Smita Mishra
Celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia who stole all the limelight after the publication of her book ‘Italian Khana’ has proved her acumen for long through the lip smacking Italian food churned out from her classy restaurants Diva in Delhi and Vama in London, famous for their ‘fresh’ gourmet cuisine.
So what’s the diva of Italian food cooking for the New Year? Here’s what she told us:
“I want to make the New Year very special for my guests this time. As in the last few months we all saw and underwent a lot at the emotional front because of the bloody terror trail in the country, I believe that we all deserve a little treat now that the year is drawing to a close.”
Her menu is an interesting combo of the following mouth watering delicacies :
A platter of pan seared scallop, lobster salad and smoked Cod
Crispy disc with beetroot and Taleggio salad, mango and walnut dressing
Parma Ham and Salami platter with kalamata olives and pecorino mousse
Stilton Souffle with green tomato compote
Tagliolini with herb oil, prawns and crab meat and a hint of chilly
Ravioli with smoked Gouda and mushroom in a butter and aged balsamic
Mint and Pineapple sorbet
Almond crusted John Dory pan -fried with sweet whole grain mustard
Twice roasted duck breast with cognac and chestnut jus
Phyllo bundles with yello zucchin matchsticks, and red pepper fondant
If these mouth watering names have made your imagination run wild and you want to be there at the party but can’t because of other engagements, you can satisfy yourself and your palate by trying out of the dishes at home: TAGLIOLINI WITH OIL AND HERBS
Ingredients:
500g fresh tagliolini
Thyme
Sage
Mint
Marjoram
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Parmesan or pecorino
Salt
Optional:three small ripe tomatoes, black pepper
Procedure:
Cut fresh pasta into tagliolini and leave them on the work surface to dry. Finely chop generous quantities of the fresh herbs and leave to soak with the garlic in the oil, which should be freshly pressed, new season`soil. Cook pasta, drain and toss with the herb dressing. Provide plenty of freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino at the table.
A variation on this recipe is to add a good shake of black pepper and three baby tomatoes, peeled and chopped. In summer time, when there are fresh, juicy tomatoes available, they can be added raw.
This variation is in fact a good idea in the summer months, when the new oil, produced in the autumn, is no longer available.
Delicious, newly-pressed olive oil is only to be found for couple months. In any case, it will only last for about a year, after which it begins to loose flavour and oxidize, becoming slightly acid and less digestible. So keep an eye.
LOBSTER SALAD
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, flaked lobster, 1 small lobster
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup mayonnaise, or to moisten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Mixed salad greens
1 avocado, peeled, quartered
Preparation:
Sprinkle lobster with lemon juice. Add celery, salt and pepper. Gently stir in mayonnaise; chill thoroughly. Brush avocados with lemon juice. Arrange lobster salad on mixed greens with a wedge of avocado. Lobster salad serves 4.
STILTON SOUFFLE
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons dry toasted bread crumbs
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup whole milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
4 ounces Stilton, crumbled
Procedure:
Make a foil collar for a 4-cup soufflé dish to extend an inch above the rim. Grease inside of dish and foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Dust with bread crumbs.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Sauté celery until tender but not brown. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk until steam rises. Whisk it into the celery and cook over medium heat until it becomes a thick sauce, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Fold a spoonful of the whites into the sauce. Fold in the cheese, and then the remaining whites.
Pour into the prepared dish, place in the oven, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the soufflé has risen, and the top is brown and wiggles a bit, about 35 minutes. Remove the collar and serve immediately. Serves 4. Recipes adapted from Florence Fabricant.
Suggested wines: a Condrieu from the Rhone, an oak-aged California viognier or an off-dry auslese German riesling, a Coteaux de Layon.
First Published: Thursday, April 2, 2009, 16:06
