Journalism of Courage
Chef Mayur Gadkari cooks salmon with the same reverence that a perfume connoisseur has for a fine scent,or an architect for a beautiful building. It appears at the table as a three-storeyed beauty warm lentil ragu forms the bed on which a pink and glistening salmon fillet rests,while a green dollop of walnut and coriander pesto crowns the dish. Gadkari has built the recipe layer by layer,each adding a different texture and flavour to it. And just like a fine perfume,the recipe has a base note,a middle note and a top note. He insists that to fully appreciate his recipe,you have to take a bite of all three together. At first you will taste just the freshness and fishiness of the salmon. The skin is crispy and the inside is flaky. Then,the taste of lentil ragu cooked in white wine will blossom,and finally,the moist crunchiness of pesto will come through. All three complement each other, he says.
Gadkari says,Perfectly cooked salmon should flake easily,so you can eat it with just a fork. It should be pink on the inside and cooked on the sides. The fish has such a distinctive taste,it should be cooked in a way that preserves its natural taste.
Shinde emphasises on the timing. Salmon doesnt need much cooking time because it is soft and fleshy. Too much heat will make it mushy and it loses its distinctive flakiness. Once the fish is cooked,its equally important to eat it immediately so you can really enjoy its true flavour, he says.
For Chef Sanjib Das at Terttulia,the focus lies in balancing the different flavours that come together in the recipe. Salmon is famous for its special flavour. There is something fresh and light about it,and at the same time,it is smoky and has a rich taste. So when Im cooking salmon,I try to keep it the dominant flavour in the recipe. The other ingredients should simply complement it, he says.
He serves Pan-seared salmon along with roasted and seasoned baby potatoes,topped with hollandaise sauce and tarragon sprigs. The salmon fillet is absolute simplicity. It has the unmistakeable fishy salmon-esque flavour with just the slightest hint of lemon. Baby potatoes with their spicy seasoning make for the perfect accompaniment. To keep the fishs original taste intact,I use minimum marinade. Just salt,cracked pepper and lemon juice to make the flesh tender. This is a great summer recipe, he says.
