Meat the Exotic

The experience only gets more curious with the first stab. At first,the slender tentacle slides smoothly on the tongue and the scores of tiny suction cups tickle the mouth. The meat is quite chewy and slightly slippery. The octopus is dressed in a minimal seasoning so that the meat’s true flavour can emerge.

On its own,the octopus has a subtle taste but that’s where the rest of the salad comes into the picture. Every ingredient adds colour,flavour and scent to the dish. While the rocket leaves add a bitter twist,capers bring tartness and peppers add some crunch. The cherry tomatoes add a squelchy sweetness,while the oranges and the dressing add a heady scent and zest. Sameer Luthra,executive sous chef at Seasonal Tastes,The Westin,saves the Mediterranean octopus salad for the Sunday brunch buffet every week,as one of the menu highlights. “Octopus is an exotic meat and we don’t want to make it run-of-the-mill by serving it every day on our regular menu. This way,people look forward to eating it at the brunch buffet,” he says. He adds that the salad is indeed looked forward to,especially by expatriates,international travellers and gourmands.

Luthra sources his octopus from Mumbai and by the time it enters his kitchen,its cost goes up to Rs 1,600-2,000 a kg. It’s also not the easiest meat to cook. Heated in boiling water for six to seven minutes,the octopus’ head is lopped off and the tentacles braised in the oven for three to six hours.

But not everything exotic has to be prohibitively expensive or time-consuming. Crayfish,for instance,cooks in a jiffy,as chef Milind Sovani of April Rain explains. Sovani sources crayfish from Singapore and uses it for one of his best-selling items on the menu — Crispy Kurao Fish topped with crayfish and prawn bharta. “Internationally,people are used to eating crayfish as a cold item. But I’ve used it in an Indian-style recipe,” says Sovani. The dish comprises a crispy Kurao fish fillet topped with a stir-fry of sorts — with diced prawn and crayfish,cumin,tomatoes,bell peppers and other spices. “Those familiar with crayfish love its nutty taste and juicy texture,” says Sovani. It doesn’t cost too much,as its prices go neck and neck with the Indian lobster.

At Malaka Spice,the new “Ignore” menu serves the intriguing emu steak. It arrives on a tiny,neat platter,laden with strips of dark brownish meat skewered on wooden sticks,served with onions. The meat,which is more chewy than chicken or lamb,also tastes very different from any red meat. Marinated in oyster sauce,black peppercorn and chilli sauce,the steak strips taste sweet and salty at the same time,and the flavour of marinade goes right through the meat. “That’s because emu meat is lean. That makes it more chewy but it also absorbs flavour better,” says Chef Ranjeet Jadhav.

Already,the steak seems to have garnered many takers among the restaurant’s patrons,says the chef. “Though Indian farms have been rearing emu for several years now,people were unwilling to experiment earlier. Now,many people travel and like to try out new things. Maybe,emu will finally catch up,” says Jadhav.