FOOD TALK: Chicken with veggies in abundance
There is an old saying, ‘Catch them young!’ This is the best way, we are told, to spot talent so that kids with promise can grow up to be stars. This is as true in the kitchen as on the football field, badminton court, shooting range or in the swimming pool. But there are some who get caught in the net willingly, and thrive, punching well above their weight. We came across such a wunderkind who can effortlessly silence many a loud-mouth celebrity chef. During a recent visit to Pune, we encountered Priyanshu Ghosh, who’s studying English and history there. He’s doing very well academically but his passion is cooking. In his spare time, he conducts foodwalks, unveiling local signature dishes and undiscovered tasty seductions on dark streets where snobbish foodies fear to tread.
Priyanshu was bitten by the food bug when he was just six. The only child of his parents, he was encouraged to indulge in his interest. The family, originally from Bengal, has for years been domiciled in the NCR. The father, who works for a Japanese company, exposed him to Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Middle Eastern flavours. During school vacations, he was egged on to intern in a ‘hot kitchen’. Priyanshu worked hard, cutting his fingers and dirtying his clothes, but gained many skills and a great deal of confidence.
Today, at 21, he cooks with a flair and plates like a professional.
We wish the young man all success and share one of his recipes with our readers this time.
Spice-rubbed chicken with pan-seared vegetables
Ingredients
Chicken breast 1
Cherry tomatoes 5
Mushrooms (medium) 4
Onion (peeled) 1
Garlic cloves (with peel on) 2-3
Garlic clove (chopped) 1
Paprika 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Butter 4 tbsp
Black peppercorns 4-6
Oregano (dried) 1/2 tsp
Rosemary (dried) 1 tsp
Thyme (dried) 1/2 tsp
Salt & pepper To taste
Refined oil (or olive oil) 1 tbsp
Method
- Wash, pat dry and trim the chicken breast. It can also be sliced into two fillets. Try to retain the fat. Prepare a marinade with 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, paprika powder, pepper, oregano, thyme and some rosemary. Massage the chicken breast well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Sauté the vegetables first. The strategy is to sweat and caramelise the veggies. For this, slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Then, take the onion and make a horizontal and vertical cut on it to form beautiful petals. Halve the mushrooms.
- We are looking at three different states for the vegetables to be presented — the onions are to be caramelised to give a sweet and jammy texture, the tomatoes should be roasted, a bit burnt, and the mushrooms should be juicy and have their snap.
- Heat oil in a pan on high flame. Add a spoon of butter. Once the butter melts, add some rosemary and let it release its aroma. Add the chopped garlic and onions. Fry the onions until these are 75 per cent done.
- Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan with a lid and let the mushrooms release moisture. This will take five to seven minutes.
- Add the tomatoes on medium flame and let them release their water. Don’t fret if they burst or are smashed. Raise the heat until the ingredients are sizzling. Add the remaining butter and sprinkle a little bit of oregano and thyme.
- Take the vegetables off the heat and place these on a plate. Repeat the same process with marinated chicken. In a pan, heat oil on high flame, then add 1 tbsp butter. Place the chicken breast in the pan, turn the flame to medium and let the chicken cook.
- Add the peppercorns and place the garlic cloves with skin on the side of the pan.
- Add more butter to the pan. Baste the chicken with bubbling butter. Baste until the top side of the chicken is lightly coloured. Turn with a spatula when the bottom is brown and acquires a crispy texture. Continue basting slowly to build up flavour. Sprinkle some salt and pepper.
- Cover the chicken with a lid while sprinkling the pan with a few droplets of water. Remove the lid and you’ll see white droplets oozing out of the chicken, indicating that the fat is melting. This is the final round of basting. After this, take the chicken off the heat and place it on the chopping board. Let it rest for five minutes.
- Slice it with a sharp knife and place the slices on a plate. Drizzle it with all the juices it has released. Place the cooked vegetables alongside. Enjoy!
