| He was named America’s Outstanding Restaurateur and Best Chef in 2006 by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. In fact, Daniel Boulud is a name gourmands are almost reverential about, owning as he does the highly rated Daniel in New York City, which is regarded as one of the best in the world. He also owns DB Bistro Moderne and Café Boulud in New York, Café Boulud in Palm Beach and Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas.
Boulud, a master French chef from Lyons, has just published a cookbook Braise (HarperCollins), written with Melissa Clark, in which he takes a journey through international cuisine and also explores Indian spices and techniques. In this book he did not want to limit himself just to French or European cooking: “I wanted to include influences, ingredients and combinations hreflecting a global perspective” As he points out, he has cooks of every nationality in his restaurants, and one of the traditions he has is to ask the new cook to make something from his home country for the rest of the staff. And so some of the research begins right in the kitchen at Daniel.
“It was through such meals that I realized the French may not always be right about the presentation of green vegetables,” he writes. “The challenge for a French chef is to keep greens as bright hued as possible during cooking. But after sampling an authentic Indian lamb curry made by an Indian cook, I realized that focusing on appearance may not always be best for the flavor of the greens. This lamb dish made with spinach and mustard greens was khaki colored because of the addition of yogurt (the acid in the yogurt browns the greens) and because the dish had been braised for a long time. But the flavor was phenomenally deep and rich.”
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You get the Daniel take on Indian food in the Indian inspired Shrimp with Zucchini, Onions, Coconut and Tamarind. As Boulud points out, “In its natural state tamarind has the kind of tart, complex flavors that balance sweetness in a dish. It gives a dimension similar to what you get from reducing wine.” Besides yogurt and mint, the recipe also uses Indian spices like ajwain, curry leaves and turmeric.
The book also contains recipes for Royal Shoulder of Lamb with Saffron, Raisins and Pistachios, based on Mughal cuisine; Cardamom Spiced Coconut Lamb; and even Lamb Shanks Rogan Josh. There’s also a hrefreshing recipe for Mint and Ajwain Pancakes.
Indians use the ubiquitous eggplant copiously in main dishes but who would have thought you could create a gourmet dessert using this unsexy vegetable? Boulud daringly makes this possible in Sweet Eggplant with Pistachios. He says “The grape and pomegranate juices add fruitiness, while the nuts, toasted brioche, butter and spices enrich the mixture, which you wouldn’t necessarily guess contains eggplant unless you look for it. Your guests certainly won’t have tasted anything like it!” Looks like our homely baigan has become a culinary star!
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Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
Makes 6 servings
12 green cardamom pods
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
10 black peppercorns
10 white peppercorns
3 whole allspice
2 tablespoons Indian paprika or sweet Hungarian paprika (TK sidebar)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves
1 dried bay leaf
6 lamb shanks, 3/4 to 1 pound each, ask the butcher to trim the bone from the back legs
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), stem and seeds removed, chopped
6 garlic cloves
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger (from one 2 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger root)
2 red bell peppers (about 3/4 pound), stem and seeds removed, halved lengthwise then sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium onions (about 3/4 pound), halved lengthwise then sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (see sidebar)
1. Finely grind the cardamom, cinnamon, black and white peppercorns, allspice, paprika, salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cloves, and bay leaf in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Rub the shanks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and then with this spice mixture. Wrap in plastic and let marinate in the hrefrigerator overnight.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, blend 1/3 cup water with the diced red bell pepper, garlic, yogurt, and ginger until smooth. Set aside.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and keep at a slow steady simmer.
4. Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a 7-quart cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Add the shanks to the pot and sear, (moderate the heat and turn the meat so that the spices do not burn) until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a plate. Add the sliced red bell peppers and onions to the pan and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften but do not brown, 5 minutes. Return the browned lamb to the pot, stir in half of the red bell pepper-yogurt mixture and sprinkle the garam masala over all. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover and bake for 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Stir in the remaining sauce and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes.
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SWEET EGGPLANT
Makes 4 to 6 servings
 2 pounds Japanese or regular eggplant, trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 cups grape juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced, crustless brioche
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1/3 cup chopped, peeled hazelnuts
1/3 cup diced ginger confit
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1. Put the eggplants into a large mixing bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring the grape juice, pomegranate juice, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod to the boil. Pour the hot syrup over the eggplant, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 275°F.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the brioche, 4 tablespoons melted butter, pomegranate molasses, hazelnuts, ginger confit, pistachios, honey, cinnamon, and cloves.
4. Drain the eggplants, reserving the marinade. In a 3-quart cast-iron pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the drained eggplant and saute until caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over the reserved marinade. Sprinkle the brioche crust over the eggplant, cover with a buttered parchment round and bake for 1 hour. Remove the parchment paper and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is light golden brown.
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