A Taste of Nova Scotia on the Rhine
Oui! Chef Season 5 Episode 8
There are moments in food and travel when everything seems to come together perfectly: the place, the people, the ingredients, and the story on the plate.
Today, that place is Mainz, Germany, where we have had the incredible pleasure of taking over the restaurant at the Park Regency Mainz in Germany. With the river just outside our door and the beauty of this historic city all around us, we have transformed the space into a true Nova Scotia experience — one filled with warm hospitality, coastal flavours, and the wonderful commodities that make our province so special.
For us, bringing Nova Scotia to the table is about more than simply serving great food. It is about sharing who we are. It is the taste of cold, clean Atlantic waters. It is the comfort of potatoes, butter, cream, and seasonal vegetables. It is the brightness of pickles, the richness of a beautiful sauce, and the care that goes into every plate. It is food with a sense of place.
And what a setting for it.
Here in Mainz, overlooking the Rhine, we have been able to celebrate Nova Scotia in a way that feels both familiar and completely new. The room has been filled with conversation, curiosity, and the kind of energy that happens when people gather around food with open minds and full hearts.
We are especially thrilled that the chef here agreed to join us today for our Oui Chef class. It is always a privilege to cook alongside another chef, but it is even more meaningful when there is a true spirit of collaboration. Having him with us in the kitchen today added something very special to the experience. His generosity, skill, and willingness to share his own approach made the class even richer for everyone involved.
The dish he brought forward was a beautiful one: Arctic char fillet with potato crust, asparagus ragout, brown butter hollandaise, and pickled radishes.
It is the kind of plate that immediately speaks to both elegance and comfort. The Arctic char is delicate and clean, while the potato crust adds a crisp, golden texture that feels wonderfully satisfying. The asparagus brings freshness and seasonality, the brown butter hollandaise adds depth and richness, and the pickled radishes cut through with just the right amount of brightness.
It is a thoughtful dish, beautifully balanced, and a perfect fit for the story we are telling here in Germany. It connects European technique with ingredients and flavours that feel deeply connected to Nova Scotia. That is exactly what this experience is all about.
Our Oui Chef classes are built around that idea: bringing people into the kitchen, sharing knowledge, celebrating ingredients, and creating a space where food becomes a conversation. Today’s class was a reminder of how powerful that can be. Different countries, different kitchens, different traditions — but one shared love of great food.
We could not be more grateful to be here in Mainz, representing Nova Scotia on the Rhine River, and sharing a little piece of our home with everyone who joins us at the table.
To the team at the Hyatt Regency Mainz, to the chef who joined us so graciously, and to everyone who has been part of this experience: thank you.
What a thrill. What a place. What a beautiful way to celebrate Nova Scotia.
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Arctic char fillet with potato crust, asparagus ragout, brown butter hollandaise, and pickled radishes
Ingredients
Arctic char fillet with potato crust, asparagus ragout, brown butter hollandaise, and pickled radishes
(Filet d'omble chevalier en croûte de pommes de terre, ragoût d'asperges, hollandaise au beurre noisette, radis marinés)
Char Fillet with Potato Crust Asparagus Ragout | Brown Butter Hollandaise | Pickled Radishes Ingredients Char & Potato Crust- 4 char fillets, approx. 120 g each
- 300 g potatoes, peeled
- Oil for frying
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 500 g green asparagus
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 20 g butter
- 100 ml vegetable stock
- 100 ml cream
- 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 150 g butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
- Salt
- 150 g radishes
- 100 ml white wine vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil.
- Thinly slice the radishes using a mandoline.
- Pour the hot pickling liquid over the radishes.
- Leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash the asparagus.
- Trim the woody ends.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Coarsely grate the potatoes.
- Squeeze out excess moisture using a kitchen towel.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter and sweat the shallots until translucent.
- Add the asparagus and cook briefly.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and cream.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender but still slightly firm.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the chopped chives.
- Cook the butter until golden brown and nutty.
- Allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice and water over a bain-marie until light and foamy.
- Slowly emulsify with the brown butter.
- Season with salt and lemon juice.
- Keep warm.
- Pat the fillets dry and season lightly.
- Press the grated potatoes firmly onto the flesh side.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Fry the fillets potato-side down until golden brown and crispy.
- Carefully turn the fillets and add the butter.
- Continue cooking until the fish is just done and still slightly translucent in the center.
- Spoon the asparagus ragout into the center of a warm plate.
- Place the char fillet on top, potato crust facing upwards.
- Nap with the brown butter Hollandaise.
- Garnish with the pickled radishes.
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