Everybody loves Chef Varun MB and the innovative recipes he has been coming up with for the last 13 years. Most of us know his penchant for experimenting with food. But what we didn’t know is that he is an avid gamer. “No matter how busy my day was, I go back home and play at least one round of a video game with my kids,” says the Executive chef of Novotel Hyderabad Airport. The Mumbai-born chef, who graduated from Indian Academy of Catering Technology and Culinary Arts, is a specialist in world cuisine. “The aroma of spices from across the world and our very own Indian masala make me happy. It gives me great pleasure to be able to use that to make some culinary treats for my customers,” he adds. Chef Varun shares his favourite recipe of Pine nut crusted grilled New Zealand lamb chops.
Ingredients:
Pine nut peeled 20gms | Rosemary 2gms | Arborio rice 50gms | Vegetable Stock 150ml | Onion 30gms | Garlic 30gms | Cream 20ml | Parsley for garnish | Salt as per taste | Black pepper 2gms | Olive oil 30ml | Brown sauce 100ml | Burgundy wine 30ml | White wine 30ml
Method of preparation:
■ Clean the lamb chops and marinate them with olive oil, salt, garlic, rosemary and pepper.
■ Roast pine nuts and then crush them.
■ Heat the grill and sear the lamb chops.
■ Put the seared lamb chops in the oven for about 15 min at 180 c.
■ Meanwhile, take a pot and pour olive oil. Add some onion, garlic, green pea, white wine and sauté them. Add stock and Arborio rice and cook it on a slow fire for about 10-12 min.
■ Finish the risotto with cream.
■ Pour olive oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic. Add burgundy wine and reduce it till the alcohol evaporates. Add brown sauce to it. Check seasoning and finish the sauce with cream.
For plating:
■ Take risotto and stuff in a ring shape mould and crust lamb chops with pine nut and place it on top of the risotto.
■ Pour the sauce on the chops and drizzle a bit on the plate and garnish with chop parsley. Serve it hot.
(Inputs by Soujanya Nyshadham)