Chef K. Dorairajan, Ramyas Hotel
I have been in this field for 26 years, and 14 years in Ramyas Hotel. I have to oversee the three restaurants here. I studied baking and confectionary in Food Craft Institute (1987 batch), Thuvakudi, and picked up carving skills from my seniors in the Taj group of hotels in Bangalore, Ooty and Kodaikanal.
Carving increases the visual appeal of food. You must start out by drawing your design on the vegetable/fruit and then carefully select your knives. These are easily available in local utensil stores now, though we had to buy them from the bigger cities earlier. A professional carving kit will have 15 knives and tools for specific functions like scooping out, etching, paring and so on.
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Ice carving is very rare due to Tiruchi’s hot weather. Butter (actually it is margarine, or vegetable fat, but we call it butter), is costly, so most hotels prefer to showcase vegetable carving.
I cannot possibly create all the displays myself, and encourage junior chefs to chip in with their ideas. Today I have been helped by my colleagues M. Arumugham and F. Franklin for this display.
Even though individual pieces can fetch a good price, carving itself is an extra skill, and you can’t make a living out of it. A chef should be thorough about the hospitality field in order to be in a commanding position. From cost control to food wastage and yes, carving, we have to know everything.
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Chef Natarajan, Grand Gardenia
I started out in 2009, and studied at the State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Thuvakudi. I learned carving from my lecturer Mr. Mohan Kumar at the institute, and also from my colleagues at the Taj Residency, Bangalore.
I joined the Grand Gardenia in March this year. I like to work on the watermelon, but the big ones are available only during summer.
For a good piece of carving, first decide on your pattern and see if it fits the space available.
Flowers are quite easy to create. These days many people also like to carve the likeness of Lord Ganesha and other deities. The size of the fruit or vegetable should match the size of your carving.
I used to do ice carving in college, using a regular uli (chisel). You can delay the melting of ice by applying salt at the base.
To prevent discolouration of vegetables like bottle gourd, raw banana and potatoes after cutting, apply lemon juice on them. Thai carving knives are the best, in my opinion.
I had an extensive display of carved vegetables for the hotel’s recent sixth anniversary celebrations.