The food and critics meet was an interactive session co-hosted by Borges India, Chef At Large and the Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi on ‘Olive Oil in Mediterranean and Indian Cuisine‘. Also present were with Ritika Samaddar, renowned nutritionist on the Borges, and Darren Conole, the Executive Chef of Shangri-La. The food sojourn included an open kitchen format where we could potter around, applying our culinary skills if we so wished.
 |
LuvOlive’s Photos – Fun & Food Meet |
It is made by combining butter, olive oil, garlic and anchovies. The mixture is heated and guests use wooden skewers or fondue forks to spear a variety of fresh vegetables which are dipped and warmed.
Bagna Cauda
Recipe Courtesy Darren Conole, Executive Chef Shangri-La, New Delhi1.5 liters olive oil6 tablespoons {3/4 stick} unsalted butter, room temperature12 fresh anchovy fillets2 slices of style white bread6 large garlic cloves, choppedAssorted fresh vegetables cut into bite-size pieces1 1-pound loaf crusty Italian or French bread, cut into 2-inch sectionsMethod:Blend oil, butter, anchovies, bread and garlic in processor until smooth. Transfer oil mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring, occasionally. (Sauce will separate.) Season with salt and pepper.Pour sauce into fondue pot or other flameproof casserole. Set pot over alcohol burner or gas table burner to keep warm.Serve with the vegetables and bread fondue style.
The Delhi Food Bloggers included Anoothi, Sid, Pamela, Rahul Verma {a food columnist and critic too}, Nachiketa, Apeksha and me.
I soon dumped my camera, and a couple of us poked around in the open kitchen, chopping up some garlic, dipping bread, stirring up salads; the chefs stood by and bravely {read straight-faced} bore our hysterical laughter and noisy chatter! The open kitchen at the event made the meet more fun. The amicable Darren, a passionate chef who hails from Melbourne, kept the session alive.
Live demos are always fun for foodies and a good way to drive the point home. Darren demonstrated how to poach some Chilean sea bass fillets in a flavoured olive oil, a poaching of this sort was a first for me. We were served the same dish for lunch, cooked to perfection, served over a ‘bursting with good flavour’ Catalan vegetable stew. Amazingly the vegetable stew had the rather underrated pumpkin, which lent beautiful flavours to the dish, and balanced the meal beautifully.
Chilean Sea Bass Poached in Olive Oil with Herbs and Liquorice
Recipe Courtesy Darren Conole, Executive Chef Shangri-La, New Delhi
180gms Chilean sea bass fillets2lts of Virgin OOBay leavesParsleyThymeGarlic clovesLiquorice root soaked in warm waterSalt and crushed black pepperMethod:
Place the OO in a heavy bottom saucepan with the herbs, garlic and liquorice root. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil to a gentle 170F, just bubbling mildly around the edges, place the fillets and poach for 7-8 minutes until tender and flake easily. Make sure you don’t let the oil come to a boil.Serve over a Catalan Vegetable Stew {recipe follows}~
Catalan Vegetable Stew500gms Tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and cut in leaves500gmd Onion cut in large pieces1.5kg Pumpkin cut into 1×1 inch pieces2 cloves garlicHand full of herbsBay leaves300 mls of OO / 150mls virgin & 150mls EVOOWaterMethod:
Sauté the herbs, garlic, onions & tomatoes in 150ml virgin olive oil.Add a little water and allow the stew to simmer until the pumpkin has softened. Don’t let it overcook. Once done, adjust seasoning, pour over the extra virgin olive oil. Serve on a platter with poached sea bass
Lunch began with a Panazella, a day old brown bread salad, followed by the Chilean Sea Bass. There was also the vegetarian option of grilled cottage cheese served over the same veggie stew. The final glory or dessert was charmingly plated Olive Oil Brownies and ice cream which I missed as I had to rush to fetch the lad from an after school photography class. Darren was sweet enough to pack me a serving {sans the ice cream of course}, and I grabbed a picture in the cab. He shared the recipe with me too; will make it soon! It was lovely!
I am partial to EVOO, and do not mind the deep flavours it lends to Indian food. In ‘economic terms‘ though, I’d rather use olive oil, or extra light olive oil as cooking medium. It is a matter of evolving tastes, and I like to balance EVOO using minimum spices, letting fresh flavours speak for themselves. It’s a quite revolution in my kitchen, a choice I actively seek to make whenever possible, and love the outcome. My experience teaches me that a little goes a long way, and surprisingly enough, I use a lot less olive oil as compared to other refined oils.
Do you have a favourite Indian recipe that you think works better or as well with this cooking medium? Do you like to experiment? I’d love to hear your experiences!
Don’t miss a post 
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India 
