Asha’s head chef Ashwani Rangta will be serving up seasonal game flavours with an Indian twist later this month as part of an ongoing series of paired dining events.
Growing up in the mountains of northern India, chef Ashwani often hunted game during the winter months as heavy snow would cut off supply routes to his village of Himachal, Pradesh.
In a nod to his youth, the chef’s menu for Asha’s November dining event is designed to embrace the British game season.
He has put together four carefully curated courses – available for one night only with a complementary wine pairing from Liberty – that will celebrate British game season, albeit with his signature Indian fine-dining twist.
Wild, natural and free-range, game meat has a distinctive flavour and is currently in peak season here in the UK.
The evening will begin with a pre-dinner tipple of Sussex-produced Hiver Beers’ Honey Ale, an all natural, all-British speciality beer brewed with a mixture of raw honeys taken from both urban and rural settings. The hops are toned down and an organic speciality malt is used to support the natural flavours of the honey.
The first course is a miniature pheasant samosa served with tamarind chutney, sweet yoghurt and lindi pepper masala accompanied by a bright and elegant, long-lasting 2017 French Reisling Réserve with strong citrus aromas.
Next up is a richly flavoured bird with tender flesh – chargrilled partridge dressed in pistachio, Malwani garam masala, mint and yoghurt.
This will be followed by a venison khasgi salan curry paired with charmagaz, winter squash and a freshly-made garlic naan bread. The wine pairing is an Australian 2017 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, a match made in heaven for the strong and earthy flavours of the rich game meat.
Your evening will end with a homemade chocolate tart served with an almond crumb, winterberry coulee and chilli ripple ice cream paired with a sweet 2018 Moscato from the same Australian vineyard – a dark and sweet finish to the evening.
Asha’s Peter Streer on Thursday, November 15th from 7 pm. Tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.