A daring dinner party

You don't need to travel far and wide to bring a taste of the exotic to your dinner table, and summer is the perfect season to branch out from your usual standby recipes. Next time you're hosting a dinner party, why not go all out with a theme - such as Mediterranean or Indian - that complements the weather and everyone's vacation mood? The Prague Post spoke with two local renowned restaurants, The Pind and Vino di Vino, to get their tips on preparing the best meal that is bound to impress your guests. Be it a fresh seafood pasta cooked perfectly al dente or a simmering, spicy curry that'll have everyone's mouths watering, these recipes will ensure your dinner party will be an affair to remember.

The Pind

U vodárny 2, Prague 2-Vinohrady

Tel. 222 516 085

Thepind.cz

Although it may seem counterintuitive to some, eating spicy foods is actually a way to cool down your body temperature in the heat of summer. Take a look at the climates of countries where cuisines rich in spices and herbs prevail - like India. Jayant Sarkar, the owner of the much-acclaimed Indian restaurant The Pind in Vinohrady, suggests taking your guests for a walk on the exotic side at your next dinner, and recommends the lamb chettinad recipe, one he calls "common and yet uncommon." It features curry leaves, a unique ingredient that can be found at the Shalamar specialty shop in Žižkov. The Pind has seen an exceptional response from diners since its opening last year, and with these recipes, offered by Sarkar, you too can get a standing ovation from this colorful spread of Indian delights.  

Bangain Bharta

Serves four

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized eggplant (approx. 500 g)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic paste or finely chopped garlic

1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated

1 tsp turmeric

2 green chilies

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

Preparation:

Grill the eggplant, halved, over a barbecue, or roast in an oven. Turn periodically until all the skin is charred and the flesh turns very soft.

Allow eggplant to cool. Peel off and discard charred skin. Coarsely mash flesh and set aside.

Over medium heat, add cooking oil to a saucepan. When hot, add cumin seeds and cook till spluttering stops.

Add the onions and fry till soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and ginger, and fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomato and all the powdered spices, including the garam masala. Stir well and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent spice mix from sticking to pan. Sprinkle a bit of water if needed.

Add eggplant and mix well. Add fresh coriander and stir. Cook another minute before turning off heat.

Serve with naan bread or rice.

Chicken finger pakora

Serves six

Ingredients:

500 g boneless chicken breast, cubed

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp salt

1-2 chopped green chilies

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic-ginger paste

2 tsp vinegar

1 cup curds

1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Put all ingredients except for the chicken and batter into a blender and mix till fine.

Marinate the chicken pieces with the resulting mixture; refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Roll chicken in the batter.

Deep-fry until the color changes to golden brown.

Serve with coriander or mint chutney or ketchup.

Lamb Chettinad

Serves two

Ingredients:

500 g lamb, cut into cubes

250 ml coconut milk

1/2-1 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp ground turmeric

8 green cardamom

4 red chilis, finely chopped

3 bay leaves

5 g cinnamon

Water

5 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 medium onions, sliced

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

Salt, to taste

A few curry leaves

60 g sliced or shredded coconut, fried in vegetable oil

2 tsp cracked black peppercorns

Preparation:

In a spice grinder, blend the mustard seeds to form a fine powder.

Tip into a bowl, and combine with chili powder, paprika and turmeric.

In a food processor, blend the garlic, ginger and coconut milk. Mix well into the spice powder and set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan over moderate/high heat. When hot, drop in the cinnamon, bay leaves, leftover fennel seeds and cardamom; stir briefly and then add curry leaves.

Stir once, then tip in onions. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes until onion begins to brown.

Add tomato and salt, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until mushy.

Add the lamb, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the pan is nice and hot. Spoon in the spice mix and stir until bubbling.

Pour in 3 cups water and stir until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat and leave to simmer, uncovered, for 70 minutes, or until lamb is tender. If it reduces too much, add a little water.

Serve with naan or rice.

Hara Bhara Kebab

Ingredients:

100 g spinach, blanched and chopped

3/4 cup green peas, shelled, boiled and mashed

3-4 medium potatoes, boiled and grated

2 1/2 green chillis, chopped

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Ginger, 5 mm piece

1 tsp chaat masala

2 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Preparation:

Mix spinach, peas and potatoes. Add chillies, coriander, ginger, chaat masala and salt. Add cornflour for binding.

Divide mixture into 24 portions. Shape each portion into a ball, and then press it between your palms to flatten slightly.

Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Deep-fry the patties in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain and place on absorbent paper and serve while hot.

Vino di Vino

Štupartská 18, Prague 1-Old Town

Tel. 222 311 791

Vinodivinopraha.cz

Throw wide open the windows, pop open a bottle of Prosecco, and prepare to whisk your friends away to a virtual Italian seaside trattoria, with a menu that takes the simplest ingredients at their freshest - herbs, fish, pasta, tomatoes - and throws them together for a quick yet expert, memorable meal. Chef Mario D'Innocenzo of Old Town's Vino di Vino restaurant chose these dishes to recommend because it's summer, and "people want light and fresh food to eat outside or on a terrace." And the key? To "keep everything going with some good, fizzy white wine." All the basics can be found at most local supermarkets, and D'Innocenzo highly recommends the seafood wholesaler Cipa in Smíchov, which he says has the best fresh and flash-frozen fish. Buon appetito!

Three-course menu

Serves six

Appetizer: Gratinated langoustines

1 kg langoustines, fresh or frozen

200 g breadcrumbs

50 g fresh parsley, chopped

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

50 g Parmesan, grated

1/2 glass dry white wine

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon for garnish

Preparation:

Take the raw langoustines and slice them lengthwise, making sure to use a sharp knife to avoid compacting the flesh. Preheat oven to 180°.

Mix in a bowl the breadcrumbs, parsley and Parmesan, for the gratin.

Place the langoustines on a baking pan, and cover in a thin layer with the gratin mixture. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until a crust is formed.

Remove from oven. Serve on an antipasto plate decorated with parsley, lemon and a garnish of rucola and cherry tomatoes.

First plate:

Linguine with king bream

Ingredients:

500 g linguine

1 kg fresh sea bream

50 g extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, halved

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

150 g fresh rucola

300 g cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 glass white wine

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Clean the fish using a good, sharp knife; cut the fillets into pieces.

In a tall pan, add linguine to a generous amount of boiling water salted with sea salt. Stir the pasta as it cooks.

Meanwhile, fry the garlic in hot olive oil. Add anchovies. Remove garlic. Add the cherry tomatoes, and carefully add the fish on top of the tomatoes.

Cook for several minutes, then add white wine. Once evaporated, add rucola and salt, and let simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

When al dente, remove pasta from pot, add to sauce and cook for a while, making sure the sauce clings to the linguine.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh rucola and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Mediterranean sea bass

Ingredients:

3 sea bass, 600 g each

2 kg potatoes, thinly sliced

300 g cherry tomatoes, quartered

100 g black olives, pitted

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 glass white wine

500 g parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180°. Clean and fillet the fish, making six fillets.

Cover a baking pan with baking paper; add a thin layer of potatoes and drizzle with oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt, and place in oven to bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden.

Remove pan; add fillets. Top with tomatoes and white wine, and return to oven for 10 minutes.

While it's baking, make sure the fish doesn't dry out; if needed, sprinkle the pan with fish or vegetable broth.

Serve on a plate with remaining ingredients.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com