Scott Pickett: Toast Of The Town

Chef and restaurateur Scott Pickett recreated a slice of Melbourne’s famous food and wine culture on his maiden visit to India.

Chef Scott Pickett speaks animatedly about his experiences and encounters in Mumbai and Delhi. The award winning chef was in India to offer a glimpse of Melbourne’s innovative cuisine at an event hosted by Visit Victoria. He is impressed with India’s evolving dining prowess and how people are not shying away from experimenting with their food.

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Chef Pickett chose to start an evening of culinary affaire at Hyatt Regency in Delhi with an avocado masterclass, something that he has become popular for. In a live session, he illustrated the versatility of avocado by taking guests on a journey through the inimitable flavours and textures of the fruit in various states of its ripeness. It also saw him putting together a three-course dinner inspired by the menu of his Melbourne restaurant, ESP (Estelle by Scott Pickett).

“But I had a shock of my life when I got to know that the Bombay Duck was not a duck, but a fish,” he recalls. After the initial surprise settled in, he floored the guests with an Australian reinvention of one of India’s most loved and globally-renowned dishes adding his signature touch and flavours. All this happened in a room that was specially transformed to recreate the dining experience in Chef Pickett’s fine-dining restaurant.

The curated menu included dishes such as crab with asparagus and lobster, smashed avocado with finger lime, and hand-rolled macaroni with parmesan and truffle. As the guests polished off chocolate and avocado mousse, we caught up with the man behind the kitchen as he shared his memories and experiences.

Tell us about your India experience, as it is your first trip?

Yes, it is my first time here. I went to Mumbai first and then to Delhi. I did not want to stay in a hotel, but explore as much as I could. I went out, saw things and then smelled things too — good, bad, different (laughs). I tried some local delicacies. I felt an energy rushing through me everytime I went out. The highlight of my visit was seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra. Next time, I would try and visit it at night. I have heard a lot about that experience.

What is your take on the current Indian dining scene?

While I always say that Melbourne is the food capital of the world. May be I am biased, but I have been really impressed Scott Pickett about speaks his with the way India has evolved in terms of dining and its restaurants. People are open to experimenting. They are embracing the change. It makes me happy as a chef.

How would you compare Australian cuisine with Indian food?

That’s a good question. Australia, in many ways, is different from India. We are a young country, merely 200 years old. Our culinary traditions are much younger. We are not drawing from age-old recipes. India, on the other hand, has thousands of years behind it, where a recipe has been passed down generations. I have heard of royal families and their secret recipes too.

What is the essence of Australian cuisine, according to you?

I would say it is the freedom to create. Since, we are fairly new when compared to Italian, Asian or Indian cuisines, it gives us the freedom to experiment a lot more. Melbourne is also a melting pot of cultures — Asian, Indian, Greek, Italian and Thai. So, we also take the best of these and make our own blend.

Any recommendations for the next time we are in Melbourne?

We do everything right, what can I say? (laughs) So, you just have to take a stroll along a street and order to your heart’s content. Right from breakfast to dinner, be it an eight course meal or a simple fare. You must try all kinds of seafood — oysters, scallops, crabfish. Melbourne also has a great coffee culture.

You look too fit for a chef...

Well, I have just finished a month of detox diet. So, for first ten days I was on a liquid diet. It was red, green and yellow juices, from morning to evening. After ten days of it, trust me, I looked forward to having broccoli like never before (laughs). For next ten days, it was juices and vegetables tossed with soy sauce, garlic and ginger. I did have coffee withdrawal initially, but it vanished after a couple of days. I lost 12 kilos in ten days!

From the August 2017 issue of L’Officiel India.