I was recently in Halifax to attend Savour Halifax, which showcases the talents of Nova Scotia chefs as well as wines produced in the province.

As I had no idea there was a wine culture in Nova Scotia, it was a learning experience for me.

While the industry is still young and faces many challenges, some of the wine is very good, especially the muscat.

While there, I had the opportunity to visit several restaurants, where the standards were.

As high as Toronto's and every bit as original. I was impressed with the creative force of the chefs, with their dedication to local ingredients and with the sensational recipes they prepared. Also worth a visit is the charming Halifax Farmers' Market, the oldest in North America. It is located in an old brewery building full of twisting corridors and multiple levels, each featuring different produce and chefs making prepared food.

There is fabulous bread made by a French baker who moved to the city after falling in love with a Nova Scotian and, of course, fish followed by more fish. Nova Scotia also makes some excellent cheeses, including a dynamite blue cheese called Dragon's Breath. The market is moving in the summer to a new, environmentally friendly home at Halifax Seaport. It will keep its current vendors and add some more; I also hope it retains its charm. Here are some recipes from chefs in the area.

FISH WITHOUT CHIPS

Chester-born Michael Howell is a favourite homegrown chef. His restaurant, Tempest in Wolfville, is one of the best in the province. His fried fish is lightly battered and nicely crispy: Howell uses haddock, the most popular fish in the area. The sparkling water in his recipe must be as cold as possible to keep the batter light and prevent it from absorbing too much oil. Place in a hot oven for a couple of minutes to reheat.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep frying

2 pounds (1 kilogram) haddock fillets, cut into about 3-inch chunks

Batter:

1 large egg

1 cup cold sparkling water or club soda

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Sea salt to taste

1 lemon, sliced

Method

Heat oil in a deep heavy pot or wok to 350 F.

Beat egg in a bowl and add cold water. Lightly mix in flour with a fork and beat gently. Don't worry too much about lumps. Dip the fish pieces into the batter and allow most of it to come off. Only a thin layer of batter should remain on the fish. Working in batches, place a few pieces of fish in the oil carefully and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove fish from oil with a slotted spoon and gently shake off any excess oil.

Place on a tray lined with paper towel, sprinkle with sea salt and lemon. Serves 6.

FRESH ATLANTIC COD WITH JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE AND ORGANIC SPINACH

Dennis Johnston, chef-proprietor of Fid, serves some of the most interesting food in Halifax. The restaurant may be casual, but there is nothing casual about the food. This is one of his signature dishes.

Ingredients

1 pound (500 grams) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup chopped green onions, dark green parts only

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 6-ounce (175-gram) pieces Atlantic cod, each cut into 2 pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups baby spinach, steamed

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Method

Place artichokes in a small pot, cover with cold water, season with salt and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Strain, reserving some cooking water separately. Purée artichokes with a stick blender or in a food processor with 2 tablespoons butter and enough cooking water to make a rough mash.

Season with salt to taste. Reserve, reheating when ready to plate dish.

Place green onions and vegetable oil in the blender and process until smooth.

Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Pat cod dry. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Once frying pan is smoking, place cod in pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fish is nicely browned on the pan side and just cooked through. Do not turn over.

To Serve: Place a small amount of artichoke mash in middle of each of 4 plates. Arrange spinach on top. Decorate plate with green onion oil.

Sprinkle plate with pomegranate seeds. Place 2 pieces of cod, browned side up on top of each portion of spinach. Serves 4.

LAMB PASTILLA

Jason Lynch of Restaurant Le Caveau at the Grand Pré Winery in the Annapolis Valley is a spirited young chef who likes to challenge your taste buds while keeping his emphasis on regional products. You can buy high-quality harissa in tins or tubes in Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Ingredients

2 pounds (1 kilogram) boneless lamb shoulder

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Spice mixture:

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons cardamom

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground ginger

12 whole cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 pound (250 grams) frozen butter puff pastry sheets, defrosted.

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cream

Garnish:

1 cup mint pesto (see below)

3 tablespoons harissa, thinned with a little water if necessary

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Method

Preheat oven to 325 F. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Place in a stock pot with spice mixture and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover pot, place in the oven and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat starts to fall apart. Remove lamb and allow to cool.

Turn oven up to 375 F. Cut rolled out puff pastry into 12 equal pieces. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash, prick with a fork and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Return pot to stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes or until reduced sauce is the consistency of heavy cream. You should have about 2 to 3 cups.

Pull lamb apart, add to sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a piece of puff pastry on a serving plate, top with warm lamb mix and a second piece of puff pastry. Garnish plate with mint pesto, harissa and a drizzle of plain yogurt. Serves 6.

MINT PESTO

Use this minto pesto to garnish the above or any lamb dish.

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh mint

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Pinch sea salt

Method

Combine mint, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until it has the consistency of a pesto. Season with salt to taste.