I’m so excited to present my first interview with a chef. So without further ado here’s my interview with Chef Karan Puthran, Chef de Partie at the prestigious Oriole Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Be sure to read to the end because he has created an amazing recipe for us that’s perfect for New Year’s Eve!!!

Interview with Karan Puthran Chef de Part at Oriole Restaurant in Chicago IL

Sandy: 1. What is the last meal you cooked for yourself or you and your family?

Karan:     The last time I visited my family in India I made them a traditional south Indian fish curry just the way my grandmother used to make it. It was a mackerel and coconut milk curry seasoned with a spice mix of cumin, coriander, fenugreek and cardamom seeds. Paired with a fresh cooked pot of rice.

Sandy:  2. What is your first food memory?

Chef Karan Puthran at work

Karan:       My first food memory is my mother teaching me how to clean and eat crab. Coming from a lineage of fishermen we take a lot of pride in passing this skill down this to the next generation.

Sandy:  3. Describe the meal that takes you back to your childhood?

Karan:      Chicken Curry with Rice crackers, a very popular dish in the south of India and something very close to my heart. This is something I ate a lot growing up and is definitely the spotlight meal of my childhood. This recipe has been passed down for generations in my family and I aspire to keep that going.

Sandy:  4. What is the one ingredient you can’t live without?

Karan:      The humble Onion! The flavor base for any sauce/gravy in any cuisine in the world. It provides great flavor and has great nutritional benefits too.

Sandy:  5. What is the one food you can’t stand?

Karan:      I love food and there isn’t any food that I cannot stand but I do find truffle oil to be an overrated product, it’s just seasoned olive oil!

Sandy:  6. Why did you decide to go to culinary school and into food service?

Karan:      I decided to go to culinary school so I could learn the basic skills required to enter the industry, it was also a great opportunity for me to network with professionals from the industry. I got into the food service industry many years ago because I had an opportunity to work at a restaurant which I took up and there has been no looking back.

Sandy:  7. What are the meals that you cook over and over at home? Please describe them.

Karan:       I definitely cook pasta more than anything else. To me, a good tomato sauce with a strong base of onions, garlic, a flavorful wine cooked down, ideally a mix of meat (ground beef and pork), fresh tomatoes, basil, perfectly cooked pasta and some parmesan. There’s nothing like it!

Sandy:  Yum! What time should I be there?

8. What are the items that you can’t live without in your kitchen?

Karan:       This would have to be a good high smoke neutral oil (ideally canola), a good non stick pan, a sharp knife ideally 8″, a pair of quality scissors, Medium saucepan, a spatula, a pair of tongs and my personal favorite a large wooden spoon.

Sandy:  9. What DID you think becoming a culinary professional would be like? And what has it actually been like? How has it surprised you?

Karan:       I always pictured this profession to be very gratifying because of the smiles we put on our guests’ faces and that’s absolutely true, there is nothing more satisfying than a guest leaving with a big smile telling you it was one of the best meals they’ve had. What most people don’t understand however is the long hours and dedication the job demands. 12 hour shifts are an average in the industry and we spend it on our feet under stressful conditions. I was told that this is a job that is hard to survive in unless you are passionate about it and that is very true.

Sandy:  10. What is the one tip that you swear by, that a home cook could use to make better meals in their kitchen?

Karan:         Fresh Ingredients! The easiest way to cook delicious food is to pick good quality fresh ingredients. The lesser the time from farm to plate the more flavor and nutrition it holds. Always buy fresh and cook fresh! Also eating seasonal and local food that is grown locally and picked fresh will always taste better than something that was flown from across the country picked a month ago.

Sandy:  11. Is there anything else that you would like me to know about you?

Chef Karan Puthran hard at work!

Karan:        A bit more about myself, I moved to the US from India to pursue my dream of working with Michelin starred restaurants, during this time I survived a pandemic but i persevered and I was fortunate to work at some of the greatest restaurants in the country if not the world namely The French Laundry, The Alinea group and i presently work at Oriole which was recently judged as the 91st best restaurant in the world.

Sandy:  12. How has COVID-19 affected you as a chef? Has it changed restaurant life forever?

Karan:        COVID-19 has definitely drastically changed the industry. For me personally it forced me to take a step back and acknowledge that the industry would not stay the same, it forced restaurants ultimately to adapt to the ever changing COVID policies. The pandemic saw a lot of cooks leave the industry and look for jobs in other industries. It has been a struggle for restaurants to keep doors open with the ever changing COVID policies. The entire system has taken a toll because farms and suppliers who were impacted because of labor shortages were forced to shut or cut down their supply which in turn affected what restaurants had available for them. While shotage of skilled labor will continue to be a problem for a considerable period of time I believe the industry in general is adapting and recovering.

Thanks so much Karan for sharing a bit about your life with us! And speaking of sharing…Chef Karan Puthran has graciously shared a recipe that I think would be perfect for an intimate New Year’s Eve Celebration. Enjoy his recipe for Poached Lobster Tail in a Cream Sauce with Assorted Mushrooms and Dill!!!

Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Cream Sauce of Chenin Blanc and Oyster Juice, Assorted Mushrooms and Dill

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A fresh seasonal dish of fine dining standard that you can make at home to impress your guests over the holidays. Gently poached lobster tail with a cream sauce of Chenin blanc white wine, oyster juice, assorted mushrooms and fresh dill.

The idea of this dish is to marry seasonal ingredients with meaningful flavors and attractive, yet simple, presentation.

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, diced into small cubes

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

1 cup assorted mushrooms, sliced

2 medium lobster tails, each skewered with a bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water for 15 minutes *See notes

3 tablespoons minced shallot

1 cup Chenin Blanc or other acidic white wine

4 fresh oysters, shucked over a small bowl to reserve the juice

2 tablespoons canola oil

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Additional chopped dill for garnish

Coarsely ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Your first step is always to temper the protein by allowing it to come to room temperature. Gather all the ingredients that are required for the dish and get set up to start cooking.
2. Add the canola oil to a heavy skillet and sear the mushrooms on medium-high heat. For added flavor and color, season with salt and pepper and press down on the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until most of the moisture is gone. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Start the sauce, using the same pan the mushrooms were cooked in (not need to clean the pan) add the shallots and cook over medium heat until transparent and softened but not colored. Add the wine and oyster juice and cook until the liquid has evaporated. The shallots will cook down and become a sticky consistency.
4. Gradually add the cream and reduce very slowly over medium-low heat, about 20 minutes. This will prevent the sauce from breaking. Finish the sauce by whisking in the finely chopped dill.
5. When the sauce is almost finished, start cooking the lobster. Add the diced butter to a non-stick skillet and place over medium-low heat. Season the lobster tails liberally with the salt and pepper. Once the butter has melted and starts to foam carefully place the lobster tails in the pan. Tilt the pan slightly and baste, continuously with the butter. Continue cooking and basting until the tails are firm, but still bounce back and lobster is opaque. You want the protein almost undercooked slightly. This will bring out incredible texture and flavor.
6. Plating – start bu pouring the sauce onto the plates. Place the mushrooms toward the edges of the plates. Place poached lobster at the center and scatter additional dill on top. With a small spoon, add dots of the melted butter that the lobster was poached in to add color and flavor.

Notes

Chef suggests you use a wide rimmed plate of medium size as in the picture to highlight the ingredients.

Use fresh ingredients and as organic as possible.

Shuck the oysters and strain for the juice. (Sandy here: personally, I would add the oysters to the hot cream to cook slightly. Oysters are too delicious to waste!)

Follow the plating order to ensure the dish is good and hot.

• Author: Chef Karan Puthran
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Seafood entrée
• Method: Sautéing and poaching
• Cuisine: American

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Plating technique for Butter Poached Lobster