The Emmet Ray (924 College, 416-792-4497, theemmetray.com, @theemmetray) is one of T.O.’s essential spots for whisky binges: there are more than 200 bottles to choose from. But this month it’s upping the food menu by having chef Trish Gill of sister sports bar the Dock Ellis create what she calls globally inspired comfort food: lots of braising, fat and gravy to match the belly-warming drinks we crave when the temperature starts to drop. Her take on Yorkshire pudding ($14) is like a Sunday roast rolled into one golden puff. Here’s how she makes it.
The other kind of pudding
Unlike the Bill Cosby-approved jiggly pudding, a Yorkshire pudding is a fluffy, hollow pastry with its origin in British cuisine and is similar to a popover (or as Gill puts it, “like a Tim Hortons honey cruller without the honey”). It’s meant to sop up the gravy and meat juices from a roast. Gill first greases up a muffin tin with beef fat and heats it in an oven cranked to 550°F. She then pours a batter of egg, milk and flour into the hot pans (“that blast of heat creates air pockets in the batter,” she explains). From start to finish, it takes just 20 minutes to make, which is why Yorkshire puddings are so popular in British households.
The oxtail stuffing
The hollow Yorkshire pudding is perfect for filling with meats and vegetables. Gill opted for a stew-like braised oxtail, which, unlike the 20-minute pudding, takes hours to cook.
“I like the flavour and unctuousness of oxtail,” says Gill. “It’s a cheap cut but it has a lot of meat and collagen that taste great when you cook it slow.”
The tail is seared on a hot pan and then braised for three to four hours in tomatoes, red wine, chilies and a mirepoix – a mixture of chopped celery, carrots and onions, considered the holy trinity of flavour in French cooking for soups, stocks and sauces.
The marrow gravy
A Yorkshire pudding needs some sort of gravy to soak up. Gill makes one by melting marrow from beef bones and mixing it with a bit of flour to create a roux, a French term for the thickening agent in sauce. It’s thinned out with a little beef stock and then gloriously poured over the pudding.
The horseradish crème fraîche
A tangy dollop of crème fraîche mixed with grated horseradish creates a zesty, slightly sour and spicy sauce that cuts through the fattiness of everything else. Makes sense considering horseradish is a typical condiment served with roast beef.
“This is like a Sunday roast for one,” she says.
The whisky pairing
Naturally, the Emmet Ray suggests a whisky pairing for all of the dishes on the food menu. With the pudding, they recommend a 10-year-old Talisker.
Stefania Yarhi
BAR VOLO
What the Emmet Ray is for whisky, Bar Volo is for beer, offering dozens of craft and cask beers. The list changes so often, it’s a good idea to check the website for what’s on the menu. Food-wise, the card has a create-your-own charcuterie board – you choose your meats, pickles, pâtés and cheese – as well as heartier sandwiches and burgers. We’re partial to the veal burger with blue cheese.
587 Yonge, 416-928-0008, barvolo.com, @barvolo
Paul Till
COCKTAIL BAR
Restaurateur and cocktail expert Jen Agg’s bar serves two purposes: 1) as a waiting room for patrons itching to get into the Black Hoof and Rhum Corner across the street, and 2) as showcase for new cocktails and wine discoveries. You won’t be having dinner here since the snack menu is just that, but the crispy duck wings with blue cheese snow make it worth sticking around for a little while.
923 Dundas West, 416-792-7511, hoofcocktailbar.com, @theblackhoof
PORTLAND VARIETY
This corner spot in the thick of King West is more restaurant than bar, but people do come here after work for glasses of sparkling to go with pintxos, little bar snacks popular in northern Spain and the Basque country. They’re typically served on skewers or toothpicks, as opposed to tapas, which come on plates. With candied pork rinds, cassava fries, house-made ricotta on offer, best to come with friends to share items from the extensive snack menu.
587 King West, 416-368-5151, portlandvariety.com, @portlandvariety
