But before you pass the escargots, peruse the fine print with care. Lart Culinaire Francais will be open to a maximum of 12 students per batch from next week, between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm every day from Monday to Friday. Each day, Neat will demonstrate three dishes in a category, covering meats & sauces, salads and cold starters, fish, soups and vegetarian dishes, and finishing off, naturally, with desserts. The expertise of the man with two Michelin stars doesnt come cheap: the course costs a gulp-inducing Rs 5,000 for five days.
What does a thousand bucks a day get you? A close-up look at the many skills of Richard Neat, for one. This master chef, who looks a bit like Gerard Depardieu, turned a small restaurant called Pied-a-Terre in London into a success at a time when the Conran Chain was just a gleam in Sir Terences eye.
Neat explains that though the dishes seem exotic, he has checked that the ingredients and equipment used were all available in Delhi. Like most great chefs, Neat is an incredible shopper. So he produced leeks, fresh oysters and asparagus (INA market), a highly efficient vegetable slicer, julienner, peeler and grater in one (Khan Market), fresh apples (any good local market) and quails (on order at INA, or specialty farms in Gurgaon). The one item that was imported salted cod from France can be substituted, he says, with any firm white fish. Just steep for 48 hours in salted water, and be careful to wash it thoroughly before using.
In a rehearsal for the main event, Neat kicked off with a bouillon of asparagus. This was followed by a sole with deep fried oysters and brandade sauce. Tarte Tatin, a dessert I fell in love with instantly because of the name, made up the final act.
Neat cooks vegetables as little as possible. The asparagus stems were rapidly boiled just to the point of tenderness; the sole was flash fried in a smallish quantity of oil and butter. The richness of the brandade sauce a concoction of leeks, onions, and salted fish with cream was balanced with a simple sauce made of reduced red wine.
Aside from dishes that include such exotica as guinea fowl with sweetcorn puree and tartare of red mullet with roasted tomato and squid, perhaps the best part of attending this course is the opportunity to see a master chef at work. Neat fillets fish the way Charlie Bird Parker played a riff and works with such precision that you suspect he could do his job blindfold.
But this is not a course for vegetarians. The salade of duck, chicken jus and similar delicacies outweigh cannelloni of white beans two to one.
Heres Neats recipe for Bouillon Asparagus chalk up any errors to my account!
1 large bunch asparagus; 1 packet fresh oyster mushrooms; tiger prawns; cream and butter; salt and pepper
Keep the tips aside to be blanched and used as a garnish. Take some asparagus spears and chop into fine, long strips. Dice the rest of the asparagus, put in enough water to cover the vegetables and boil till just tender. Puree in a blender and strain twice. Season to taste.
Cut the oyster mushrooms into thin strips and shell the prawns. Saut
