On a short Thursday in November, Noé Lainesse went to La Petite-Patrie butcher shop on Rue Beaubien in Montreal. Co-owner Charles Lefebvre greets him with a smile. The two men know each other well. Chuck was executive chef at Noé’s Restaurant O’Thym, an institution in Montreal’s Centre-Sud neighborhood.
Published at 1:27 am. Updated at 11:00 a.m.
Noé Lainesse usually goes to the butcher shop to buy beef and cold cuts. But today his eyes fall on a smaller creature, the duck, freshly delivered from a farm in the Hudson Valley. We say “small,” but that’s a way of speaking. This three-pound duck could easily pass for a turkey.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Duck with cranberries is a classic at Restaurant O’Thym.
The duck with cranberries that Noé will cook for us today is a classic from the O’Thym restaurant, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Chef Noé Lainesse in his restaurant O’Thym
Duck is a flagship product for Quebec and also for me.
Noé Lainesse, chef, O’Thym
Noé Lainesse uses local ingredients in his restaurant “99.9%”. He also tries to reduce the amount of waste generated in his kitchen. “My girlfriend and I already do this at home and I use it in restaurants whenever possible,” explains the father.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOÉ LAINESSE
This fall, the chef interned at Silo in London, a 100% zero-waste restaurant.
In September, Noé also completed an internship at Silo in London, a 100% waste-free restaurant. The chef from Montreal doesn’t have this requirement for his restaurant, but step by step his team has managed to reduce the number of black garbage cans from six to just two per week.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Noé visits the butcher shop La Petite-Patrie.
Waste reduction is also at the heart of La Petite-Patrie butcher’s values. Every two weeks, Charles Lefebvre and his team receive a whole beef carcass, which they share themselves. They also offer customers the option to bring their container from home.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Noé Lainesse (right) with the co-owner of the butcher shop La Petite-Patrie, Charles Lefebvre
Would you like to prepare this menu with zero waste in mind? Noé Lainesse recommends that you discuss this request with your butcher when reserving your duck and duck or veal stock. Most of the ingredients in the following recipes can be purchased in bulk. “Bring your reusable bags and avoid all packaging if possible,” he advises.
Are you ready ?
Choose your duck wisely
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
A mulard duck at La Petite-Patrie butcher shop
The following recipe is designed for a duck weighing about three kilos. The Mulard duck, also known as the fat duck, and the Muscovy duck often have this weight. Reserve it in advance with your butcher. If you choose a less meaty Peking duck (like the one from Canards du Lac Brome), subtract 30 minutes from the cooking time and prepare half a stuffing recipe.