Archive for November, 2009
Eating Out at Indian restaurants in Britain
Once long ago when you went to an Indian restaurant all you asked of the menu was mild, medium, hot or hottest. It was Vindaloo for blow the roof off your mouth bravado or Korma for girls. The huge variety and subtlety of Indian cuisine was lost in translation and most curry houses served what the customers were looking for – British adaptations of currys that are a far cry from the original dishes in India.
Nowadays Indian restaurants have been transformed by the renewed interest in world cuisine, with gourmet customers looking for authentic dishes recreating the true tastes of India. This has given good Indian restaurants scope to add a rich array of speciality regional dishes from their particular corner of India to their menus and diners can enjoy a real gastronomic tour of India, without even having to travel, if they choose their Indian restaurants with care.
India is such a huge country that the huge diversity of culinary traditions comes as no surprise. From the Himalayan valleys of the North with rich smooth sauces cooked in clay pots, to Kerala in the South with its coconut based sauces, there are a plethora of different cuisines to explore, all using different combinations of spices, different vegetables and sauces, some more rice based, others depending more on grains for their starch.
However with all this variety it can be a bit bewildering looking at all the choices on offer on an Indian menu. Often it is easier just to choose the familiar dishes that we can pronounce. There’s nothing wrong with that either: a chicken korma is deliciously creamy and fragrant with mild spices and tandoori dishes cooked in a traditional charcoal clay oven are always a fantastic choice.
If you feel like being more adventurous look further down the menu – a good place to start is with the chef’s specialities. Very often these will be traditional dishes from a specific region of India. Usually there is an explanation of the dish underneath its name, so that you can pick one that sounds appealing. Start including one unfamiliar dish each time you visit an Indian restaurant and you will soon get a feel for the rich diversity of flavours that makes up the world of Indian cuisine.
The Go dine blog will be running a series of articles on Indian cuisine over the next couple of weeks, so check back here to explore traditional Indian cooking methods, spices and regional cuisines with us.
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Crème Brulee recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Crème Brulée recipe by Nick Buckingham
Crème brulée makes a simple but rich and delicious dessert, with the satisfying contrast in textures of crisp caramel and the smooth creaminess underneath.
It needs to be prepared in advance and can be completed the evening before you need it and stored in a cool place, so it is ideal for dinner parties when you are entertaining after work and want to do as much in advance as possible.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
12 Egg Yolks
1½ pt Cream
1 Vanilla Pod (split and scraped)
55g / 2 oz Sugar
Caster Sugar
Method
Pour the cream into a saucepan and scrape the vanilla pod into it. Add the sugar and bring it all slowly to the boil. Remove from the heat when it is just boiling.
Pour the hot cream on to egg yolks and stir well until the mixture thickens, but do not whisk.
Strain through a fine sieve and fill 8 small dishes or ramekins almost to the top.
Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to come half way up their sides. Cook them in this Bain Marie on the middle shelf of the oven for twenty five minutes at 100C / 200F until firm to the touch. Do not boil.
Dust with caster sugar and caramelize the sugar with a hand-held mini blow torch.
Allow to cool before serving
Points to Watch
Do not store in fridge
Do not whisk the mixture
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Courgette Gateaux recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Courgette Gateaux recipe by Nick Buckingham
A layered stack of bread croute and pan-fried vegetables, these courgette gateaux make an impressive party piece to serve alongside a main meat dish or add variety to a vegetarian main course. Plus they look fantastic and taste good too.
They do take a while to prepare and put together, but can be prepared in advance earlier in the day and just popped in the oven to bake 5 minutes before serving.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
8 Slices of Bread
8 Small Courgettes
Garlic Butter
110g / 4 oz Finely Chopped Shallots
Thyme
275g / 10 oz Tomatoes
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Method
Prepare the courgettes by scoring down the sides with a canelle knife, then slice them thinly. Pan fry them in butter and garlic until soft.
Chop the shallots finely and fry them in butter with thyme until soft.
Skin and deseed the tomatoes then dice them.
Cut croutes with a 3 inch / 7.5cm cutter from the slices of white bread. Pan fry them in butter until golden.
In the cutter, place the croute and then layer with the courgette slices, then shallots, then tomato.
Season and repeat process until the cutter is full. Press down and finish with cour-gettes and dust with grated parmesan cheese. Remove the cutter carefully to keep the gateaux intact. Make the rest of the gateaux in the same way.
Just before serving, bake the gateaux to order in the oven at 200C / 400F for five minutes with care.
To Serve
These vegetable gateau will complement any meat dish
Points to Watch
Keep in round shapes
Can be made early in the day to prevent serving problems.
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Citrus Soufflé recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Citrus Soufflé recipe by Nick Buckingham
Individual citrus soufflés make an elegant ending to a meal. The light and fluffy texture is tempting without being too filling and the citrus tang is refreshing to the palate.
Soufflés should be cooked at the last minute, just before you intend to serve them, so they may not be an ideal choice when you are hosting a dinner party as well as cooking, unless you comfortable with a longish break between courses, but they are a really impressive finale to a meal if you have the time and inclination.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
4 Egg Yolks
4 Egg Whites
55g / 2 oz Lemon, orange and Lime Juice
55g / 2 oz Sugar
½ tsp Citrus Zest
Method
Butter 8 individual soufflé moulds and sprinkle them with sugar, so that they are well coated.
In a bain-marie, or a bowl suspended over a pan of just simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until they are pale and thick.
Add the citrus juice and zest.
Whisk everything together well, and make sure it is really thick.
Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage.
Fold the whisked egg whites carefully into the egg yolk mixture with a metal spoon.
Fill each mould ¾ full, then wipe the rims to make sure they are clean, so that the soufflés will rise well.
Bake at 200C / 400F for six minutes, until puffed up and golden. Dust the tops with sifted icing sugar.
Serve at once
To Serve
Serve with the Grand Marnier Sabayon from this recipe on the side.
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Chicken with Spinach and Parmesan Mousse recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Breast of Chicken with Spinach and Parmesan Mousse recipe by Nick Buckingham
Chicken breast is a very versatile meat that works well with almost any flavour pairing, but it can become dry and uninspired, unless you cook it well. Stuffing a chicken breast keeps the meat inside tender and adds flavour, making it a great main dish for a dinner party.
Stuffing chicken breast isn’t hard but it is much easier if you use a piping bag to get the filling right inside. Buy the whole chicken breasts on the bone and remove the bone yourself, so that you have the small fillet part of the breast as well as the main section and leave the skin on to keep the meat from drying out as it cooks.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
8 whole chicken breasts on the bone
220g / 8 oz Cooked Spinach
110g / 4 oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
110g / 4 oz White Breadcrumbs
Seasoning
Method
Remove the bone from the chicken breast and separate the small fillet piece from the main section. Leave the skin on. Make a long deep cut at the thick end of the chicken breast.
Place the chicken fillets that you have separated out, the spinach and egg into the food processor and chop together into a fine puree. Stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, then season with care. This is the mousse that you will use to stuff the chicken breast.
Fill a piping bag with the mousse and pipe it into the chicken breasts.
In large roasting pan, seal the chicken breasts, by searing them quickly in a little oil on all sides. Then position them skin side up, season and roast in a pre-heated oven at 180C / 350F for twelve minutes, until firm to the touch.
To Serve
Trim the thick end of the chicken and cut on an angle. Place on plate.
Point to Watch
Ensure the chicken stuffing is cooked through.
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Chablis and Shallots Butter Sauce recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant
Chablis and Shallots Butter Sauce recipe by Nick Buckingham
A beautiful creamy sauce, with the savoury intensity of shallots and the richness of cream and white wine, this goes well with fish dishes of all sorts, as well as the Oyster and Monkfish Sausage recipe.
The sauce could also be adapted to go with vegetarian dishes by using vegetable stock instead of fish stock, partnering very well with spinach and other dark green vegetables.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
½ pt White Wine
½ pt Fish Stock
½ pt Fresh Cream
110g / 4 oz Finely Chopped Shallots
1 teaspoon Champagne Vinegar
Seasoning
1 clove garlic finely chopped
25g / 1oz butter
Method
In a heavy based pan, melt the butter over a low heat and sweat the garlic and shallots together. When they are translucent, add the fish stock, wine and cream. Bring to the boil and then simmer, reducing the liquid down until the sauce has a good flavour and a syrup like consistency.
Season with care and adjust flavour if too rich with the vinegar
To Serve
Serve the sauce over the Oyster and Monkfish Sausage recipe.
Points to Watch
Ensure the fish stock is a good quality.
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Oyster and Monkfish Sausage recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Oyster and Monkfish Sausage recipe by Nick Buckingham
Making your own sausages gives you a whole new area of creative cooking to explore. You can combine flavours and textures in new ways and cook them very simply, serving them with a sauce that complements them and a heap of mashed potatoes and wilted greens. These oyster and monkfish sausages bring a sophisticated note to the humble sausage and together with this Chablis and shallot butter sauce make a feast of flavour for a dinner or a weekend lunch.
Amount
8
Ingredients
900g / 2 lb Monkfish Meat (diced and bone free)
20 Oysters
Chopped Dill
finely grated zest of 2 Lemons
10 Green Peppercorns (crushed)
55g / 2 oz Carrot Diamonds (cooked)
½ pt Cream
2 Egg Yolks
Oyster essence
Seasoning
Method
Chop half the monk fish meat by hand with the oysters.
Chop the other half of the monk fish in the food processor with the cream and egg yolks and oyster essence, until finely chopped but not pulped.
Mix in the dill and lemon zest and crushed peppercorns and finally adding the carrot diamonds last.
Season with care. Form some mixture into a small burger and cook it, then taste the burger, to test out the seasoning and flavours before stuffing the mixture into skins. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Chill the mixture and then make into sausages using young lamb sausage skins.
To Serve
Pan fry the sausages gently for six minutes. Serve with Chablis and shallot butter sauce.
Points to Watch
If the mixture is a bit wet add some dry white breadcrumbs.
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Caviar Sauce recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Caviar Sauce recipe by Nick Buckingham
A creamy and elegant caviar sauce is perfect to accompany a range of dishes, from this asparagus soufflé to poached sea bass and a variety of other fish dishes. It adds a sophisticated hint of luxury to a dinner party and can be prepared partly in advance and finished off when you are ready to serve.
Drizzle it over scallops or salmon, or even use it as a sauce for luxurious home made ravioli or fresh pasta.
Amount
1 Pint
Ingredients
¾ pt Whipped Cream
25g / 1 oz Chopped Onion
½ Bay Leaf
¼ pt White Wine
¾ pt Fish Stock
110g / 4oz Butter
Seasoning
Lemon Juice
25g / 1oz Caviar
Method
Put onion, bay leaf, fish stock, wine and cream in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the mixture has reduced by half the volume.
Strain the liquid through a sieve, season with care and add lemon juice to taste.
The recipe can be prepared in advance up until this point. If so, reheat before proceeding to the next stage.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter.
To Serve
Only at the last moment stir in caviar, then serve at once
Points to Watch
Do not allow the sauce to boil after adding the butter.
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read more of Nick Buckingham’s incredible recipes
Almond Potatoes recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Almond Potatoes recipe by Nick Buckingham
When you are serving a simple main course such as grilled fish or seared steak it is nice to add a potato accompaniment that contributes a touch of complexity and finesse. Almond potatoes go well with both meat and fish and can be prepared in advance, leaving just the final stage of frying to do when ready to serve.
Amount
8 Portions
Ingredients
675g / 1 ½ lb Cooked Mashed Potatoes (hot)
3 Egg Yolks
3 Egg Whites
110g / 4 oz Finely Chopped Almonds
110g / 4oz Fresh White Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper
Flour
Method
While the potatoes are hot, season them with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the egg yolks and mix well.
Shape the potato mix into quenelles (oval shapes) with two large spoons, place on a tray, dust with flour and allow to cool.
When the potato quenelles are firm to the touch (about 1 hour) dip each one in beaten egg white, then roll it in the mixture of almonds and breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to cook.
To Serve
Deep fry the potato quenelles in hot clean oil, being careful not to let them colour too much. They should be a light golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper and season lightly.
Points to Watch
Make sure potatoes are very hot, mashed and dry. This is important when making these potatoes. The heat will cook the egg yolk and make the potato firm to handle when cold.
View Nick Buckingham’s restaurant with one table, book online or call 01332 925 016.
read more of Nick Buckingham’s incredible recipes
Brandy Snaps recipe by Buckingham’s restaurant Derby
Brandy Snaps recipe by Nick Buckingham
Brandy snaps are quite simple to make and are a very versatile component to make interesting and impressive desserts. The secret is in forming them into shapes while still warm from the oven: the classic tubes which are then filled with flavoured cream, or baskets and nests to be filled with whipped cream and fruit or nuts, or ice cream and grated chocolate. The possibilities are endless.
You will need to cook these in several batches as the snaps spread out very thinly and should be spaced well apart on the baking trays. Cooking just a few on a sheet at a time, it will also be easier to work with them as they come out of the oven. Decide in advance on the shapes you want to make and have the moulds ready to shape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Wooden spoon handles can be used to shape tubes, small bowls or brioche tins to form baskets.
Amount
2lb
Ingredients
225g / 8oz Plain Flour
225g / 8oz Butter
225g / 8oz Soft Brown Sugar
225g / 8oz Golden Syrup
¾ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Method
Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a pan. Take off the heat and mix in the flour and ground ginger. Allow the mixture to cool.
Form the dough into small pea-sized balls and place on to a greased baking tray with a lot of space in between each ball..
Cook in oven at 180C for approx 10 minutes or until small golden brown biscuits are formed.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for approx 2 minutes so biscuit is pliable, then shape as desired. For tubes roll the brandy snap around a wooden spoon handle, for baskets place the brandy snap over an upturned small bowl or brioche tin. When cool, remove from the mould and store in an airtight tin until needed.
To Serve
Fill tubes with whipped cream flavoured with brandy. Baskets can be used for serving sorbets and ice creams or filled with a combination of whipped cream and fruit and nuts.
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