For Gary Mehigan of Australia Masterchef, India is a continent not a country. Ankita J reports
He loves to ride and hits the street with his Royal Enfield whenever he’s in India, testing his skills in the bumper to bumper traffic. Gary Mehigan besides being a passionate rider is a celebrated TV host, an author, celebrity chef and successful restaurateur who co-owns ‘The Boathouse’ in Melbourne.
He crafted an exclusive menu based on Seven Wonders of the World for ‘The CEO Series Indian Edition 2016’ that took place in the capital recently. “Food is an experience. And the theme is all about an inspiration to travel with a little touch of generosity. It’s a journey to an extraordinary meal”, Mehigan said describing the idea behind the theme. The gala dinner was hosted for the top hundred CEOs of the country at the Hyatt Regency’s The Mansion.
The top executives of multinationals were invited to enable social interactions outside of boardrooms. They were treated to a lavish seven course menu ranging from rich soft textured salmon with flavours of ceviche from Peru, butter roasted cauliflower caramelised with spices from India, Brazilian Moqueca crustacean veloute, white chicken cooked in authentic Chinese sauces to Italian Concord ‘Oro’; lemon curd and olive oil semi freddo, slow cooked lamb inspired from Middle East flavours and refreshing compressed watermelon from Jordon.
“I crafted the culinary masterpiece inspired by the Seven Wonders of the World with the careful orchestration of fine, exotic ingredients like fresh daikon, hibiscus jelly, fennel pollen and salted fish roe called bottarga”, said he excitedly about his masterstroke.
The chef who was welcomed at the hotel in pure Indian style with aarti, teeka and garlands said, “It is fascinating when we travel to the diverse regional India where food varies from one place to another. It’s not just about the food, it’s the people, language and moreover the feeling of the city which attracts me the most. For me, India is a continent not a country.” During the shoot of one of his TV series, he travelled to various parts of the country and a list of recipes inspired him. “From the fish fried with curry leaves, coconut, chilies and lime in Chennai to thedal cooked with dried mango powder and ginger-green chili paste in Jodhpur, every recipe had a different flavour. Especially the street food from pani puri to sev puri, I loved everything that had texture, crunchiness and smoothness”, he told us.
“I’m not a chef who experiments much. The other judges of the masterchef and my close buddies, Matt Preston and George Calombaris have those innovative abilities. For me, exploring food matters. Every place I visit, I explore something new.” But for the people who want to try different combinations, he believes shopping differently with a platter of food elements is the best way. Talking further about experimenting, he emphasised on healthy eating, “Though dining is an experience in itself, it shouldn’t be made a daily affair. And the problem with healthy eating is the many conflicting ideas about what is healthy and what is not, what you should eat and shouldn’t. Eating has a process and one should abide by that.” He is a family oriented man who swears by the traditional style, sitting down and eating with the family.
When asked about a recipe he would like to share, Mehigan, a spice lover chuckled, “Sharing is not possible, and one has to buy my book for that. My favourites vary every week. For instance, yesterday the top of my list were lasuni palak, tandoori naan and paneer dumplings.” He signed off advising the youngsters who want to opt cooking as their career to firstly enjoy feeding people and second to focus on entrepreneurship opportunities as food is a specialised business now.