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Doing it the right way!

People want authentic food, cooked by certified chefs, not some `naturalised' version masquerading as the original

How well will you be able to accept this? Your all-time favourite dal makhani and butter naan being cooked by some European chef for you! Of course, you will wonder if the European gentleman, who is unlikely to have ever had a morsel of bread with dal in his childhood, can churn out the dish the way you love it. Then those fears of whether you will get authentic dal makhani will come crawling out. Right?

Well! Similar thoughts will cross the mind of any sushi eater when he sees an Indian chef making sushi. That is exactly what the food industry has analysed and acted upon in recent years. The magic mantra these days is, "authentic food cooked by an authentic chef".

Today's people, well aware of food with all its tastes and layers, calories and colours, have come a long way from the days when any bizarre-sounding food could sell in the name of foreign. Today's food lover is a much-travelled man who has had direct access to different kinds of cuisine across the world. He can make out the real Chinese from the good old "Indian Chinese" food with as much ease as he can change from right hand driving to left hand driving when he crosses the shores of the `Third World' to the `First World'.

This is exactly the reason that a lot of new restaurants are hiring authentic expatriate chefs, not only to have the real authentic food on the menu but also to build that confidence among the paying guests that they are shelling out for nothing but the original. It is not exotic food with a dash of Indian.

A great feeling

You visit a Thai restaurant. You order and get the authentic Thai food, cooked by a Thai chef who has followed the original Thai recipe and used the authentic Thai ingredients. Result? A smile of happiness on your face, and complete satisfaction as a food lover.

It is not that Indian chefs cannot cook food other than Indian. In fact, many of them have been doing a good job of it for quite some time. Still, hiring authentic expatriate chefs, usually from the land from where the food originates, helps in the certification of food. And the customer feels reassured. Call it the comfort of familiarity, if you will.

So the expression "authentically authentic" is gaining currency on the food circuit, and the industry is embracing the change with ease: You see almost every hotel worth its salt inviting chefs from abroad as they launch a food festival of any foreign country. And in an increasingly open world, our chefs are finding takers abroad too. Of course, they churn out Indian delicacies.

Now, time for an authentic recipe:

Stir-fried Garoupa

Garoupas are among the best quality sea fish. Of the many species available in the market, the red garoupa is a good choice. Only fish weighing less than a kilogram is suitable for steaming. Larger fish is best stir fried or deep-fried. Head and tail portions are reserved for braising.

This fish recipe is delicious, crunchy and fresh. It is not difficult to make, but to do it well, the secret lies in carefully controlling heat and timing. Fish loses it freshness and smooth texture if overcooked.

Ingredients

450 gm. garoupa fillets

half egg white

75 gm. stock

2 gm. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

dash of pepper

3 to 4 drops sesame oil

1.5 gm. MSG (mono sodium glutamate) optional

3 to 4 drops zhaoxing rice wine

5 slices ginger

2 stalks scallions

2 cups oil for deep frying

Method

1.Dry the garoupa fillets and cut into pieces, approximately 45mm by 30mm, and 5mm thick.

2.Add the slightly beaten white of half an egg.

3.Wash and clean a piece of fresh ginger and cut into five thin slices.

Wash and clean two stalks of fresh scallions, remove the roots and half of the green part. Cut at angle into 30mm sections.

4.Add the salt, sugar, pepper, MSG, sesame oil and starch to the stock.

Heat the oil till smoking hot.

5.Quickly fry the fish in the hot oil till the corners of the fish pieces begin to stiffen. Lift the fish with a large strainer and drain off the oil, leaving two tablespoons in the wok.

Sauté lightly the ginger slices, return the fish to the wok, add the rice wine and let it sizzle.

6.Add the seasoned stock and scallions. Quickly stir-fry over very high heat till the fish is just firm but not flaking.

7.Add a tablespoon of hot oil. Stir-fry quickly and dish up.

(The author is Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza, New Delhi)

RAKESH KUMAR

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