Many of you are aware of this fact, that I left Kitchen for "greener pastures" on September 28th, 2013. I joined airlines industry as an "In-flight Chef" just for the namesake (a foodwarmer basically as some would say ..) or as per one of the colleagues, "You cease to be a chef--you are just a cabin crew".
I must tell you-- I am not complaining about this job. This is way easier than slogging your ass for about 12 hours everyday or even more in weekends, getting used and abused in the kitchens and even on your day offs, you dont need to ( and wouldn't like to) see the same faces at work everyday and once you land, you are not the same place everyday. It is not like "Home-Work-Home" everyday and at the end of the day you are so tired to have sometime for yourself..
I remember often telling my trainers "Give me a pot of vegetables and meat..and I can cook a shit out of that but the safety lingo is way above my intellect to receive" and that "the number of day offs I get a month (or a week if I may say) is just way more than I deserve to get". Honestly, it was quite difficult to pick up, but in due course, when I started flying, things started falling in place. My kitchen terms are now replaced safety lingo and that one of course related to Aviation. No more mise-en place, pick up or even "86". There is only boarding clearance, take off, seat-belt signs (off and on) and touchdown.
However, things have changed as well. Now I have the pleasure of tasting the products right from the place where it is the most authentic (and also the privilege of getting it at home right from its birth place). I was really happy to be in Paris for the first time (aye, my first flight) and had champagne lunch followed by a rossini style beef for dinner to churrasco dinner in Sao Paulo or even exploring the renowned fish market in Sydney and also getting some of the freshest John Dory, Rainbow Trout and Mulloway Fish. Such extensive travel also helps me to get some culinary inspiration, especially Geneva inspired me to prepare a three course dinner at home--with swiss ideas.
After my christmas meal, I didn't cook a full course (multi-course menu actually) for a while, especially after getting such wonderful products from different parts of the world-- Brazilian beef, Fishes from Sydney and Foie Gras from Paris. Inspired by all these great products, seasonal products and my favorites, I came up with an eight-course menu...named it as "My Discovery Menu"..my personal discovery with these products, combine them with prevalent and unusual garnishes..
Raw
Fin de clair
oysters, Mignonette
-
Cured
Tasmanian Salmon,
Marinated Oranges
-
Pressed
Foie gras terrine,
mango, passionfruit
-
Lightly Cooked
John Dory niçoise
style
-
Seared
Rib-eye with
chimichurri, pomme purée
-
Burnt
Bacon and Coffee
Crème Brulée
-
Aged
16 months Comte
Cheese, Quince
-
Dried
Vacherin, Seasonal
Berries
 |
| Fin de Clair Oysters, Mignonette |
I have stopped going by just the name of the dish (or course) and instead using the cooking method or the treatment of the product by the *cook*.
Raw
Oysters are best when it is served raw. Mignonette is a classic accompaniment to freshly shucked oysters -just some chopped shallots and red wine vinegar (or raspberry vinegar if you have). Thats it..
Cured
 | |
| Tasmanian Salmon, Marinated Oranges |
I learnt this citrus cure from an argentinian chef with who I worked for about a week. A very simple curing process which you can even do at home. The tasmanian salmon is filleted, skinned. Prepare a curing mix of 2parts of sugar and 1 part of rock salt(regular table salt will suffice if you dont have rock salt) and lemon,lime and orange 1 each. Mix the salt and sugar and prepare a thin layer of the mix. Arrange a fillet of the fish or piece if you have. Grate the zest of the citrus fruits on the fish and cover up with the rest of the salt-sugar mix. Refrigerate for about 4 hours and it is ready. Make sure you clean the fish off the cure.
I prepared some marinated oranges--just get some orange segments, free from the white pith or any seed. Steep it in hot sugar syrup for 20 seconds and let it macerate with a dash of white wine vinegar. Additonally put some sourcream with a dash of lime juice, for the salmon.
Pressed
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| Foie Gras terrine, Mango, Passionfruit |
I am a big fan of foie gras that I finally got a foie gras to make a terrine (the procedure I shared in my previous post). I was much fascinated by pairing up Foie gras with Aamshotto (Aam papdi in Hindi or Mango Fruit Leather) and to give another tropical touch, I added passionfruit. Topped up with some dry cured duck breast with passionfruit and mango
Lightly Cooked
 |
| John Dory niçoise style |
I bought three John Dory fish from Sydney. And for them, I devised a couple of recipe, one of them were John Dory cooked with Nicoise garnish--bell peppers confit, potato fondant, zucchini, confit cherry tomatoes and tapenade. As simple as that..
 |
| Rib-eye with chimichurri, pomme puree |
Seared
As you know, the Rib-Eye was bought from Sao Paulo and cooked with the argentinian condiment "Chimichurri" a condiment of mixed herbs and spices matured in oil and vinegar--a fantastic condiment for grilled meats. And yes, some buttery mash..
Burnt
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| Mushroom and Coffee creme brulee |
Years before, I came across an episode of "No Reservations" by Anthony Bourdain, where he finds a coffee shop in San Francisco, they do weird combinations of bacon and coffee. So, why not in a creme brulee?? Despite, wanting to do a creme brulee with bacon and coffee, I forgot to get the bacon--eventually had to replace with mushrooms. But I really want to do a bacon and coffee. This is a salty creme brulee however, with a sugar crunch of the brulee as you are generally accustomed with. My memories of salty creme brulee obviously starts with Foie Gras creme brulee and later my own recipe of goat cheese creme brulee. But yes, let coffee and bacon evoke your breakfast memories.
Aged
 |
| 16 months Comte cheese, Quince |
On my last trip to Paris, I got this excellent piece of Comte cheese--aged for 16 months. I love comte cheese and along with some quince, you just need a glass of port or some late harvest wine. Thats it...
Dried
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| Vacherin, Seasonal Berries |
I would be wronged to have said that this is a light dessert. This is a perfect dessert for a hot summer evening. This dessert has got only air--meringue, parfait and chantilly. Though heavy on the sweet note (imagine the amount of sugar involved--meringue, parfait and the chantilly cream)but then I am not complaining, since I love all the sweet stuff. Topped up with some seasonal berries...I love vacherin.
After all these small talks and big talks, do you want to know if I miss cooking?? Hell yes, I miss cooking on the stoves, just like a commis who is slogging his ass out for hours and hours and just yelling "Yes chef" to whatever commands come from his boss who is on the pass...
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