CHENNAI: Author, television presenter, founder of The Curry Club – Patrick Lawrence Chapman (popular as Pat) dons many hats. Fascinated by his grandmother’s Indian cooking, Chapman, who joined the Royal Air Force after school, started a club (The Curry Club in 1982) for the benefit of the many fans of his curries, most of whom knew barely anything about what went into one. Now titled UK’s Curry King, Chapman is on his 44th trip to India, to partner with Barbeque Nation and give us a taste of 14 new marinades, that he says, have been created with the Indian palate in mind.
“We have marinades from different parts of the world — Chinese Sichuan to Lebanon-Arabian to Jamaican Jerk, we have it all,” says the chef, who has authored 36 books and will be doing special cook outs during the festival. “I will take you through the making of two or three marinades. You will love the simplicity with which they are done,” he promises, explaining that his marinades work with most meats. Some of his other creations that we’ll get to taste during the festival are the Spanish Valencia, the Aztec-Mole Poblano, the Albuquerque Atomic and the Mighty Hot Mai Thai. “What you will witness during the festival are the best combinations. I am sure in times to come you will get to eat different meats with the same marinades also,” he says, adding, “chicken is more or less common with all the marinades.”
Chapman, who is in talks with international channels for a TV show, says that the best way to grill any meat “is to cook it over a moderate charcoal fire, turning it around and basting with oil occasionally.” And whatever the marinade, “a mayo or a yoghurt-based minted dip” works best, says the fan of chicken tikka butter masala. Also, Chapman swears by grinding spices fresh, just before adding to a curry. But will we get to taste any of his curries or his signature stuffed tandoori quail, perhaps? “The idea is to make grill dishes out of the marinades. Curries will be touched upon later,” he signs off with a smile.
‘Pat Chapman Grills The World’ will take place at Barbeque Nation from October 3 to 31, for lunch and dinner. A meal for two is priced at approximately Rs 1,600. Catch the chef at the Vadapalani outlet on October 17, and at the T Nagar outlet on October 19, at dinner time. Call 60600000.