When the PM announced the first lockdown, a crippling sense of anxiety gripped the whole nation. The F&B industry was among the worst to be affected, and the only way to be in the running was to reinvent. Several luxury fine-dine properties started home delivery, which was unheard of. Even the Taj group, launched the QMIN, an app from where you could get the food from Taj delivered to your doorstep. It has been a year to the launch of QMIN, the app, and now, at The Connaught, New Delhi - IHCL SeleQtions, you can also find the QMIN shop, a gourmet store where you can shop, dine and catch up with friends.
The menu is not vast, but it is ideal for people who just want to catch up for a coffee and some refreshments. I was told the menu also keeps changing from time to time. The seating area alongside the shop has just the right pop of colours to bring such a cozy place alive. Coming to the food, if you fancy bread like focaccia and sourdough you are in for a treat, the variety here is really impressive. We ordered a fresh Focaccia, that we paired with delicious sour cream and hummus that was finished off with lemon zest. Both deftly done. Then we tried the Chicken Kathi roll, generously loaded and not very spicy. Chunks of chicken and peppers are tossed with sauce before they are wrapped inside a thin Rumali roti. The highlights would have to be the chicken quiche and the chocolate macaroons. While the former strikes the right balance of texture and flavour with all the chicken, cheese and flaky layers, the macaroons are so delicate they tend to melt-in-mouth.
We also got their recipes by Aman Khanna, Culinary Experiences Manager, The Connaught, New Delhi - IHCL SeleQtions.. See if you can try making them at home.
Macaroons
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- 100 g egg whites room temperature
- 140 g almond flour
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 130 g powdered
- 5 ml vanilla
For the Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened 226g
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp water 30mL
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
For the Macarons:
1. Take a big mixing bowl and sift confectioners' sugar and almond flour.
2. Now in a very clean bowl add room temperature egg whites
3. With an electric mixer, whisk egg whites. Once you see the foam, then slowly add the granulated sugar, mix in vanilla.
4. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Now carefully begin folding in one-third of the dry ingredients.
6. Very carefully add the remaining dry ingredients and fold gently.
7. The final mixture should resemble a flowing lava, and also ensure that it falls into a figure of eight without breaking. Now, gently pour this in a piping bag, it should have a medium round piping tip
8. Take a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add dabs of butter on the parchment paper then place it on the baking sheet. Pipe one-inch dollops onto the parchment paper. Make sure there are no air bubbles you can tap the counter to release if any. Allow it to sit for 40 minutes before you put the baking sheet in the oven.
9. Bake at 300F for 12-15 minutes, it is also essential you rotate the tray after 7 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before removing the macaroon from the baking sheet.
For the French Buttercream Filling:
1. Mix sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat over low heat while stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Now, place egg yolks in a stand mixer and beat until thick and foamy.
3. Take the sugar and water syrup and cook until it reaches 240 degrees F. Immediately remove from heat. With mixer running, drizzle hot syrup into bowl with yolks, make sure you do this very slowly.
4. Continue mixing until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and the yolk mixture has cooled to room temperature.
5. Add one cube of butter at a time allowing each piece to blend well before adding the next. Add vanilla and salt. Continue mixing until buttercream is smooth and creamy. (About 5-6 minutes.)
For Assembly
Pipe your filling onto the back of half the shells. Form a sandwich and repeat. Macarons should be placed in the fridge for 1-3 days for best results.
Smoked Chicken Quiche
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 300ml all-purpose flour
- 2ml salt
- 2ml sugar · 120ml salted butter · 45mL milk
Quiche
- 5ml salted butter
- 40g scallion onion
- 125g Parmesan cheese
- 150g smoked chicken
- 4 eggs, large · 250ml milk · 125ml whipping cream
- 2g salt
- 1g pepper
Instructions
Pie Crust
1. Combine flour, salt and sugar and mix.
2. Add butter and mix, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea-sized pieces of dough. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready; if not, add a little more milk and pulse again.
3. Remove dough from processor and place on a clean surface.
4. Carefully shape into a disc. Do not over-knead. You should still be able to see little streaks of butter, which makes the baked crust flaky. Sprinkle dough with a little flour on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on top. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 12” circle, about 1/8” thick. Add a few sprinkles of flour, if necessary, to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place into 9” pie plate or quiche dish; gently press down to line pie dish.
Quiche
1. Preheat oven to 190ºC.
2. Place butter in a skillet and gently sauté onion until translucent and add smoked chicken and cook. Add to the pie crust
3. Beat eggs with milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over smoked chicken mixture. Distribute parmesan cheese evenly on the top.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until no traces of raw egg appear when the centre is pierced with a knife.
5. Remove from oven; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to set, cut and serve.