There’s nothing quite like having a fabulous chef take over your kitchen and cook for you and your guests. And that’s exactly what Chef Mike Wiggins does. He comes into your home, brings everything he needs (cutlery and glasses not included) and creates masterpieces normally found in five-star restaurants. And he does it all with mostly local ingredients, in the comfort of your own home.
When Mike was a child, he always looked forward to a visit from his Aunt Cathy – mostly because she loved to cook for everyone. Best of all, she let young Mike help her. As he grew older, his parents were quite happy to let him cook for the family.
“It’s not something that runs in the family,” he joked. “My sister is the kind of person who can burn water.”
When it was time to choose a vocation, he had two things in mind: police officer or chef.
“Algonquin College (offered both courses) on the same day, at the same time. I applied for both and the decision was out of my hands. I decided whichever one accepted me first is what I would do. It’s been 20 years and I still haven’t heard back from the police foundation.”
Once he graduated, he started his culinary journey in Ontario as a line cook at Empire Grill, which had a capacity of up to 400 people, and then became a sous chef at Caffe Mio. From there he headed west and worked at his aunt and uncle’s restaurant, Mise, in Winnipeg. He moved to the Okanagan in 2014, working for Waterfront Wines, and finally landing at Mission Hill, where he met his wife.
“I learned a lot from my time at Mission Hill and Waterfront Wines,” Mike said. “I try to use parts of what I’ve learned in every event I do.”
“I’ve cooked in kitchen galleys on boats, outdoors and in larger homes. Each experience is unique and I enjoyed them all."
In the early 2020s he was approached by several people asking him to be their chef for private events in their homes. He did a few and loved it. His business Kelowna Private Events was a hit, and he continues to be sought after for his talent and creativity.
“I’ve cooked in kitchen galleys on boats, outdoors and in larger homes. Each experience is unique and I enjoyed them all. I mostly focus on private events now because I get to interact with the people as I’m cooking and serving. I give them the food, talk to them about it, watch them enjoy it and answer any questions they have. I get to chat with the host, serve dinner and see up close what their reactions are to the food. It takes me back to when I was in the kitchen with my aunt. It has a very cosy feel to it.”
Fast-forward to 2024 and he's a sought-after chef for private events and home cooking classes, and I was fortunate to experience one of these home events.
Chef Mike’s favourite course is the first course, as it is, in his words, “a blank slate.” On this occasion, we were in for a treat, as he presented us with Okanagan asparagus, whipped nettle ricotta, shaved navet (turnip) and spiced almonds for the appetizer.
“Pureed nettle with ricotta is the base for this,” he explained. “Then I hit it with black garlic Manchego (a Spanish cheese with black garlic in it), shaved navet (also called Tokyo turnips), little fresh garlic greens, asparagus sautéed with tarragon, and all topped with toasted spiced almonds.”
He added, “This is a variation of a dish I had at Mission Hill last season. I tweaked it by adding the nettles and finely whipped ricotta. It’s creamier and the texture is smooth, rich and voluptuous. You don’t need much to get the flavour.”
Once we’d relished that myriad of flavours, it was time for the main course. Mike created a delicious roasted hen roulade with charred cabbage, wild mushroom, aerated potato and aged Gouda fondue. Absolutely divine flavours.
“I buy farm-fresh hens from here in the Okanagan and break the whole bird down. They are deboned with the bones hard-roasted and used to make a fortified jus,” Mike explained as he began plating the main course. “I take the thigh and breast meat and use a combination of salt, time and pressure to form the roulade.”
As an aside, Chef Mike has “more salt,” lovingly written by his wife, tattooed onto his fingers.
Explaining the rest of the process, he said: “I took leftover thigh and leg meat, ground it up, mixed it with wild mushrooms and made a sausage. It was then wrapped around the chicken tenders, breaded with gluten-free breadcrumbs and fried. It’s almost like a Scotch egg, but with chicken.”
The roulade is sliced and plated – two non-coated and one coated – and topped with Mike’s own romesco sauce.
“I make the sauce with roasted Okanagan tomatoes, hard-roasted peppers – peeled, no skin – and then I blend in roasted pumpkin seeds. It’s great for anyone with nut allergies. I always accommodate my guests’ allergies and sensitivities. It just means I have to get a bit more creative with the dishes.”
The vegetable mixture of cabbage, bok choy, radish, foraged wild mushrooms and summer squash is generously covered with the aerated cheese and potato fondue. It can only be described as creamy, salty, cheesy, yummy goodness. It’s all topped with thyme blossoms.
After we savoured the main course, it was time for a dessert of gluten-free corn cake with sunchoke anglaise, toasted hazelnut crumb and roasted strawberries.
“I added the zest of two lemons to add a bit of brightness,” he said. “Then I placed the cake on the sunchoke and added a small dollop of rhubarb, which helps cut through the sweetness and earthiness of the strawberries and sunchoke. Roasting the strawberries helps concentrate all the flavours and brings out more of their natural sweetness. To that I added the gluten-free toasted hazelnut crumbs and garnished with sweet cicely, from the anise family.”
Mike completed the dish with a little caramelized honey and tiny borage flowers. It was a joy to watch him as he fastidiously used tweezers to place each flower in just the right spot for an optimal visual experience.
As for the taste, it was as expected: a perfect finish to a delectable meal.
To book Mike for your own private dinner or cooking classes, visit his website at kelownaprivateevents.com, email kelownape@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram at #kelownaprivateevents.
This story is from the summer 2024 issue of Boulevard Okanagan.
