Barbeque Mari-Nation with Master Chef Pat Chapman. Elsie Gabriel

Barbeque Mari-Nation with Master Chef Pat Chapman.

Master Chef and Chilly king-Chef Pat Chapman, as he is fondly called kicked up a hot storm behind the counter at Barbeque Nation, Worli, Mumbai. Soft spoken and very articulate- is how he stirred up some fascinating marinades for some good protein lovers.His vegetarian offerings were no less.

So Chapman knows it all, been there,done that and at 73 years now he is a gentle giant and delivers one masala grill after another with such finesse. He knows every spice at the back of his hand, even more than we Indians could rattle off. He lives and cooks and breathes spice!! May be I could anoint him as Spicy Chef!!

With his effervescent 14 new marinades, both veg and non-veg, that he introduced across India to mark the entry of a completely new genre of grilled food, Chapman was on a grilling journey alight. I enjoyed Chapmans ease with handling ingredients, he mixed Basil with lemon, oil with red chillies, dalchinni with turmeric; all with such respectful measures that one could see the reverence for the spices, almost in adoration.

Dominique his elegant wife is the researcher. The lady behind all the preparations and such a silent strong assistant, you know that Chapman is King and of course Domnique is Queen of his kitchen. They have been working together for the last 24 years she says, side by side .I guess this is how their love story with spices evolved and together they make a spicy team alright!!

Imagine a life committed to spicy gourmet tours and chilly dishes, together, year after year. My hats off to that. They are truly a ‘curryholic’ couple.

In 1982, Chapman founded The Curry Club to share information about recipes, restaurants and all things spicy. And ever since he has been on a culinary expedition around the spice world.

“I am in heaven, here in India I love the food. This is my 44^th trip to India and nothing could be better than eating good spicy food.”

To date Pat has written thirty-four books, with sales topping 1.5 million copies.Most of his books concentrate on curry, while others feature recipes from China, Thailand, the Middle Eastern and the Americas. His Balti Cookbook was the first on the subject and became a Sunday Times Number 1 best seller.
Pat regularly appears as a celebrity chef at major food shows abroad and in the UK. In 1999 he hosted his own "Rice and Spice" theatre at the BBC's Good Food Show.

Chapmans offering of the Yorkshire marinade, Spanish marinade, Arabian and Persian marinade as well as the Australiasian and Jamaican Jerk marinades at the counter cook off was so welcoming and he drew the audience into the spicy details with such easy steps.

I was pampered at the Baebeque Nation at Thane which according to me is the spiciest grilling place with live stations on your table. It couldn’t get better than this. Sabir Raza of the Thane outlet had dancers and good music to enthrall the crowds at a sunny Saturday afternoon. Bliss!!

Meeting Vijay Anand Bakshi the chief culinary head was insightful, while we chatted in smattering Bengali, we knew it was food that could connect people from any part of the world.

 “Chef Pat Chapman is a legend in the UK and the great ambassador for Indian food. Barbeque Nation is delighted to partner with him to turn the culinary experience the other way around: get him to share with Indians the famous marinades of the world with his own interpretation and many his own creation.,” said Uday Menon, CBO, Barbeque Nation.

Vikram Varma, Head – Marketing, Barbeque Nation adds, “gourmet lovers  today seek the thrill of deriving maximum pleasure for their taste-buds. Chef Pat Chapman is a great ambassador for what Barbeque Nation seeks to achieve for Indian food lovers. Come enjoy this  food adventure.”

Chapman says that the best way to grill any protein is to cook it over a moderate charcoal fire, turning it around slowly. But when asked what dish in India fascinated him the most he quipped, - Bhel puri’!!!! Its light and spicy yet deliciously different says the chef. Oozing of simplicity and humility, I came away impressed. I was so fortunate to present my book Get Out Get Going Outdoors to Master chef,he was curious to see my chapter on Outdoor cooking inside.

Master Chef Chapman you sure put fire in my belly and spice in my soul. I want to cook with more chilly!

After all, they say Chilly is good for the health when used to extract its delicious essence. So fire up your lives,folks!