When Pierre left the family home at 17, he did several odd jobs until he landed at the Sainte-Gertrude brewery. We are here in 1974, the Gentilly power plant is under construction and the people of the region are approaching it with the promise of work.
Among these pilgrims is Florent, a slightly older cook who befriends Pierre. The two curious people share the cuisine of this modest place until Florent introduces Pierre to L'Accueil , the region's upscale restaurant. They served great classics such as pepper steak, lobster thermidor and the famous perch fillet.
Pierre enjoys it, lives a culinary awakening and develops a new passion.
The friends then decided to enroll in the École d'hôtellerie de Trois-Rivières to perfect their knowledge. The following year, they complete the program with full honors, and even receive job offers as teachers! But youth being what it is, Pierre is too curious to settle a few kilometers from the family home: he has to travel.
After a classic Eurotrip , he spends some time in the galleys of a ship where he faces the dark side of the job; rotten working conditions and disrespectful clientele. Homophobic and racist "jokes" are common and Pierre cannot tolerate this kind of atmosphere.
His decision is made, he wants to open his own restaurant. Pierre wants to cook whatever he wants, in a healthy working environment.
It was on December 9, 1980, when all the newspapers on the planet announced the death of John Lennon, that Pierre left the ship and went into business.
The two friends move to Montreal and decide to open a clandestine restaurant, very secret, without a license and without a name. A restaurant for adventurous foodies.
This thirty-seat restaurant offers a fixed tasting menu, punctuated by the seasons. The place is all the rage with Montrealers. You could meet two other Pierres there: Foglia and Elliott Trudeau, often passing through to taste the menus of young chefs.
Florent and Pierre are living a waking dream until the day a journalist ruins the well-kept secret. The authorities are notified and the team is forced to close the restaurant.
I leave Mr. Foglia rightly indignant on the subject.
A few decades later, in 2020 and in the midst of a pandemic, it was then Pierre's son (me) who decided to open a new kind of restaurant. Like my father, I want to share gastronomy and my love of the table.
Despite the fact that he goes to the Jean-Talon Market every morning and prepares a different meal for every day of the year, Pierre has not set foot in a professional kitchen for 30 years… Until day when I force him to work with us. He thus becomes the first employee of Menu Extra!
During the beginnings, Pierre comes to lend a hand to the small team in the kitchen; Francis & Camilo. Eternal curious, he learns all the stages of the famous duck pithiviers and koulibiac. Young chefs are inspired by his meticulousness and patience. Thus was born the legend of Pierre Demers, the sexiest man in town.
One day, the 30-seat gourmet restaurant will be back, and the most important Pierre will eat there like a king.
Kisses Dad,
Alexis.
Demers stuffed calamari
Ingredient
10 calamari
Minced pork
6 green onions
Sriracha sauce
Ginger
Parsley
Coriander
Chive
Tomato coulis
Fish fumet or clam juice
50ml sesame oil
50ml soy sauce
100ml fish sauce
Methodology
Take a dozen calamari from Shamrock, already gutted.
Remove the head of the calamari and chop. Weigh the same weight in pork and mix.
Add 6 chopped green onions.
Add sesame oil, soy sauce and fish sauce. Add chopped ginger and chopped parsley.
Add sriracha sauce or any other hot sauce.
Mix with the hand mixer until a meatball texture is obtained.
Shape into small balls and cook in a pan, then taste.
Adjust seasoning.
Put the preparation in a pastry bag.
Stuff the squid but leave space to be able to close it with a toothpick.
Place in a stock of fish and tomato coulis (tomato sauce) to cover the calamari ⅔
Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.
Take the cooking juices, add the chopped coriander and adjust the seasoning and consistency.
To eat with grilled vegetables, a fresh salad and a glass of cold sake.