Darina Allen: Indian inspired recipes from Kricket
Not sure how many of you know about a restaurant called Kricket in London. It’s now in Soho in central London but I first heard about it in 2015 and happily schlepped all the way to Brixton, where I’d heard about an excellent young chef called Rik Campbell who had opened his first 20 seat restaurant in a shipping container in Pop Brixton – a “village” made of shipping containers overflowing with street food start-up stalls, mini restaurants, chic cafes and independent shops. I loved the food and the super cool vibe.
Will Bowlby, head chef and co-founder, has brought an exciting new vision to the UK’s Indian food scene. He was shortlisted for Young British Foodies “Chef of the Year” category for two years in a row and awarded national chef of the year by the Asian Curry Awards.
As far back as he can remember, Will Bowlby has been passionate about food. From his early memories of his maternal grandmother’s East African inspired curry lunches, his entrepreneurial efforts setting up a one-man catering company whilst at school to joining the team at Rowley Leigh’s flagship restaurant, Le Café Anglais, was it any wonder that at the age of just 24, Will was approached to work for one of the oldest and most respected Indian restaurants in Mumbai, Khyber. For two years Will was exposed to the Indian palate – a many layered and complicated concept influenced by religion, ethnicity and cultural preference – whilst creating authentic dishes with a modern European influence.
After that he embarked on a three month road trip around India tasting street food everywhere he went. I too am a big fan of Indian street food, the variety is mindboggling. Will returned to the UK with lots more exciting ideas and a plan to serve traditional regional recipes with a modern twist, delicious, affordable and contemporary Indian food made with the very best seasonal ingredients.
Following two years in Brixton, Will and Rik moved Kricket to central London, opening Kricket Soho, which was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide and won best newcomer in The Asian Curry Awards. Kricket has quickly attained a cult following and support from diners and chefs alike,
And now Kricket: An Indian inspired cookbook has been published so you and I can try to reproduce many of the exciting dishes we enjoy at the restaurant.
I’ve chosen just a few to tempt you but once you get a taste of Will’s recipes you will just have to have the book, published by Hardie Grant Books.
Kricket Oysters in Coconut Cream with Green Chilli Granita
In Goa, the local oysters were served raw with coconut and green chillies. We do the same in the restaurant, using native British oysters with the addition of sweet little bits of pickled cucumber.
Begin by making the green chilli granita. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the water in a small heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the green chillies and coriander to the cooled seasoned water and place in a blender and blitz to a paste. You should end up with a vibrant green mixture. Place in a plastic freezeproof tub and place in the freezer. After 30 minutes, break up the crystals using a fork to stop it from solidifying. Do this for a few hours until you have the desired granita consistency.
To make the pickles, steep the cucumber in the pickling liquor for 1–2 hours at room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Open the oysters using an oyster knife, ensuring that you loosen the flesh from the shell but retaining all the liquid. To serve, arrange the oysters on a platter and spoon a little coconut cream on top of each oyster, followed by a spoonful of the chilli granita and then a little pickled cucumber. Serve straight away.
Kricket Torched Mackerel with Gooseberry Chutney
This recipe is inspired by the flavours of Bengal, where fish and mustard have been used together for centuries. Here we are using mackerel, which must be super-fresh for this dish to taste its best. I prefer to cook the fish using a blow torch, so that it is remains a little raw in the middle, however a hot grill (broiler) will work just as well. If the fish is fresh, you shouldn’t smell it at all, so take care in choosing wisely.
To make the pickled cucumber, steep the diced cucumber the in the pickling liquor for 1–2 hours, at room temperature, before putting in the fridge.
Prep the mackerel then mix together the oils, mustard, ginger and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Put the fish on a lined baking tray, spread the marinade over the flesh and leave for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4).
Scatter the almonds on a baking tray, sprinkle over the chilli powder, if using, and shake to coat. Roast until browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven, toss with the chaat masala and allow to cool.
Take the tray of marinated mackerel and char the skin with a blow torch. The heat will refract from the tray underneath, allowing the fish to cook from both sides, leaving it slightly pink in the middle. Alternatively, you can use a grill (broiler). Arrange the fish on a plate, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with the gooseberry chutney, almonds and pickled cucumber.
To make the Pickling Liquor: Put all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat and stir occasionally until all the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool before decanting into a sterilised jar. Store in the fridge.
Gooseberry Chutney
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the fennel and onion seeds and the chillies and stir, then add the ground turmeric and cook for a further 30seconds, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. Add the gooseberries, reduce the heat, and cook for 20 minutes until you achieve a jammy consistency.
Season to taste with a little salt and plenty of sugar to balance out the sourness of the gooseberries. Store in sterilised jars and keep in the refrigerator until required. It will last for up to two weeks.
Kricket Wild Garlic Chutney
Every spring my mother gathers huge quantities of wild garlic from the woods around our Sussex home. Kilos of the young leaves are brought to the restaurant and blitzed into oil and frozen, which we have found is the best way to keep wild garlic. It affects neither the colour nor the taste, and from there it can easily be made into a chutney. Towards the middle of the season, the flowers of the plant are perfect for garnishes, with their hot, intense flavour, or they can be left to ferment for use later in the year.
Put the coriander, wild garlic, green chillies, ginger and garlic in a blender, then, with the motor running, gradually pour in the oil until you reach a smooth consistency. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with sugar and salt. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you need to keep it for longer, omit the lemon juice and add just before serving.
Misti Doi with Pomegranate & Mint
This is a very straightforward recipe that originally hails from Calcutta. Be careful to follow the steps correctly and you can’t go wrong. The end result is a creamy, sweet set baked yoghurt with a hint of cardamom.
Preheat the oven to 160C (320F/Gas 3).
Place 4 ramekins (custard cups) in a large roasting pan and fill with hot water to come two-thirds up the outer sides of the ramekins.
Combine the condensed milk, yoghurt and ground cardamom in a bowl and mix well.
Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins and bake in the bain-marie for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak the rose petals in the sugar syrup for a few minutes. Remove and place in a small bowl.
Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and allow to cool before transferring them to a refrigerator to cool completely. Garnish with chopped pistachio, pomegranate seeds, sugared-rose petals and mint.
To make a simple Sugar Syrup: Just put the water in a large heavy-based saucepan with the sugar. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 15 minutes.
Leave to cool, then store in a sterilised glass bottle – a screw-topped wine bottle is excellent. Keep in the refrigerator until required. This syrup lasts for a very long time if stored correctly.
Hot tips
, one of the year’s highlights in east Cork, takes place on Sunday, May 27, at 8pm, in Garryvoe Hotel. Enjoy the best of local singers, songwriters and musicians. All proceeds going to Irish charity Pieta House. Tickets €12, no booking required.
The Sheridans Irish Food Festival began with just a few Irish food producers in 2009 and has grown exponentially, with regional producers, farmers, bakers and more selling their products to visitors from around Ireland. The collection of food is unparalleled, from award-winning cheeses, to local and organic fresh fruits and vegetables, heritage meats/charcuterie, and artisan breads, preserves, wine, beer and more. The atmosphere is relaxed; visitors shop and chat with producers; watch music and demonstrations; family fun and activities for all on May 27, at Sheridans, Virginia Road Station, Pottlereagh, Kells, Co Meath, from 10am-6pm.
Entry €5, children free; see sheridanscheesemongers.com
Congrats to Lidl on their Goodness Gang Garden Project. Any initiative that encourages people to grow some of their own produce is to be applauded. Collect 20 varieties of seed pots and have fun planting and enjoying your very own fresh herbs from your window sill or garden or window sill.
