Modern European cuisine is an array of a diverse range of dishes with variety of tastes, textures and flavours representative of miscellaneous cultures and vast history of the region. Preparing any cuisine, with the right marriage of flavour, is an art in itself; the skill lies in choosing the right ingredients and retaining the taste and authenticity of traditional dishes while making any modifications.
While tweaking a dish primarily depends on an individual’s foresight and vision, knowledge of the cuisine and the ingredients and herbs used in preparing the dish is an essential requisite for successful modification of a dish. Identify local or seasonal ingredients that are easily available, and these can be perfectly combined to enhance the appeal, flavour, texture, aroma and freshness of a particular dish. However, when experimenting with classic European dishes, keep in mind the core principles and techniques employed in making the dish.
One can easily add an Indian twist to European dishes by using local veggies. For example, oven-roasted chicken (Hunter chicken) is served with gratinated-layered potatoes, finished with arugula lettuce and basil oil, and accompanied with ginger demi sauce, which can be easily prepared at home using chicken bone stock and ginger available in all households. If arugula lettuce or rocket leaves are not easily available, one can easily substitute them with mustard sprouts.
Similarly, the traditional feta salad is tweaked by substituting herbed feta cheese with a slice of slightly cooked cottage cheese (paneer) seared with salt, pepper and parsley.
Suitable for Indian palate, veggies like okra, cucumber, carrots and beetroot can play an interesting role in being added to European dishes. In Fish ‘n’ chips, one can safely substitute fried chips with mustard baby potatoes to give the dish a healthier touch. Similarly, Mushroom risotto can be garnished with crispy fried okra. In pizzas, one can enhance the taste using green chillies instead of jalapeños.
The writer is an Executive Chef at Fio Cookhouse & Bar, New Delhi
Recipies - Crusted Rawas
Ingredients
- 220 gm Rawas fish (Indian salmon) fillet
- 35 gm olive tapenade
- 20 ml olive oil
- 2 gm each salt and pepper
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 5 gm pommery mustard
- 30 ml refined oil
- 35 gm cous cous
- 45 gm butter
- 45 gm bell pepper
- 15 gm jalapeños
- 2 gm basil
- 10 gm parsley and cilantro
- 2 gm capers and cumin
- 5 gm garlic
- 10 gm spring onion
- 15 gm rocket lettuce
Cooking method
- Clean and trim the fish fillet and marinate it with a pinch of salt, pepper, lemon juice and pommery mustard. Refrigerate it for 20 to 25 minutes.
- For the olive tapenade, mince ingredients including olive, capers, garlic and seasonings such as salt, pepper and olive oil and form a thick paste.
- Cut the bell pepper into diamond shape and marinate it with salt and pepper. Now roast in the oven at 180 degrees for three to five minutes.
- For the cous cous salad, soak the cous cous in 45 gm of warm water with 3 gm butter for around 15-20 minutes and cover with a cling wrap. Toss the cous cous with roasted bell pepper and jalapeños and keep aside.
- For the salsa verde, blend parsley, cilantro, capers, cumin, garlic, spring onion and add olive oil. Season it with salt and pepper.
- Apply the olive tapenade on one side of the marinated fish and spread it to cover the full side. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
- In a pan, heat the refined oil and sear the fish fillet to get a crispy light brown skin on the side with the tapenade. Add remaining butter and water in the pan and bake it further in the pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for about six to eight minutes.
- To arrange the dish, first place the cous cous salad in the centre and then the cooked fish fillet over the salad. Line the plate with salsa verde and the remaining jus (juice released from the seared fish). Garnish with rocket lettuce leaves and serve hot.
