A glazed braise

Born and brought up in Jhansi, I have loved cooking ever since I started burning toast at the age of 11! Both my parents are great cooks. While my father is from Punjab, my mother is from Uttar Pradesh.

So I got the best food at home. By the time I was 18, I was out of the house. I studied at the Institute of Hotel Management in Lucknow and later, went to the New York Culinary Institute. I remember gorging on ‘tunday kebabs’ on the streets of Lucknow and later, when I went to New York, the experience was something else altogether.

I worked abroad for 16 years in places like West Indies and The Netherlands before coming to Bengaluru three months ago. During these years, I worked with all sorts of cuisines like Italian, French, British and Tex Mex. So I ended up specialising in fusion food.
Today, I will be sharing the recipes of Capes Ante with Pumpkin Truffle Oil and Lamb Shank Ossobuco — basically an appetiser and a main course.

I have fond memories of Capes Ante with Pumpkin Truffle Oil. In Antigua, we would do a special dinner for the returning guests and this was one of the most popular dishes. Scallops cook really fast so the best way to make them is to keep everything ready including heated oil on the pan and add scallops in the end. The main dish, Lamb Shank Ossobuco, can’t particularly be attributed to any part of the world.

As you grow in the field, you look at a different way of doing a particular dish that is acceptable to different palates. The same goes for lamb as well and Lamb Shank Ossobuco is a result of that.

A lamb shank is the leg portion and the dish is prepared by braising the shank. Though braising is a relatively new term here, Indians are the masters of braising! It’s just that we don’t braise big chunks of meat like the people in the West.

While braising, one has to keep in mind that the pan should be extremely hot. Also, put the oil on the meat instead of the pan as the meat gets burnt otherwise. Another alternative is to cook it for 15 minutes in the pressure cooker.  The industry has changed over the years and when I was younger, I remember ingredients like yellow pepper weren’t available in the market. Though today we are still far off in terms of certain ingredients due to the cost involved, there is a huge market for everything and most of the items are readily available.

Amit Sood
Executive Chef
JW Marriott
(As told to Deepa Natarajan Lobo)

Capes Ante
with Pumpkin Truffle Oil
n Scallops - 3
n Pumpkin puree - 60 grams
n Truffle oil - 3 ml
n Italian lemon - 1
n Pomegranate seeds- 15 grams
n Pea cress - few sprigs
n Crushed pepper and salt to taste
Method
The pumpkin puree can be prepared by slow cooking dices of pumpkin and blending them. Marinate the scallops with salt, crushed pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Pan sear the scallops until they are cooked. Serve these with pumpkin puree infused with truffle oil, pomegranate seeds and pea cress as a garnish.

Lamb Shank Ossobuco
n New Zealand lamb shank - 250 grams
n Carrots - 50 grams
n Leeks - 50 grams
n Onion - 50 grams
n Celery - 50 grams
n Garlic cloves crushed - 4
n Fresh rosemary- 15 grams
n Borolo wine - 150ml
n Tomato puree - 100ml
n Veal jus - 100ml
n Mashed potatoes -100 grams
n Salt and crushed pepper to taste
Method
Marinated the lamb shank in salt and pepper and sear it on a hot pan. Saute the vegetables in olive oil, garlic and herbs till the vegetables release their flavours. Add Borolo wine and cook until the alcohol in wine evaporates.
Add the lamb and the veal jus. Slow cook the lamb in oven at 180 degree celsius for four hours.
   The lamb shank can be served on a bed of mashed potato and seasoned with gremolata (prepared from Italian lemon zest, fresh parsley, rosemary and roasted garlic).
   The lamb shank can also be  prepared in a pot or a pressure cooker. 

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