Vicky Ratnani, who decided to explore the culinary traditions of the world as a teenager, shares the recipe of Loch Duart Salmon
I was inspired by books written by great chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Alfred Portale and Anthony Bourdin as a teenager and I had made up my mind to travel while constantly learning. Then, an offer to travel the world and explore the culinary traditions of several continents led me to a position of Commis Chef on Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth 2,” Chef Vicky Ratnani tells me as we catch up over a lazy Sunday brunch at Nido, his newest restaurant in Bandra.
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Loch Duart Salmon
Ratnani is a household name, thanks to his restaurants and TV shows. But fame has come due to a lot of hard work (and several cooking lessons) he tells me. During his six world cruises, he cooked for the most celebrated clients including once being the personal chef to Nelson Mandela while he was promoting a charity on board the Queen Elizabeth 2. His dishes also won over rock legend Rod Stewart and Hollywood actor Gene Hackman.
Vicky Ratnani has been the personal chef for Nelson Mandela while he was promoting a charity on board the Queen Elizabeth 2
Ratnani, who cooks for his family and friends too, is the guy who launched Aurus, the fine-dining spot in Mumbai, and can, of course, be seen on the small screen (Vicky Goes Veg, Pressure Cooker and Sanjeev Kapoor Ke Kitchen Khiladi). At Nido, his latest brainchild — a lazy European Sunday brunch, is already earning him plaudits. Here, he selects one his favourite items from the brunch:
Loch duart salmon
Recipe per fillet/plate
Ingredients
>> 80 g Scottish salmon fillet
>> 25 g Beetroot
>> 25 g Colacassia/arbi puree
>> 1 bunch bok choy
>> 15 ml olive oil
>> 2 spring onions
>> 1 tsp parsley
>> 10 ml red wine vinegar
>> 1 tsp sugar
>> 1 bayleaf
>> 3 whole peppercorns
>> 1 tsp light soy sauce
>> 1 orange, zested
>> 1 lemon, zested
>> Salt to taste
>> Pepper to taste
>> Togarashi pepper
>> Half cup of milk
Method
>> Portion the salmon and marinate it with togarashi (Japanese spice) pepper, orange zest, lime zest, olive oil, salt and pepper
>> Cook the arbee in milk, with a dash of salt and pepper until soft and pureed
>> Roast the beetroot in the oven for 20 minutes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
>> Cool, peel and slice the beetroot into wedges. Marinate the cooked beets with the red wine vinegar and sugar. Refrigerate and use as required
>> Pan sear the salmon and cook to medium for about a minute on either side
>> Marinate bok choy with light soya, salt, pepper and olive oil and saute in a very hot pan
>> Spoon in the puree of arbee as you place the bok choy on top of the salmon. Drizzle a little soy sauce and olive oil on the plate. Serve
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