Chef’s Special

Executive Chef, Utpal Kumar Mondal with 30 years of experience in the cooking industry started his journey at an early age. He officially began his career with the Taj group of hotels and since then he has been involved with the Lalit group of hotels and many other such renowned cooking industries. He is currently the executive chef of Hotel Radisson, Lazimpat. Originally being a student of science himself, he believes cooking is a mixture of art and science which one needs to master with time and taste. Although being experienced with numerous cuisines, he specializes in Indian and Italian cuisine, both which he is extremely passionate about. His cooking creativity being enhanced by his mother’s assistance, never fails to touch ones soft spot whatever the type of cuisine it may be. Thus his unique touch and his passion for creating new flavors is what gives his dishe a dash of life to it.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Potato Fondant and Vegetable Medley served with Spinach Puree and Lamb Au Jus

Ingredients

• Rack of lamb 250 gm/2 ribs

• Garlic cloves 3 pieces

• Parsley A few sprigs

• Rosemary A few sprigs

• Panko crumbs 150 gm

• Salt & pepper To taste

• Dijon mustard 2 tbsp

• Olive oil 30 ml

• Potato cylinder shape 60 gm

• Butter 40 gm

• Garlic cloves 2 pieces

• Thyme sprigs A few

• Shitake mushroom 15 gm

• Asparagus tips 15 gm

• Carrots 15 gm

• Pearl onion 15 gm

• Cherry tomatoes 2 pieces

• Spinach 60 gm

• Heavy cream 1 tbsp

Procedure

• Marinate the lamb rack with olive oil, crushed garlic and rosemary sprigs.

• Prepare a mixture of panko crumbs, chopped parsley and rosemary. Cover and keep it aside.

• Take the potatoes, peel, wash and cut it into cylinder shapes. Boil the potatoes and remove it once half done.

• Cut the shitake mushrooms into quarters, asparagus in 1” tips, carrots into roundels and pearl onion into half.

• Blanch the asparagus and carrots.

• Wash and trim the spinach leaves, removing the stems. Blanch it, remove and drain off excess water. Put it into a blender machine with some heavy cream, salt and pepper. Make a fine puree.

• Take a pan and heat it. Sear the lamb rack from both sides, cooking 3 minutes on each side. Season it. Remove it, apply Dijon mustard and coat it with panko crumbs from all the sides. Put it on a pan and roast it in a preheated oven at 140 c for 10 minutes. Remove once browned and keep it aside.

• Cook the potatoes in a pan with butter, thyme sprigs and stock browning the ends. Season it.

• Toss the cut vegetables with butter and chopped garlic in a pan. Season it.

• Garnish and serve it hot

Mango Tiramisu

If you're seeking for an authentic Italian dessert with a slight bit of twist to it then look no further than Mango Tiramisu. Being centered around the king of fruits, the mango tiramisu is a special creation of Chef Utpal Kumar Mondal. Unlike the regular ones, the mango indulged tiramisu made sure to send numerous flavours to the tongue, with each spoon being nothing less than delightful. Anyone including myself with a sweet tooth would adore this desert as it is rich with layers of sweetness along with a slight hint of bitterness creating the perfect balance. However, although this dessert may not satisfy everyone's taste pallet, the soft mascarpone creme with the deep flavours of mango and coffee is sure to tingle the majority’s taste buds.

To make Crème Mascarpone

Ingredients

• Mascarpone cheese 45gm

• Yolks 12gm

• Sugar 10gm

• Gelatin 0.5gm

• Kahlua 2gm

• Amaretto 1gm

• Whipped cream 30gm

Whisk yolk and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Mix with mascarpone cheese and whip it to make soft and fluffy. Add kahlua and amaretto. Finally fold with whipped cream.

To make mango compote

Ingredients

• Chopped mango 50gm

• Mango puree 50gm

• Sugar 15gm

• Pectin 1.5gm

Mix all ingredients, and cook until it’s thick. Finally take a glass, dip a finger in the coffee syrup, and spread it on the base. Put the mascarpone crème, and top it with mango puree, and chopped mango. Repeat the process once more. Then for the final touch garnish it with mango and strained coffee powder.

To make coffee syrup

Ingredients

• Hot water 20gm

• Nescafe 1.5gm

• Sugar 9gm

• Rum 5ml

• Boil all together and let it cool