The search for the best pâté-croûte in America will take place in Montreal, Que., as the American pre-qualifiers to the 13th edition of the World Pâté Croûte Championship will be held at Hôtel Place d’Armes.
The competition is designed to help preserve a French culinary tradition dating from the Middle Ages, the preparation of pâté en croûte, a crusted meat pie.
Chefs Canada, the event’s hosts, describe the dish as “the ultimate test for a chef,” adding that pâté-croûte is a traditional delicacy known as “one of the most technical dishes of French gastronomy.”
“The masterpiece of French cuisine amalgamates the skills of a butcher, baker and cook to create a pie filled with meats, vegetables, aspic, herbs and spices, a process that takes two days to prepare,” wrote in a release Chefs Canada, an organization whose mission is to promote Canadian cuisine.
The competition is closed to the public but an adjacent festival will allow visitors to enjoy the pâté-croûte creations from chefs across the city.
The festival will run Oct. 7-17 and will also allow locals to buy the festival’s official pâté made by Gregory Faye, executive chef at Hôtel Place d’Armes and winner of the 2021 elegance prize of the competition in France.
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Participating restaurants include Maison Boulud, the iconic restaurant of internationally renowned Chef Daniel Boulud and La Maison du Rôti in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.
The event is taking place in Montreal for the first time on Oct. 17. It usually takes place in New York City, N.Y. but that city’s upcoming ban on foie gras forced its displacement.
“The World Pâté Croûte Championship has become a major gastronomy event with international appeal,” explains Arnaud Bernollin, co-founder of the championship.
“Given the upcoming ban on foie gras in New York, we are thrilled to bring the Americas selection to Canada to elect two finalists to France in December.”
A jury will select two finalists who will battle at the Grand Finale in Lyon, France on Dec. 5.
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