Haute Cuisine

So, whether it is at a book launch, an al fresco table or a table d8217;hote, trays of raw oysters are served in the deep shell, to hold their succulent juices, with half a lemon and Tabasco sauce the dash of lemon or Tabasco confirms the oyster is alive, if it does not squiggle, as the saying goes, it must be discarded, all this on a bed of ice.

Retailers of oysters in Mumbai are found in big markets like Crawford Market and they charge from Rs 150 a dozen. In Delhi, suppliers charge as much as Rs 350 for six and hotels add an extra 20 per cent.

Native oysters are best eaten raw and should be eaten as soon as possible after being picked. Cooked rock oysters are also getting popular in soups and stews. According to Olive8217;s chef Dev Malik, parmesan crusted deep-fried oysters, are his most popular dish after raw oysters. Indigo serves it the traditional way 8211; raw. For Rs 350 six pieces, oysters are served with minionette 8211; a tangy sauce made of red wine and vinegar served with onions.

8212;Debanjana Chaudhary

EMU

Health conscious consumers world over are discovering emu meat, an excellent alternative for those who love the taste of traditional red meat, but desire lower cholesterol, fat, and calories. Although there are no orders for emu meat as yet in India, emu farms are popping up in the country, in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. A brainchild of the Vishakapatnam-based Indian Emu Association, which was formed six months ago, there are nearly 80 farmers spread over the four states, who have taken up emu breeding.

Says C V S Prasad, secretary of the association, 8216;8216;There are over 4000 emus in various farms today. The bird is cut for its meat, while its skin and fat fetches good money. Today, farmers earn money through exports, though three hotels in Hyderabad have already made a demand for 15 kg of meat per day, available at a cost of Rs 300 per kg.8217;8217;

This superfood of the New Millennium, is high in nutrients and lower in fat than chicken, turkey, pork and beef, say experts in the West. The tenderness and texture of emu meat enables it to be prepared in a variety of ways 8212; lightly grilled, pan fried, or sauted like any other regular meat.

8216;8216;Emu meat is a delicious, naturally low-fat red meat,8217;8217; says Vijay Gulve in Pimpri, near Pune, who set up his farm two months ago. 8216;8216;Although no orders for meat have come up, our farm will be able to provide it by next year,8217;8217; he said. A three-month old pair fetches upto Rs 7,500. The bird8217;s life is up to 45 years.

8212;Manish Umbrajkar

TURKEY

BREAST turkey at Subway restaurants in Mumbai and Delhi, smoked turkey at the Oberois, turkey sandwiches at the Taj or the stuffed turkey for Christmas or New Year 8212; that8217;s a lot of turkey today in the market.

Yet another white meat alternative to fowl and bird for its low levels of cholesterol, everybody is suddenly talking turkey. Though turkey meat has been around for a while, the demand has sky-rocketed only recently and farming the bird has become lucrative overnight. Whether corn-fed or country, the familiar gobble of turkeys can be heard in every major bazaar in many cities.

Vivek Kushwaha of Gayatri Farms, Delhi, who has been in the business of importing turkeys and supplying them to 5-star hotels for over 15 years, says, 8216;8216;It8217;s only now that individuals have started picking it up as several restaurants now offer turkey dishes. Still, most of my sales over 2,500 birds a year take place during Christmas and Thanksgiving. This season too, I expect a high demand.8217;8217;

Oberoi Flight Service OFS imports Brazilian turkeys.Chef Manish Sahay of OFS says, 8216;8216;We do see people asking for turkey meat from our shop and restaurants. The popularity for turkey goes to restaurants for introducing it on their menus.8217;8217;

Agrees Chef Alex of Taj Palace, Delhi, 8216;8216;Stuffed Turkey was always part of menus during Christmas/New Year but it8217;s only now, round-the-year, we have begun going in for turkey sandwiches.8217;8217;

8212;Ruchi Ahuja

GUINEA FOWL

This striking bird with white spots on its grey feathers, is soon emerging as a tasty alternative to chicken in India. Once a wild bird, it is now mostly farm-raised all over the world, and a mature Guinea fowl is similar in size to a chicken. Guinea fowl meat is white like chicken but its taste is more reminiscent of pheasant now almost extinct here, without excessive gamey flavour, says Chef Sahay. They are moist and meaty birds and are also substantially leaner than chicken. Chefs naturally seek them out for their marvellous flavour.

Nothing could be simpler than preparing a Guinea fowl: just substitute Guinea fowl for chicken in your favourite recipes. The bird can be roasted and prepared in any way suitable for a young chicken, the most popular being the classic guinea fowl roast.

You may wonder who enjoys this meat in this country. Well, the French and Italian expatriates do, says suppliers, and some discerning Indians too.

Like turkey, the bird is available in most major markets and can be ordered from 5-star delicatessens for around Rs 200 a kilo. Says Puneet Roy, GM of the Oberoi Flight Service OFS, 8216;8216;Guinea Fowl is a seasonal product and that is why it is not available all the year round. We supply it to all the major chain hotels in the country.8217;8217;

Several farms have already begun stocking Guinea Fowl after seeing its surprise appeal and traders like Gayatri Farms have gone in for selective breeding. It sells the meat to hotel chains, flight catering services and restaurants. Frenchman Roger Langbourne, who has his farm on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, is another big breeder and offers the fowl to various hotel chains.

8212;Ruchi Ahuja

DUCK

Chinese chefs in the Capital are amazed at the speed with which their clients can chuck the Tandoori Chicken for a Peking Duck. It was the late Lady Diana8217;s favourite dish 8212; Roast Peking Duck that is duck with orange sauce, but suddenly, there is a duck craze sweeping Indian cities today.

Such is the consumption of ducks in cities, that breeders like Vivek Kushwaha sells 25,000 ducks a year and Roger Langbourne similar numbers can barely supply 10 per cent of the requirement, says Roy of the Oberois.8216;8216; We have to finally import ducks and in the case of Peking Duck, we get it from China itself. We supply it to other hotel chains and to individual clients from our delicatessens,8217;8217; he adds.

While duck is traditionally eaten in Assam, West Bengal, Kashmir and Kerala, Indian duck, like country chicken, is not popular at all. Says Kushwaha, 8216;8216;The Indian duck is smelly and chewy and is also not raised in a hygienic manner. So, we imported the breed from Beijing which reigns today with its original duck taste.8217;8217;

Indigo, which boasts of playing host to former US president Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, now includes duck in its regular menu. Proprietor Rahul Akrekar of Indigo says, 8216;8216;We offer what can be termed loosely as western cuisine. We do offer ducks and were among the first to pick up Peking Ducks from Gayatri Farms.8217;8217;

Chef Alex of the Taj Palace, says: 8216;8216;Duck preparations are becoming popular and apart from the Peking Duck, we also offer duck dishes at our continental restaurants.8217;8217; Ducks are priced between Rs 120-150 per kilogram depending upon the size, tenderness of meat and flavour.

8212;Ruchi Ahuja