When you can turn your eye from the natural beauty of the Lake Pichola or from the intricate lines of friezes, miniature paintings and incredible frescoes on the premises of The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, Rajasthan, it is time to treat your taste buds to some continental fare at the property’s fine dining eatery, Suryamahal. With its sweeping view of landscaped gardens, it provides a scenic background that is enhanced by the sunlight that streams in from the hand painted dome. As organically grown salad leaves promise to burst with flavour and the pickled green papaya adds its own pungent flavour to the table, the chef tries to pamper every palate with a variety of cuisine that encompasses different deliciously cooked seafood and meats for those inclined to non vegetarian fare. And what better way to end the meal than with a soft centred chocolate pudding or a tantalising tiramisu!

PINK NORWEGIAN SALMON
(WITH OLIVE COUS COUS & TOMATO PINE NUT SALSA)
For one portion:
Ingredients: Salmon pink without skin, 170 gms; Sea salt, 5 gms; Pepper corn, 5 gms; Tiger prawn; 1 no.
For olive cous cous:
Cous cous, 30 gms; Water, 80 ml; Olives black and green, 20 gms;
Extra virgin olive oil, 30 ml; Chopped onion, 8 gms; Chopped parsley, 5 gms; Chopped tomatoes, 10 gms.
For the tomato pine nut salsa:
Pine nuts, 10 gms; Cherry tomatoes, 4 nos; Extra virgin olive oil, 30 ml; Lemon juice, 10 ml; Basil chopped, 5 gms; Capers, 5 gms;
For the garnish: Dill sprig, 1 no; Crispy salmon sprig, 1 no.
Method: Season the salmon and tiger prawn with salt pepper and sear on both sides on a hot pan. Cook in oven. Put the cous cous in boiled plain water, cover with cling wrap and leave for 10 minutes.

OLIVES
Ingredient of the month
When life hands you lemons, you really should trade them in for olives instead. Let’s face it, this fruit isn’t just propagated by chefs and bartenders world over but by poets of ancient Greece and the Bible itself. Known for its cooking oil, medicinal properties, as a cosmetic and the perfect way to round off your martini, this ingredient is most commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine and also some indigenous recipes of Western China.
Fresh from his kitchen at The Oberoi in South Mumbai, executive chef Matthew Cropp delights in experimenting with these diminutive yet versatile jewels. Giant green ‘Queen’s Olives’ can be relished when stuffed with creamed feta cheese or Chevre (goat) cheese and marinated in extra virgin olive oil and herbs. Whether used in vegetarian dishes or meat preparations like lamb, it is important that the flavours complement each other. Most dynamic of these olives he quips, are the soft, piquant black, Greek Kalamatta ones. They can also be savoured with a crisp Chardonnay.

Chef’s recommendation: For an exotic blend, serve a pan-fried fillet of Spotted Garoupa (fish) with a light wine sauce prepared from Black Kalamatta olive seeds.