Gold Coast Classic

It was Jack who turned me onto the shrimp. We were members of the press at the Gold Coast Classic Wednesday night, New York Institute of Technology’s annual food- and wine-themed fundraiser, and he – my friend, fellow writer, and intrepid partner in culinary adventure – had inadvertently sampled the star dish of the evening: sautéed shrimp with curried white bean puree and basil and chili oils.

I was busy gnawing on a fried patty the consistency of cardboard. The mango salsa piled on top of it was very tasty but the base was inedible and unidentifiable. Jack sauntered over with a plate of shrimp and a big grin as he chewed. He pointed at the food with his fork hand and mumbled his affection through full mouth.

“Yeah?” I said skeptically, depositing my own plate on a nearby table.

So far the only sample that had impressed me was a tasty tuna hors d' oeuvre (pictured above) served by reps from Legends, a casual restaurant located way out on Long Island's North Fork in New Suffolk. Bits of raw, nearly translucent ahi tuna served on a thin wonton crisp with a tangle of seaweed salad, a dash of wasabi cream and a crowning cluster of Tobiko caviar. No, Legends wasn’t reinventing the wheel, of course. But the ensemble hit a harmonious chord of deliciousness that was worth going back for seconds.

Encouraged by Jack, I stepped hesitantly into line for the shrimp. Honestly, I always feel a little awkward at food and wine tastings where chefs stand over hotplates and dish out food like lunch ladies in grade school cafeterias. It’s as uncomfortable as it might be to stumble on Leonardo da Vinci drawing caricatures in the street. First, how can they be expected to turn out exceptional food in these circumstances? And, second, chefs are supposed to be aloof, out of sight -- behind closed doors, ordering around the minions, sulking over the state of the asparagus and crafting dishes that stupefy the recipient. There's a preservation of mystique when it's done this way.

But meeting Chef Chai Trivedi was different. No curtain fell. Indeed, I became increasingly more intrigued the more I observed him. He was stuck in a dark corner within the depths of the institute’s de Seversky Center, a fabulous turn-of-the-century mansion built for Alfred du Pont on Long Island’s northwestern shore. Behind Chai a set of wrought iron panels held tiny tea light candles which cast shadows over the table where shrimp sizzled in a saute pan. He was young and his dark arms were covered in intricate tattoos. He worked quickly and quietly as men in suits shuffled up to the table demanding “a few of those shrimps.”

I admit the shrimp I received on a little white plate did not appear extraordinary. Two or three pink crustaceans rested on a thick cantaloupe-colored sauce of curried white bean puree and, on either side, golden pools of basil- and chili-infused oils. There was a mound of mango and pineapple fried rice, too, but it was the shrimp and its accompaniments that whomped my palate.

The shrimp were succulent and perfectly seasoned. I thought it was the curried white bean puree – silky and creamy – that added a kick of spicy heat. But eaten alone it proved to be mild though wonderfully nuanced. That’s when I discovered chili oil was also on the plate, swirling and melding with bright basil oil. They were a brilliant touch.

I had to know about the white bean puree. Chef Chai smiled when I asked and started enumerating ingredients and steps until the recipe became even more complex and mysterious than I had imagined. Who was this guy?

Chai, 34, is the executive chef at Sitar, an Indian restaurant in Huntington, New York, his family owns. He was born in India and grew up in Queens. He is self-taught in the culinary arts and learned most of what he knows from traveling several weeks at a time, several times a year, through southeastern Asia. He jumps on a motorcycle, he said, and eats his way through Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, you name it. Whenever he is blown away by something, he stops and asks the cook – street vendor, housewife, chef alike – to teach him how to make it. Oh yeah, and those tats: drawn on his body by Thai Buddhist monks.

Chai has big plans for all the authentic recipes he has acquired. He and his sister, Payal Sharma, 39, hope to open a modern Asian restaurant on 28th and Madison in Manhattan this September. Prana, which means “breath of life” in Sanskrit, according to Payal, will feature a main dining room with 82 tables, a “floating lounge” on the mezzanine level serving Asian street food (think pork balls, mini samosas, steamed buns, pho) and a satay bar. They will also serve “dessert tapas,” because, I guess, everyone has to serve some kind of tapas these days, regardless of cuisine.

I’m going to keep my eye on Chai. I’ve got a good feeling about him. In the meantime, he’s generously sent me his outstanding shrimp and bean puree recipe to share with all of you. Check it out below.

• PHOTO NOTE: Ordinarily I take all the photos that appear on this website. However, my camera was mistakenly left behind during a bit of car switching prior to Wednesday evening's outing. Many thanks to Bob Giglione for the food photos. The shot of the de Seversky Center is courtesy of NYIT.

Shrimp with Curried White Bean Puree
by Chai Trivedi, executive chef of Sitar, Huntington, New York

PUREE:

• 2 cups canned white navy beans or garbanzos
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp Madras curry powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 5 curry leaves
• juice from 1 lime
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds.
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

SHRIMP:

• 16 (16/20) tiger shrimp, shelled and de-veined
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger

GARNISH: finely chopped cilantro, basil oil, and chili oil

The puree:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Place the beans and tomato puree in a Vita-Prep (or blender). Add the roasted garlic and puree until mixture is fine. Transfer the puree to a sauce pan and place it over medium heat. Bring the puree up to a boil, occasionally stirring and making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

Preheat a saute pan and add the butter. Next, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. At this point quickly add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and curry powder, then transfer the mixture to the saucepan with the puree and stir to combine. Add the salt, cumin powder, paprika and heavy cream and mix. Adjust the seasonings according to taste.

Pass the puree thru a chinoise [a fine-mesh, conical sieve] pushing it with a 2 oz ladle. You want a nice creamy puree.
Finally add the acid (lime juice).

The shrimp:
Marinate the shrimps with yogurt, salt, garam masala, and ginger. Let marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a wok and add 4 shrimps at a time. Add cilantro for garnish. Cook till firm.

Plating:
Using a 2 oz ladle take some puree and put it in the middle of a plate. Spread the puree with the bottom of the ladle into a circle. Arrange the 4 shrimp on top of the puree.

Drizzle chili and basil oil around the puree.

Comments

[Lizzy]

You lucky girl! If I ran the world appetizers would become the new main dish. I love appetizer parties, and I am anxiously awaiting the shrimp recipe =)

[NICOLE COTRONEO]

Talk about timing, Lizzy. I just posted the recipe! And I agree with you about appetizers. Tell me the last wedding you went to where the sit-down meal outshone the cocktail hour?