Secrets from a masterclass hosted by Masterchef Australia Chef Gary Mehigan in Mumbai

You always get a feeling of being let in on a trade secret of getting a sneak through the proverbial back door when you watch Chef Gary Mehigan hosting his popular masterclass on television Even when yoursquore well aware that a million others are watching the very same class privy to the same tips yoursquove just manically jotted down giggling at the same witticism Mehigan has passed selfdeprecatingly So imagine our delight at being offered precious words of advice facetoface the jocular chef standing behind the kitchen counter a mere two feet away Gary Mehigan plates up Salmon Rilettes with Little Toasts during the Tourism Victoria event u00a0at Grand Hyatt The Melbournebased chef jetlagged from his flight exhausted from a demanding trip to South Africa is all set to get down to business Which as we soon realise involves a lot of bellyrubbing and fingerlicking ldquoAlways taste your food Donrsquot worry about using your fingers If yoursquove already dunked one in use another Remember you have five of themrdquo he says in all seriousness all part of the charm Gary Mehigan who loves cooking with fresh produce shows off Asparagus with Goatrsquos Curd and Green Olive Tapenade PicsShadab Khan Even while he offers his recipes all inspired by European cooking Mehigan is quick to suggest that alterations are always welcome quotThink of recipes as roadmaps If you donrsquot have an ingredient donrsquot fret Try and replace it with something elserdquo he continues as he gives a toss to the smoked salmon dill cregraveme fraicircche and shallots hersquos using to prepare a canapeacute ldquoI love using fresh produce But when it comes to veggies like broadbeans and peas Irsquod just as willingly use frozen stuff With peas for instance when you buy them fresh theyrsquore sweet and lovely But keep them for a while and they dry up When fresh peas are processed and frozen theyrsquore able to retain their flavourrdquo he adds while he purees broadbeans and peas for a second canape Sharing recipes claims Mehigan is one of the greatest things about being a chef ldquoTherersquos not a single recipe I wouldnrsquot share with the world theyrsquore all meant to be shared Itrsquos amazing when you can walk into a restaurant enjoy the food and get the recipe from the chef You can always play around with the recipe make it your own and thatrsquos not plagiarisingrdquo he adds Roast chicken which the chef claims as one of his alltime favourites is on the menu too ldquoThe chicken which Irsquove stuffed with thyme garlic and lemon must be roasted on the crown for the perfect resultrdquo he says pointing to the stillattached chicken breasts ldquoTo plate up Irsquom going to slice the filleted chicken breast which is the tenderest part of the chicken I think thatrsquos my most tender part toordquo he says giving his ribs a poke ldquoI just love using the rotisserie therersquos something cavemanlike about the technique isnrsquot there And I think thatrsquos something Indians love too the tandoorrdquo he says But his concept of Indian food is limited to the nutheavy North Indian food he admits ldquoIn Melbourne we are still missing a truly good South Indian restaurant Know any good Indian chefsrdquo he concludes with a questionu00a0 Ingredients gtgt One sourdough baguette thickly sliced gtgtu00a080g unsalted butter melted gtgtu00a0One 200 g salmon fillet skin removed and pinboned then cut into fivemm dice gtgtu00a0frac12 shallot finely diced gtgtu00a0Finely grated zest and juice of frac12 lemon gtgtu00a0100g smoked salmon cut into fivemm dice gtgtu00a080g cregraveme fraiche or sour cream gtgtu00a02 tbsps finely chopped chives Method gtgtu00a0Preheat a fanforced oven to 180degC gtgtu00a0Brush the bread lightly with melted butter then bake on a baking tray for eight minutes or until golden brown and crisp Set aside gtgtu00a0Mix the salmon shallot lemon zest juice and a pinch of pepper Leave to stand for five minutes gtgtu00a0Mix in the smoked salmon cregraveme fraiche and chives gtgtu00a0Place a tablespoonful of the salmon mixture onto each of the little toasts and serve with glasses of champagne Tip You can make a great salmon mousse by blending smokedsalmon cregraveme fraiche and a good squeeze of lemon juice in a food processor until smooth then chill the mixture in the fridge Asparagus with goatrsquos curd and green olive tapenade Serves 2 as a starter Ingredients gtgtu00a0Table salt gtgtu00a01 bunch green asparagus gtgtu00a01 bunch white asparagus gtgtu00a0Ice cubes gtgtu00a01 tsp honey gtgtu00a01 tsp Dijon mustard Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon gtgtu00a060 ml extra virgin olive oil gtgtu00a0Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper gtgtu00a01 small clove garlic peeled halved gtgtu00a01 small ficelle baguette or 2 dinner rolls sliced into 2 mmthick ovals gtgtu00a050g castor sugar plus extra for sprinkling gtgtu00a025 ml hot water gtgtu00a050g walnuts gtgtu00a013 cup soft fresh goatrsquos curd gtgtu00a0frac12 baby basil sprigs nasturtium leaves optional to serve For Green Olive Tapenade gtgtu00a0140g pitted green olives gtgtu00a0u00a02 tsps salted capers rinsed gtgtu00a0u00a02 white anchovy fillets these are anchovy fillets that have been marinated in vinegar gtgtu00a0u00a02 tbsps extra virgin olive oil Method gtgtu00a0For the green olive tapenade place the olives capers anchovies and olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth Makes 125 ml Leftover tapenade can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days gtgtu00a0Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with a good pinch of salt gtgtu00a0Preheat a fanforced oven to 180deg C gtgtu00a0Trim the asparagus by removing the woody ends approx 2 cm Use the tip of a small knife to remove the little spurs up towards the head of the asparagus Place a handful of ice in a bowl and cover with 250ml water to refresh the asparagus then set aside timesCarefully remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the iced water Leave to cool thoroughly then remove from the ice water drain and set aside on paper towel gtgtu00a0Mix the honey and mustard in a small bowl then add the lemon zest and juice Mix well and slowly whisk in 40 ml of extra virgin olive oil adding it one drop at a time Add a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper and set aside gtgtu00a0Rub the garlic clove onto the slice of bread and place on a baking tray then drizzle or brush with the remaining olive oil Bake for four to five minutes or until lightgolden brown Remove from the oven and set aside gtgtu00a0Mix the sugar and hot water in a bowl to form a thick paste slurry Place the walnuts in the sugar mixture and stir to coat evenly then drain Place the drained walnuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper then sprinkle with extra sugar Bake for 10 minutes stirring or moving around once or twice they should become shiny and sugary Remove from the oven and leave to cool gtgtu00a0Cut the asparagus into four cm lengths reserving the tips then toss with a little of the honey mustard vinaigrette gtgtu00a0To serve spread the tapenade liberally onto a serving plate or dish and top with the asparagus Spread the goat39s curd on the toasted bread and arrange around the asparagus Sprinkle with the candied walnuts and drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette Toss the baby basil with a little vinaigrette and scatter carefully on top of the asparagus salad then add nasturtium leaves if using Serve immediately