A VERITABLE VEGAN FEAST
Plant-based meals are all the rage but as Don Mendoza discovers, some of the best examples of meat- and dairy-free dishes have even the biggest carnivores craving the occasional salad
It would be ironic to think that the success of a vegan dish is measured by how well it goes down with a non-vegetarian, but I find it equally odd that none of my favourite plant powered gastro-indulgences were had at a meat-free establishment. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my vegetables, possibly as much as my animal proteins. Short of waxing lyrical about the existential pleasures of deftly roasted Hokkaido pumpkin, or for that matter, my aunt’s amazing brinjal curry, I like to think that we often forget how much our favourite dishes—vegan or otherwise—depend on the inspiringly wide range of herbs, spices and legumes for flavour and flavour enhancements. When was the last time you wondered about the variety of soya sauce or vinegar used in a dish you liked? Or, perhaps, pondered the brilliance of lightly pickling farmed tomatoes in a simple mixture of sugar, elderflower vinegar and vanilla (pods) with a little water? The latter helped turn what would be simple vine tomatoes into umami bombs, each boasting an elevated showcase of the fruit’s natural balance of the sweet and sour, fruity and earthy. These, as it turns out, are
also a key ingredient in Julien Royer’s latest addition to Odette’s menu. Aptly dubbed Promenade a Singapour, which translates to describe a tour of Singapore, though more precisely, its myriad local farms. The inspiration for the deeply savoury dressing is immediately obvious, which leaves one to wonder how the team had managed to pull off what tasted like a lighter, brighter rendition of rojak sauce without the use of the quintessential shrimp paste. The trick: the addition of shio kombu—boiled in soya sauce and mirin then dried and cut into pieces before it’s blended and added to the dressing. Even more amazing is the dish’s ability to exalt what is essentially an assembly of grilled lady’s finger, pickled ginger flower and a lush garden of sweet turnip, wing beans, Nashi pear and cucumber, mixed in with urban farmed leaves and flowers, such as cucumber flower, red amaranth, red hibiscus leaf, pea shoots, shisho cress, marigold and garlic flowers, rainbow pansy, baby frizzy mustard, kale and red beets. The colourful dish, Royer explains, celebrates a sense of place and his love for freshly farmed herbs and vegetables, affirming how “it doesn’t get any fresher”.
COMMITTED TO TASTE
Like Royer, Maggie Joan’s head toque, Scottish group executive chef Seumas Smith, is not a vegan. But he appreciates why there is a growing trend of diners craving more meatfree dishes. “People are now more concerned about their health, and are increasingly aware of what they are eating, and how meat and animal products affect them,” he shares, before adding how consumers are also more conscious of the danger of commercial animal agriculture to the environment. “From a chef ’s perspective, vegan dishes are attractive because you will have to be a little more creative in making them look and taste good,” he adds. “We try to use products such as almond milk (which is also soy-free, so it’s great for those who are gluten intolerant as well), herbs, grains, and vegetables, and cooking them in different ways to get the most out of them.”
Even more amazing is the dish’s ability to exalt what is essentially an assembly of grilled lady’s finger, pickled ginger flower and a lush garden of urban farmed leaves and flowers
This is a spin on crudites where the ingredients are presented a little more artfully. They are easy to eat and are an elegant complement to the Nick & Nora stemware in your other hand
Chef Shannon Binnie of The Botanic is, however, a practising vegan and is familiar with the flavours and techniques that go into making a good vegan dish. “Besides the obvious eco-conscious aspects of having a vegan diet, my approach to vegan cooking is focused on creating tasty and nutritious meals without compromising on flavours,” explains Binnie. This, he adds, starts with the ingredients he chooses to use, which generally include nutrient dense superfoods, whole grains, punchy sauces and herb oils that pack intense flavours. It’s not too different from how a top chef would approach creating a balanced yet flavourful meat or fish dish, but while I am not making a case for going vegan, I do want to stress the importance of knowing why we eat what we eat. And why it should be both our duty and pleasure to eat well. In fact, the latter, I’ve gathered, is not about having plenty but about celebrating the fact that we have enough.