Indian small plates joint Kricket has had a wildly successful few years. Originally opening temporary digs at Pop Brixton in 2015, the concept’s popularity now means Kricket has two permanent sites (one in Soho, one on Brixton’s Atlantic road), with a third on the way. This September, Kricket will open its flagship site in White City, which will feature an open kitchen, a cocktail bar and an outdoor terrace. Founders Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell have also released a cookbook, called Kricket: An Indian-inspired Cookbook. Below, Will shares two Kricket recipes which you can have a go at recreating from home. Failing that, you can always just call up and book a table…
Grilled langoustines with pickled turmeric and lasooni butter
Will says: “Fresh turmeric is now readily available from grocery shops, and when pickled, it takes on a completely different flavour profile; sweet and almost candy-like. It pairs well with Scottish langoustines, which deserve to be far more popular than they are. They are beautifully delicate and I hope we will be seeing a lot more of them on menus soon.”
Ingredients:
Serves four
16 fresh or frozen langoustines, defrosted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, to coat the langoustines
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
A generous pinch of sea salt
For the pickled turmeric
200g fresh turmeric root, peeled
100ml pickling liquor
For the lasooni butter
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
A bunch of fresh coriander
5 garlic cloves, peeled
4 green chillies
A couple of squeezes of lime juice
A pinch of salt
Method
First make the pickle. Peel the turmeric root into thin ribbons, and place into a bowl.
Steep in the pickling liquor for one-two hours at room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare the langoustines by cutting lengthways down the centre of each, keeping the head intact, and removing the intestinal thread.
Marinate in the oil, turmeric and salt, then cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
Make the lasooni butter by blitzing the butter in a food processor with the coriander, garlic, green chillies, a squeeze of lime juice and salt.
Grill the langoustines under a high heat for two-three minutes on each side until just cooked. Alternatively, you can also cook the langoustines in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium to high heat. Ensure you do not overcook them.
Melt the lasooni butter gently in a small frying pan to retain its vibrant colour. Squeeze in a little more lime juice, then spoon it over the cooked langoustines.
Garnish with pickled turmeric and serve.
Kid Goat Raan
Will says: “Raan is a northern Indian style of cooking meat, equivalent to our Sunday lunch, presented whole or – as we do at Kricket – slow-cooked and shredded. The kid goat is rich and heavily spiced, but if you can’t get goat, try it with lamb leg or beef shin instead. I like to serve this with freshly chopped mint and a scattering of pomegranate seeds.”
Ingredients:
Serves 10
1 kid goat leg
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chilli powder
A pinch of sea salt
2 fresh Indian bay leaves
3 star anise
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cinnamon stick
400ml white distilled vinegar
About 1.6 litres cold water
500ml double cream
A generous pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a little warm water
3 tablespoons garam masala
Method
Rub the meat with the ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder and a pinch of salt and leave overnight to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Transfer the leg to a deep ovenproof pan, add the remaining spices and vinegar, then pour in the water (it should just cover the meat).
Cover the pan and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 160ºC and cook for a further four-five hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
Remove from the oven, take the meat out of the braising liquid and allow to cool. The meat is cooked when you can easily pick it from the bone.
Transfer the braising liquid to a heavy-based saucepan and boil over a high heat until it has thickened and the flavours have intensified. At this point, strain the liquid into a separate pan, reduce the heat and add the cream, saffron and garam masala. Reduce for a further five minutes, adjust the seasoning to taste and set aside to cool.
When you are ready to serve, heat a large frying pan over a high heat and sear off the goat to get a nice crispy exterior. Add the braising liquid to the pan and spoon the liquid over the meat until it coats it nicely.
Serve the meat whole, in its braising liquid.
Kricket: An Indian-inspired Cookbook by Will Bowlby is out now (Hardie Grant, £26)
Food images by Hugh Johnson