Question Time- Chef Indrajit Saha
This article is a result of a recent interaction with Chef Indrajit. You will find the beginning of this interview in the ProChef360 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.
I asked Chef Indrajit the following:
Question Number 1
ProChef360- What pursued you to become a professional chef?
Chef Indrajit- To be honest it was an accident that I ended up at catering school but once I went there from the first day I knew that I wanted to be a chef. Basically, I felt the comfortable with the whole atmosphere.
Question Number 2
ProChef360- How many different Countries have you worked in? Which one did you enjoy the most?
Chef Indrajit- India, Maldives, Caribbean, Africa and Dubai. I enjoyed the Maldives the best. I had plenty of time to concentrate on my cooking.
Question Number 3
ProChef360- What is your favorite ingredient you like to use in your cooking? Why?
Chef Indrajit- Well Matthew, I have 2, the first one is “Aubergine” -it absorbs lots of flavours and release also lot of flavors and the second is “Lemon” – a dash of it changes the whole nature of the dish.
Question Number 4
ProChef360- What is the latest cookbook you purchased?
Chef Indrajit- Nobu. I haven’t looked back since- I picked up many nice ideas to include in my own cooking.
Question Number 5
ProChef360- Any tips for chefs that are just beginning their career?
Chef Indrajit- Be honest and passionate to your career and yourself. It takes lot of hard and smart work to be chef. Do not only run for the money, it will come in time.
Question Number 6
ProChef360- As a professional chef what is the most intriguing fixation you have witnessed in the kitchen?
Chef Indrajit- As an expatriate in the daily life you hear people speaking different languages, however in the kitchen all of the various languages boil down in the cooking. So you hear people speaking their own individual language however we as chefs can easily grasp the meaning.
The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience
with a sentence or two to ponder over?
Chef Indrajit- To all culinary professionals, if you drop something on the kitchen floor make sure that you do not forget to pick it up. It only takes few seconds; do not leave the kitchen dirty, it is your pride.
ProChef360- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.
Chef Indrajit would like to share the following recipe with us.
Duo of Duck
Ingredients
160 gm duck leg
30 gm duck fat
1 each bay leaf
4 each black peppercorn
3 gm rock salt
100 gm duck breast
Salt and black pepper- to taste
Sauce
5 gm shallot
2 ml olive oil
60 ml orange juice
40 ml duck stock
1 star anise
3 ml raspberry vinegar
3 gm brown sugar
Dauphinoise Potato
100 gm potato
20 ml cream
1 egg
10 gr parmesan
Vegetables
1 leek
3 asparagus spears
3 baby corn
3 baby carrots
1 Yellow zucchini
30 ml clarified butter
3 orange segments
Deco
Deep fried thyme
Herb oil
Preparation Method
Sprinkle duck leg with rock salt, and place under refrigeration for a day. Wipe off the excess salt and pat dry with tissue. Heat the duck fat with bay leaf and peppercorn. Add the duck leg to the pan and allow to simmer. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven at 50*C and cook until the meat is tender (approximately 40 minutes). Marinate the duck breast with salt and black pepper. For the sauce, heat the olive oil, add the prepared shallot and star anise, cook until the shallot is translucent, add the orange juice and brown sugar, caramelise. Deglaze with the raspberry vinegar, add the duck stock. Allow to simmer until a sauce like consistency has been reached. Slice the potato. Heat the cream and temper yolks add the parmesan cheese. Dip the potatoes in the mixture and arrange in a tin lined with sliver foil. Bake at 210*C and place under refrigeration. Blanch the prepared vegetables and toss them in clarified butter and chopped herbs. Arrange the vegetables into a bouquet. Pan sear the duck breast and reheat the duck leg. Sprinkle the parmesan on Dauphinoise and put in the oven. Cook the yellow zucchini slices on the char grill. Place 4 slices of zucchini in layers and put the Dauphinoise potato in the centre of the slices. Place the duck leg on the top of Dauphinoise place the vegetables bouquet on both the sides. Slice the breast and arrange as shown in the photo, arrange the orange segments, spoon the sauce around and garnish with deep fried thyme and herb oil.
Enjoy!!!
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