You will find the beginning of this interview in the Pro Chef 360 Weekly Wrap e-letter- if you would like to receive your personal copy of the e-letter please contact Chef Matthew J.G. matthew@prochef360.com.
ProChef360- If you did not become a chef what career do you think you would have aligned with?
Chef Burges- My desire to explore and go beyond boundaries would have either led me into project development roles or maybe into a shipping profession.
ProChef360- What inspires you?
Chef Burges- Tenacity and a never say die attitude in all aspects of life. Very frankly there are two sayings I live by: “Some men see things as they are and ask WHY? I dream of things that never were and say WHY NOT?”
“Do what you do, be what you are.
Shine like a Glow worm; If not like a Star”
ProChef360- Who is your favorite chef?
Chef Burges- Marco Pierre White. His insistence and importance on ingredients is unequalled. His food is simple but complicated. This says a lot about him and his personality. In addition his belief of “Chefs are commis first and then Chefs” is something to follow.
ProChef360- Is there a particular ingredient that you really do not like?
Chef Burges- Anything unnatural or harmful to health.
ProChef360- To date what is your favourite memory from the kitchen?
Chef Burges- The busiest day of my life; when there were floods and only 7 staff could reach it to work as opposed to the scheduled 42. The occupancy was running at 100% in the 575 room hotel. The restaurants were chocker block FULL. I worked almost 72 hours nonstop but at the end it was one of those everlasting memories.
ProChef360- What do you do to relax yourself?
Chef Burges- Speed is what drives me. My favourite way to relax myself is to go on a long drive or a long ride late in the night with the wind in my face listening to METALLICA.
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
with a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Burges- The world may think us, Chefs to be crude and insane, however I pity them for they will never know the recipe to take a humans basic necessity “FOOD” to a level of ecstasy equaled by none.
It is just simply MAGIC.
ProChef360- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.
Chef Burges would like to share the following recipes with us.
Curry Cappuccino with Lemongrass
Recipe by Chef Burges Chinoy
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
100 ml Noilly Pratt
50 ml Port Wine
80 ml White Wine
5 sticks Lemongrass
2 gr Lemon rind
20 gr Onion
5 gr Garlic
300 ml Fish stock
300 ml Cream
10 gr Curry powder
10 gr Yellow Thai curry paste
1 Granny Smith apple
½ Pineapple
½ Banana
60 gr Salted butter
Method:
Reduce the Noilly Pratt, Port Wine, White Wine along with the lemon grass until reduced by half.
In a pan, saute the onions, garlic, curry paste, curry powder, along with the chopped fruits.
Cover this with the fish stock and bring to the boil
Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, blend and then strain.
Add the reduced alcohol to the blended mixture and heat.
Add the lemon rind and cream.
Remove from the heat prior to getting too hot.
With a hand held blender, foam it and serve hot in a cup garnished with lemon grass skewer prawns.
Curry, Soup, Chef Burges Chinoy
Lamb Biryani
Recipe by Chef Burges Chinoy
Serves: 10
Ingredients
1000 gr Biryani rice
1500 gr Lamb
60 gr Ghee
250 ml Vegetable oil
50 gr Ginger- minced
30 gr Garlic- minced
250 gr Brown onions
12 gr Cinnamon stick
For Garam Masala:
15 gr Shahi zeera
10 gr Cloves
5 gr Green cardamom powder
250 gr Curd
25 gr Green chilli paste
20 gr Khova
15 ml Cream
250 ml Milk
40 gr Coriander
40 gr Mint
10 gr Green chilli paste
6 each Green chilli- split in half
25 ml Lime juice
20 gr Raw papaya peel
For Boiling Rice:
50 gr Salt
8 gr Cloves
5 gr Green cardamom
10 gr Shahi zeera
12 gr Cinnamon stick
20 gr Ginger garlic paste
Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for one hour.
Apply salt, papaya peel, minced ginger, minced garlic and garam masala to the pre cut lamb.
Mix the greens and marinate for a 2- 3 hours.
In the mean time fry the sliced onions until golden brown and allow to cool.
Mix the curd, lime juice, fried onions and oil. Add to the marinated meat and keep on the side.
In a cooking handi (traditional heavy bottomed pot) boil 3 litres water with salt and garam masala. Drain the water
Add the rice to the boiling water and bring to a rapid boil, drain the water, spread the rice on the meat. Mix cream and milk along with 100 ml of the drained rice water. Pour over the rice and meat evenly.
Seal the edges of the container with aluminum foil and cook on high heat until it starts to steam.
Cook on dum (traditional Indian method of cooking by covering and simmering on a very slow flame) for approximately 30 minutes, remove from heat and leave covered for a further lid be till another 30 minutes.
Mix the desi ghee (pure ghee) with the biryani and serve.
