Dev Biswal, the chef-patron of The Ambrette Michelin-listed fine Indian dining venue, has launched his own brand ‘Biswal’s Premier’ marinades.
There are three products in the range, for chicken, lamb and fish.
The marinades, as used in the award-winning restaurant in the Kent coastal resort of Margate, have been introduced as a response to customers asking the secret to The Ambrette’s distinctive style and flavours, so they can try them at home. Formerly known as ‘The Indian Princess’ and rebranded to distance itself from traditional high street curry houses, The Ambrette does not serve curry. Many of the dishes are only lightly spiced to enhance the natural flavours of the food.
Biswal is critical of “the fast-food mentality” of some Indian establishments “stuck in a 1940s time bubble”, who pre cook meat, then fry in a sauce to order, without giving the ingredients time to absorb flavours from the herbs and spices.
“My vision is to bring cultures together by introducing new food habits,” commented Biswal who has an ambition to transform how Britons perceived Indian food, “I believe food like art and music is a major catalyst in improving relationships amongst people across borders.
“Artists and musicians are worshipped as cultural brand ambassadors, whereas chefs are not,” he said.
Marinating fish and meat is a typically eastern concept in home cooking. Conversely, Biswal employs western cooking styles and poaching in some dishes.
Whilst, according to Biswal, lamb should be marinated for at least 4 hours, whereas fish should be marinade for the maximum of an hour. The 250ml jars contain instructions to apply at room temperature and leave to stand in the fridge.
Biswal’s Premier Marinade for Lamb contains a unique blend of mustard oil, ginger, garlic, pickle, salt, garam masala, red chilli, turmeric, fenugreek, pineapple and coriander
The Premier Marinade for Chicken is a blend of fresh coriander, fresh mint, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, mustard oil, green chilli, roasted gram flour, salt, garam masala, turmeric, black salt and soft cheese. It is also ideal for use with left over Christmas turkey.
The Premier Marinade for Fish, which can be used for white varieties or oily species such as mackerel or salmon, is comprised of a secret recipe of mustard oil, turmeric, coriander seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds, carom seeds, fenugreek, lemon juice, salt, sugar, black pepper, asafoetida and curry leaves.
Dev recently returned from a gruelling 21-tour of India to Mumbai, Gujarat and the Mecca of Indian food lovers, Hyderabad where he researched the local food scene ranging from street food to the many fine dining restaurants catering for the burgeoning middles classes and super rich. He also collected ingredients unknown to the UK market such as dried lichens and exotic wild plants.
The marinades were trialled at the recent Broadstairs Food Festival, where Dev gave masterclass cookery demonstrations, and they sold out.
The 250ml jars cost £3.99 and are sufficient for 4 servings and keep for 2-4 weeks once opened. Biswal’s Premier Marinades are available direct from The Ambrette for delivery nationwide plus local farm shops and specialist outlets like Eddie Gilbert’s wet fish shop in Ramsgate.
FACTFILE:
Dev Biswal grew up in Calcutta. He trained at the Dubai Sheraton, before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and Eriki. Biswal is also a director of Quex Park, with responsibility for catering. Quex House in 1800 acres of countryside in Birchington is home to the Powell-Cotton Museum with the Hannah Suite banqueting hall. www.quexpark.co.uk
The Ambrette Restaurant, 44 King Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1QE
E: info@theambrette.co.uk T: 01843 231504 W:
www.theambrette.co.uk
www.biswalfoods.com
(EDITOR: This sounds like real Indian home cooking and will make the ideal addition to your barbecue. And to any meal, in fact. My wife's family originated in India, but in a part of Indian where chillies are almost never used, if at all. The recipes that passed down through her family are based on other herbs and spices with ginger used to add heat, rather than chillies.
When we tried the Biswal range my wife said: "This takes me back. It is as if I am eating a meal prepared by my father, they are that good! This is what most Indian families eat at home. They never eat curries!"
She was also sorry that we live nowhere near Margate, a fact I had to agree with!)
