates in the off-season. "When hiring, I look for the twinkle in the eye, the personality, not what they're taught in class. I can relate to people who can laugh and people who are positive-minded," he says.
He seems to find them. Of the 20 students hired this season, more than half are returns. For a small group cohabitating in a small village for five months, it's important to get along, he reasons.
Dale set out on his culinary journey almost 25 years ago. A Moncton-born Maritimer, whose career began at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, NB, Dale refined his trade under the apprenticeship of the famed Mark McEwan at Toronto's Sutton Place Hotel. When Mark moved to Pronto Ristorante, also in Toronto, Dale went with him as sous chef, and eventually undertook full responsibility as Pronto's executive chef.
Dale's expertise helped open several Toronto restaurants including Acrobat, The Wellington Club, Paramount Bar and Grill and the renowned Canoe. Never able to get the sea salt out of his veins, however, he came to Halifax in 1995 as executive chef for Chateau Halifax, now the Delta Halifax.
This is his third season at Keltic, and the only downside is that he can't share the beauty around him with his wife, Pat, and 14-year-old daughter Kelly, who keep their Halifax home ready for his end-of-season return.
This is when he ponders new ideas, marrying different foods and unusual ingredients. Once his creations are perfected in the kitchen, he invites friends to sample them and listens intently to their reactions.
One of last winter's ideas, being introduced at Keltic this season, is a scallop sandwich. Large scallops are seared, sliced, and layered with ham and pineapple, then finished with a golden raisin sauce. This creation might just rival the steak sandwich, a popular item in the Highland Sitting Room, Keltic's bar. Made with four to five ounces of medium-rare strip loin, placed on grilled focaccia bread with garlic butter, and layered with mushrooms and sautéed onions, it might be a question of whether guests would rather fight than switch. But think about it. A scallop sandwich? Why not?
It's the innovative details that turn Dale's culinary ideas into fabulous food. Not satisfied with the ubiquitous ketchup found in every supermarket, he created his own, calling it Keltic Ketchup.
"I have to make more ketchup this year, and I'll be exploiting it in various ways," he says, adding that once you've tasted it, nothing else will do.
A fan of grilling, with an innate liking for relish on his hamburgers and hot sausage rolls, he started combining various fruits and vegetables with sugar, vinegar and other acids until he found the right balance for the sweet and savoury condiments he prefers.
Passionate about variety and versatility, he changes the menu every four weeks. But there are some items that must stay. Oysters, grown on the flotation system just down the road at Dingwall, are so popular that they go through 1,200 every week.
Nor can he overlook the lobster. Either boiled and served in the shell, or cut up and placed in a fresh roll, it's a popular item. And this season, there will be a lobster picnic-outside on the grass, if the weather cooperates, or inside at the 130-seat Ceilidh Hall, if it doesn't.
The oatcakes in the breadbasket are another "keeper." Sometimes Dale goes through the dining room talking with the guests, and asks if they enjoyed the oatcakes. When they respond enthusiastically he offers them a printed recipe. He wants guests to remember the food when they leave.
"People come to Keltic for the scenery, relaxation, activities and the friendly people. And when they come to the dining room, it's like, 'Wow! They've got great food here, too.' When people tell us they eat all over the world, and this is the best meal they've ever had, you know you're on the right track."