CHENNAI: The festive season is here. For once, it is time to let off your diet chart and switch on the ‘binge-mode’ where all it matters is
good food and fine wine to wash it down. But, the Avian Flu has come as a dampener for Christmas revelries, pushing Christmas delicacies like duck roast and chicken fares off the tables.
Worry not, the feast can still be rich, say cooking enthusiasts. Many mouth-watering fish, mutton and pork dishes can make Christmas lunch tastier.
Says Roopa George, a passionate cook and author of ‘Kitchen Tips’: “Though Christmas is usually about chicken and duck, delicacies with sea food and lamb can leave you asking for more. With ducks and chicken unsafe, I think the time is best to try out some fish and lamb varieties. Fish is rich in proteins and are good for health. So, why not make Christmas more healthier.”
Roopa George suggests opting for prawns and lamb to make Christmas feast yummier.
Meanwhile, the restaurants in the city too have braced up to welcome Christmas with a redesigned menu. In most eateries, beef and mutton have replaced chicken delicacies, which ones were the most sought-after fares. The change is evident in their Christmas menu’s too.
“We have changed the buffet menu entirely. People are even saying no to fried eggs and bulls-eye for breakfast. There is no chicken in the menu, but a lot of beef, mutton and fish dishes. We have redesigned our menu accordingly,” says Honey Joseph, executive chef, The Dunes Hotel. Rajeev Menon of Crowne Plaza, shares the same. “We still serve chicken in our menu but for private functions, guests have started saying no to chicken dishes. For them, we offer various Indian and continental beef and lamb delicacies like slow roasted beef with peppercone sauce, mutton rogan josh and the like,” says chef Rajeev.
So, this Christmas please your palettes with a few simple and easy to cook Christmas delicacies. City Express lists a few recipes by Roopa George, Honey Joseph and Rajeev Menon.