Indian Summer Indian Supper with Jorge & Dorothy

A freakishly muggy and steamy Wednesday in (very) late September provided the backdrop for a Cafe Drake school night meal with long, long time pal Jorge Manahan and his girlfriend (fellow Southerner, high school alma mater kin) Dorothy of the ATL. Rob Roys in chilled cocktail glasses kicked the evening off, contrasted with goti, sweet and deep-fried chickpea fritters so beloved of India's chatwallas, sided with a dipping sauce of cilantro and yogurt chutney (general recipe to follow below). Starters at the table consisted of a lovely red wine and sambar (the southern Indian equivalent of lentil soup, pureed and spiked with lemon zest and tomatoes). Our main was a fillet of rainbow trout poached in a korma sauce (yogurt, butter, heavy cream and sweet spices), replete with dried fruit, hot chiles and mixed peppers, all nesting on a ring of mashed parsley and celery root. Simple sweets to end included chocolates, peppermint tea and espresso and generous pours of silky grappa.

SIMPLE RANDOM CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Take one full bunch of well-rinsed and roughly chopped cilantro and place in blender with 1 cup or slightly less of WHOLE MILK yogurt (low fat will not work, trust Cafe Drake here), a generous sprinkling of cumin and cayenne and ground coriander. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a splash of white wine vinegar (again, important note here: do NOT use red wine vinegar or apple cider; if you must substitute and we really see no reason why one would, use plain white vinegar), a big pinch of kosher salt and 1 T. sugar. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning as needed. Often, unbelievably, more sugar will be necessary. Serve with anything: roast meats, fish, steamed veggies, rice and beans, cheese toast, you name it.