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CHEF'S CORNER

Imported, and here to stay!

`Foreign' ingredients are now available locally

PHOTO: D. RADHAKRISHNAN

EXOTIC, NO MORE Farmers have also realised the market needs. Here a farmer has done the intercropping of strawberry with tea

Imported! Most of us have learnt to love this word. We have come to trust it when it comes to quality. Despite the promotional efforts by various organisations and individuals for "Made in India" the lone word "imported" has maintained its power to entice us.

Be it perfume,aflashy car or clothes, the "imported" tag has always kept the cash registers rolling. The hospitality industry is no exception to this phenomenon.

Not too long ago, exotic vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and asparagus were "only" imported, making them expensive. Strawberry was out of the ordinary citizen's reach. Avocados were almost unknown.

Trout was always imported and so was high quality lamb loin. Other products were available in India only as canned products, as getting them fresh here would have resulted in huge financial risks.

But times are changing and changing fast! A lot of "imported" goods have made India their home. This is not only because the Government's policies are helpful, but also because such merchandise is now actually made in India without "Indianising" it. Similar looking and similar quality products are being produced here and at a better buying price.

Go to any vegetable market and you will see heaps of broccoli up for grabs and loads of asparagus to choose from. Rainbow trout farming is already happening. Strawberries are easily available during the season to feast the eyes and taste buds.

Meat products are far better than what they used to be, as the animals are fed on a "diet" that makes them more suitable for our consumption. Besides, all of us have seen stacks full of pasta products on the shelves of almost all the malls.

And the best part is, we have been able to accommodate all these into our food culture so easily! So the so-called "imported foods" are neither imported any more, nor beyond our purchasing power. Some items still need to be imported though, but that is due to the "location advantage" factor.

Examples are Nowegian salmon or Tasmanian salmon. That kind of fish survives only in those waters and surely cannot be produced here!

It is like trying to grow Kashmiri apples in the Rajasthan desert! So a few items, which depend on location advantage, remain on the "imported" food list, and I don't see that changing in the near future.

Here is a recipe for rainbow trout. Trout is a relative of the freshwater salmon and is an oil-rich fish. It is a valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help prevent heart disease. It's also a good source of protein. Rainbow trout is the main breed of commercially farmed trout and is reared all over the world. You can recognise it by the broad purple or violet band along its flanks, with black spots on the tail fin.

Look for trout that are glistening and clean smelling.

Rainbow trout

Ingredients

1cup fresh breadcrumbs
1tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped thyme,
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
Half cup black-pitted olives, finely chopped
2 trout fish
2 tbsp olive oil

To serve

2 new potatoes
8-10 green snow peas
1/6 cup melted butter
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

To Garnish

Thyme sprigs

Method

Fillet the trout. Begin cutting from just behind the head. Take your knife and cut into the back of the fish. Slide the knife along one side of the backbone to loosen the fillet. Try to keep the knife as close to the backbone as possible. Carry on slicing along the length of the fish, cutting the fillet just after the gills and at the tail. Cut the second fillet from the opposite side of the fish.

Cooking

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and stir in the herbs, tomatoes and olives. Season and mix well. Arrange the fish fillets on two oiled baking sheets and spoon the crust mixture on top. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the new potatoes for 15 minutes and steam the snow peas. Remove the fish from the oven, once done, and serve with melted butter and a good sprinkling of black pepper.

Arrange it nicely on a plate with potatoes and snow peas. Garnish with thyme and a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt flakes.

Chef's checking tip

Push the point of a knife into the centre of the fish through the crust to check how well it is done. The fish should be opaque but not over cooked.

RAKESH KUMAR

(The author is Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza.
He can be emailed at: chefrkcrowneplazadelhi.com)

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