We caught up with Dev Biswal, head chef and patron at The Ambrette (www.theambrette.co.uk) to talk about the full vegan menu he cooked earlier this year in the restaurant and what he plans to do for the next.
Dev Biswal
How important do you think it is that chefs try out vegan dishes as part of their repertoire?
Every vegan will be familiar with the following dilemma: you arrive at a nice restaurant for a special meal and upon reading the menu you discover that your choices are limited to a vegetable tartlet, a risotto, or perhaps a bean chilli. Your dining partner has the pick of braised, marinated or pan fried dishes, to name but a few. These techniques can be used to prepare fresh, seasonal vegetables too - so why aren't they appearing on menus more often?
Vegan diners deserve better from the people preparing their food. I'm particularly keen to give my diners menus inspired by vegetables, rather than meat, whenever I can. Showing them how local, seasonal fresh produce can be prepared on a day-to-day basis is just as important too.
You served a purely vegan menu earlier this year at The Ambrette, so can you tell us about the dishes you produced for the menu?
Our Vegan and Vegetarian Tasting Menu was a seven-course dining experience designed to introduce people to new flavour combinations and culinary sensations inspired by the cooking of India. It started with lentil and red onion dumplings, followed by okra, served with spinach and beetroot samosas with tomato and garlic chutney. Then there was fresh Jerusalem artichoke chips with a mustard and pickle dip, delicious dosai with gently spiced potatoes, a soup of celeriac, leek and garlic and a mushroom and quinoa biriyani, accompanied by pickled carrots and roasted cauliflower. It finished with a rhubarb and star anise crumble, served with coconut and cardamom ice-cream.
We wanted to demonstrate just how exciting vegan cooking can be. It went down really well with diners, including many 'meat-eaters' who wouldn't have previously chosen vegan dishes. We'll be bringing it back on May 22nd to mark National Vegetarian Week 2016.
Why do you love sharing your vegan cooking expertise with others?
There's so much I enjoy about it, but giving diners the chance to sample high-end cooking techniques, textures and tastes without having to eat meat is the biggest. Sourcing vegetables from the surrounding area to support the local economy is a big passion of mine too; so what's not to love! It's about more than just that though; I believe the restaurant industry has a responsibility to acknowledge the environmental impact of excessive meat consumption and sourcing, and take steps to add variety to their menus to reduce overall global demand.
You learned about vegan cooking during your time training in Mumbai so can you tell us a little bit more about this experience?
Indian cooking worships vegan cooking. Vegan diets are commonplace with meat, eggs and fish left out of many peoples' diets. Vegetables are the focus of the daily meal, providing bulk, texture and taste. My childhood and then later my training in India taught me to bring that passion for vegetables that exists in all Indian cooking techniques into the dishes we now serve up in this country.
What is your favourite vegan dish to cook?
It has to be the dosai, which I prepare in the time-honoured traditions of Indian cuisine. I then give it an exciting, energising twist by serving it up with gently spiced potatoes, homemade mustard and onions, finished off with three chutneys; coconut, green pea and pineapple. I'll be cooking this up for The Ambrette's menu during our vegan and vegetarian taster menu in May.
Why don't we immediately think of fine dining and fusion cuisine when we're thinking of a vegan menu?
For too long, vegetable dishes have often been treated as little more than an afterthought in UK restaurants, and nowhere has that been more evident than in fine dining establishments. Things are changing though, slowly but surely, as more exciting vegetable dishes take centre stage in place of all those old, meat-dominated menus.
Do you find that more and more people are selecting the vegan menu over any other?
The link between vegetables, human health and the protection of the environment has never been more prevalent in the media, with concerns of GM food and toxins within the meat we're consuming regularly appearing in print. Therefore more and more people are choosing to have several meat-free days a week in their home-cooking regimes to promote a healthier lifestyle and easier digestion. This shouldn't have to be compromised when eating out at a restaurant: on the contrary, dining at a high-end restaurant should be an opportunity to gain inspiration and pick up new cooking techniques for next time you're creating a vegetarian masterpiece at home. That's what our diners are asking for so that's what I'm giving them
What is next for you?
Our focus for the rest of the year will be taken up by the resurgence in vegetables' popularity. I predict that there will be some who steal the limelight more than others, like celeriac, which I like to serve with aubergine and okra flavoured with fresh fenugreek leaves and served on a bed of spiced celeriac puree. There's tenderstem broccoli too, which is now more popular than ever. Its attractive colour makes for an interesting addition to all sorts of plates, also lending itself to a number of different cooking techniques.
Tagged in Vegetarian Vegan