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King of it all
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The Chambers at Delhi’s Taj Mahal hotel recently delighted its diners with a five course menu
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The master Chef Luciano Parolari
Pope John Paul II abandoned his daily frugal dietary habits for the meal he had laid out. It is thus not surprising that Chef Luciano Parolari is known as The King of Risotto. He can even make the pope falter! This Italian master chef has authored th
ree cook books, including one on the history of risotto.
After successfully feeding his guests in Mumbai, Parolari was recently at the Taj Mahal hotel, Delhi. This joint promotion was organised by Villa d’Este with The Taj Mahal hotel and the Leading Hotels of the World. It was part of the annual culinary tour of the Villa d’Este Group. Renowned chefs travel to various cities as guest chefs. This year the promotion took place in India.
Organised at The Chambers, this brief three-day culinary experience provided diners with an elaborate five-course menu. Parolari is known for preparing the food himself. He begins each morning making the pasta with five helpers. The meal opened with fresh juice and the curtains came down with coffee. And everything else came in between. The non-vegetarian starter provided underwater delights. The proof of Parolari’s innovation and skill lay in the calamari cooked in a carbonara sauce. The chef adapted this typical spaghetti sauce to seafood, with delightful results. The vegetarian platter consisted of peppers, asparagus and zucchini, lightly grilled and served with a dash of pesto. The vegetables came with a handsome serving of goat cheese, topped with a perfectly melted layer.
Barolo wine
But the highlight of the menu was certainly the risotto. Junas Moncado Cancogni, the hotel’s Corporate Marketing and Sales Director, explained that this risotto is different because no cream is added. It is prepared with a little olive oil and onions. Barolo wine is slowly added to it. The starch of the rice itself binds the risotto. And a little butter is added at the end. The dish is finally completed with saffron. The secret of the dish is that the rice should be cooked al dente, it should not be over-cooked. And importantly, it should not become a congealed mass. The uniqueness of the dish is that each ingredient can be tasted separately. While it is rich it is not heavy.
The main dish included veal cutlet in a mushroom sauce. And to complete the meal there was pineapple tartlet with coconut ice-cream.
NANDINI NAIR
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