Weekly Wrap e-letter- Volume 1- Issue 2

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!!!

Weekly Wrap, e-letter, Question Time, Chef, Cookbook, Nobu, Cooking, Career, Maldives, India, Caribbean, Duck, Potato

Weekly Wrap Newsletter- Volume 1 Issue 1

Question Time- Chef Gilbert Steiner

Question Number 1

ProChef360- When did you realize that you wanted to be a professional chef?

Chef Gilbert- When I was in my teenage years many of my friends from school started out as chefs- I guess I followed them. Throughout my youth I seemed to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with both my mother and grandmother helping them prepare the meals. I remember it was during the Easter school vacation I discovered the kitchen world for the first time, in a small traditional Alsatian restaurant, for a week a chef / owner shared his culinary passion with me. The year after that I completed my regular school and began my apprenticeship…., I was 15 years old.

Question Number 2

ProChef360- Who inspired you the most as a young cook?

Chef Gilbert- During my days cooking in France, many names of great master chefs come to my mind- each of them with their own merits, however I would say that the ones that particularly stand out are Paul Bocuse and Joel Robuchon when they were at the heights of their careers.  Namely for the unique product research, its originality and creation. They managed to put the bases of modern cuisine into society, to this very day they are inspiring the future generations. In a nut shell I have a deep respect for both of them.

Question Number 3

ProChef360- What are 3 top traits that someone should have to succeed as a chef?

Chef Gilbert- Well I would say, passion, generosity and taste; as the major factors, creativity and curiosity to compliment.

Question Number 4

ProChef360- Currently you are working in China; previously you were based in the Maldives? Was it a difficult transition?

Chef Gilbert- Yes, I was in the majestic Maldives, for sure it’s a major change but I can adapt to change with relative easy. I received a very warm welcome upon my arrival in China which made the transition very straightforward. In addition the switch was simple due to the fact that I like to discover new things plus the fact that I am very open to new cultural experiences.

Question Number 5

ProChef360- What is your favorite cooking gadget?

Chef Gilbert- I will surprise you, it is a soup spoon, because of its multi-function, from tasting soup, adding sauces and dressings to the dishes and to dressing up the plates.

Question Number 6

ProChef360- How do you define “taste”?

Chef Gilbert- Difficult to say quickly and concisely… firstly taste is a combination of little touches that give great pleasures; it is often linked to childhood, what was known or lived.

I was lucky to have a grandmother and mother who cooked many fabulous dishes, this gives me many wonderful memories of taste.

Taste is one of the five senses in which we perceive flavors. It is an education and also a gratification to be able to gather around a table, sharing and enjoying a meal.

In conclusion, we can say that when something has taste it has nerves, personality and texture. In addition taste is a feeling of extreme quality.

The parting words- why don’t you leave the audience

with a sentence or two to ponder over?

Chef Gilbert- “Cooking is just like Love” you need to give a little every day to make it work and to feel good.

 ”A Chef is like a General” as chef you need to adapt, share, guide and motivate your team because a chef is nothing without his/ her kitchen brigade.

ProChef360- Thank you for sharing your views and opinions with the readers.

Roasted Pigeon with Baby Spring Vegetables

 

Recipe by Steiner Gilbert

Serving for 6 persons

Ingredients:

 3 pcs of pigeon

100 gm carrots

100 gm celery

6 baby turnips

80 gm butter

6 baby zucchini

10 gm shallots

5 gm garlic

Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper- to taste

6 baby fennel

6 baby spring onion

5 ml olive oil

1/2 L brown stock

12 baby carrots

30 gm garlic

Deco:

6 star anise

10 gm white sesame seed

 Direction:

Roast the whole pigeon with a mirepoix of carrot and celery, add the garlic, cook until a nice brown color; cook in the oven 12 to 18 minutes (depending on the size of the pigeon), glaze during cooking time Peel and cook the baby spring vegetables in salted water, finish by glazing them with shallots, finish with butter and chopped parsley. When the pigeon is ready, take out and debone, deglaze mirepoix with brown stock, and reduce, Strain and set up glazed vegetables and jus.

Dish as per chef creativity.

Tropical Salmon Three Ways

Recipe by Steiner Gilbert

Serving for 6 persons

Ingredients:

600 gm Norway salmon

100 gm granulated sugar

100 gm fine salt

40gm lemongrass

20 gm Fennel seed

20 gm Coriander seed

10 gm star anise

20 gm cinnamon stick

50 gm shredded dehydrated coconut

20 ml Vodka

10 ml Malibu

1 pcs lemon- in juice

1 pcs lime- in juice

20 gm ginger

3 tomatoes

6 green asparagus

100 ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper- to taste

1/2 L of fish stock

100ml white wine

50 gm spring onions

Deco:

Reduced Balsamic vinegar

Ginger-Mango coulis

10 gm Shallots

5 gm Garlic

12 Lime leaves

Direction:

Cut the Salmon in 3/3, 2/3 keeps raw.

1. – 1/3 for Marinate Salmon Tartar:

Mix the granulated sugar, salt and the chopped lemongrass, the fennel, coriander seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick and shredded dehydrated coconut. Sprinkle a little salt on bottom, place salmon with skin down, cover upper part with rest of marinate mix, add Vodka and Malibu. Cover and keep refrigerated for 6 hrs.

After, when ready. Wash salt away under clear running water and dry for other 12 hrs.

2. – 2/3 for Salmon Carpaccio: with instead marinade

Mix lemon and lime juice, add chopped ginger, shallots, garlic, salt and pepper, finish with extra virgin olive oil. Peel Tomatoes and cut into a small dice; blanch the asparagus and cut in slices.

3. – 3/3 for Poached Salmon:

Poaching Bouillon: mix flavorful fish stock, with white wine, add half cut lemongrass, few slices of ginger, shallots, spring onion;

Poach slowly until the Salmon reaches 68 C° (or 154 F°)

Dish as per chef creativity.