Toasting Roots to Soaring High

Iconic Champagne brand Krug included Indian chef, Prateek Sadhu, as its first ambassador from India, for its Global Single Ingredient Programme this year.

”Werever you go, your food and language is your identity and rightfully defines who you are; it’s so powerful to see how these two things can shape your life’s journey. Well it certainly changed mine.” Rooted in the cultural and gastronomic traditions of his native state of Jammu and Kashmir, to Champagne brand Krug’s first ambassador chef, Prateek Sadhu’s culinary journey bridges local sensibilities and global flavours. It is this undeniable talent in currying favour with indigenous flavours and his efforts in making his restaurant Masque zero-waste that resonated with Krug’s values, shares Krug Cellar Master Julie Cavil. Krug has adopted a unique approach to Champagne creation where each plot is considered, through its wine, to be a single ingredient in Krug Champagne. In a nod to their craftsmanship, each year the brand invites chefs to interpret their own single ingredient in recipes to pair with Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug Rosé. This year it is “the simple onion, an unassuming yet fundamental component in global culinary culture,” that makes the cut says Cavil. So often overlooked because we eat it every day, it is the building block for thousands of dishes. It is the oldest cultivated vegetable in history and has become a staple of all world cuisines, she adds.

Onion is an integral ingredient in Indian cooking so did that make it easier or tougher to create the perfect recipe?

I think using what we so often consider a base or staple ingredient at the forefront of a dish can always be challenging. In many parts of India, including communities in Jammu & Kashmir, people don’t actually use too much onions and garlic in their cooking. That said, it is an ingredient I am familiar with and forms the base of much of our cooking and eating habits, whether in pastes, gravies, pickles or even raw. The

challenge is to take such a staple and create something new, while allowing the onion itself to shine through.

Give us details of the dish that you created and what was the inspiration behind it?

My first ideas for the dish stemmed, as they very often do, from a dish my mother would make using tripe, cooked with chillies and a type of onion called praan. The final dish drew inspiration from this: lamb tripe with braised Madras onions, topped with a red onion oil and katlam, a flaky, Kashmiri bread. Onions are incorporated in various ways throughout the recipe: I’ve used them in the braised sauce, as well as a fermented onion stalk juice. There are also dehydrated onions for the bread.

What was the most exciting part of the Krug X Onion event?

I was especially thrilled to know that the event would be taking place in India, where the nuances of our cuisines, traditions, and cooking methods are often misconstrued—if not overlooked—on a world stage. I think it was a great way to showcase that to this group of extremely talented individuals, and introduce them to the world of Indian cooking and produce, particularly in the stunning state of Rajasthan.

How vital is the use of onion on the Masque menu?

You’ll find it as the base of our stocks, gravies and sauces, pickled or fermented, dehydrated and powdered. Recently, we left it to cook at a low, steady temperature until the sugars caramelised and we were left with a sweet, black liquid. We strained and reduced the onion syrup further, until it tasted almost like a toffee, then we used it to create an onion ice cream. This is often the most exciting part of cooking for me—to experiment with the most unassuming ingredients and explore how those treatments will finally impact flavour.

What is more important to you (as a chef), taste or surprising the diner?

Taste always comes first. I think surprises are important particularly in research and trials, but to me it’s integral that we find a way to ultimately incorporate that with taste when it comes to feeding our guests at Masque.

The Michelin Guide hasn’t come to India yet, but if it did, how important is it for you to win a Michelin star?

The ratings and stars aren’t the end game so much as encouraging achievements along the way, I think— that’s not our day-to-day goal, but of course, if they come our way, I’m not complaining!