Back then, when I lived in Surinam, Parimaribo, duck was the regular meat cooked in every local house and it was relished by all. I loved it, specially when It was cooked in an authentic Suriname masala.
Back home in Mumbai, I have eaten only sweet Peking duck wrapped in a pancakes.
This invite by #FBAIUSPoultry @foodbloggerai was a welcome change from eating chicken, pork or mutton. What makes duck unique is that duck meat can be prepared to a medium temperature and the texture of a properly prepared duck breast resembles beef fillet but juicier and more flavorful than chicken or turkey. Its' rendered fat can also be used to season and flavor other dishes.
I entered the top floor of Foodhall at the cooking studio, greeted to the warmth of Saloni, Sam and my dear foodie friends. Was happy to meet Varun Inamdar, the celebrity chef (no introduction required, hello everybody knows him, if you don't, then clearly you are not a foodie). Varun moved around happily greeting everybody individually, clicking selfies with laughter and fun. The vibrant atmosphere had already set in.
There were drinks and snacks to start with. One of the long tables was occupied by chef for pre-preparations of the ingredients that would be used during live cooking demos. In one pot there were thick slices of potatoes boiling in orange juice infused with salt and sugar, in other pot were the asparagus for blanching.
One of reasons, I enjoy these events is that I get to know about new products introduced in Indian markets and recently I have learnt about different products introduced by USA Poultry & egg export council, that have included chicken and chicken products, egg products, turkey products and now USA duck products. I am sincerely grateful to @salonim and @sammalkani for inviting me for such events.
After a brief introduction, all of us walked down, 2 levels down for the unveiling of Duck-I-Licous products that includes ready-to-eat like Roast Half Duck, Duck Leg Confit, some cold cuts and more.
Back up at cooking studio, Varun Inamdar's tips and tricks of treating duck were an eye opener. In his vibrant moods, he showed us the creative way of cooking duck to perfection, pointed out the treatment of fat and rendering the duck meat and how it could be used for flavoring other dishes in frying, sauteing, roasting and baking.
He prepared three dishes using frozen duck packets available at super stores.
I enjoyed the live demos of scorched duck breast
Watch the demo of this recipe @ my u-tube channel at Pushee's Corner
This was followed by Live demo of Roast Duck Burgers.
Watch the recipe @ my u-tube channel Pushee's Corner
Finally the Live demo of Bombay Duck Frankie.
Do watch the recipe @ my u-tube channel (don't forget to subscribe my channel, to boost my ego please)
The excitement was building up, with everybody clicking pictures, some of them (like paparazzi) going live on Insta and facebook. Although we had tasted bits of meat and veggies during the demos, the hunger pangs were mounting. We headed towards the dining room at the basement of foodhall to enjoy the brunch of salad, main course and dessert. Before the event, we had already selected our choice of dishes, and now the wait was done, as we sat along long tables, meeting and greeting till the food made its appearance at our tables.
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon spent with my foodie friends. My sincere thanks to @salonim and @sammalkani for creating this opportunity of learning experience. Also a sincere thanks for a beautiful bag and 2 sharp knives (best gift ever) Loved it.
#FBAIUSPoultry @foodbloggerai @usapeec.in @mapleleafarms @tasteofamerica
