In the last part of the series, Mid-day Online spoke to Mumbai chef Dane Fernandes who shares the Christmas traditions in his home and the ideal celebratory dish that people can make for the festival
On one of his many travels, chef Dane Fernandes relished the Scottish Dundee Cake, and ever since then it has become a Christmas ritual in his home in Mumbai. Photo Courtesy: JW Marriott Sahar/istock
For Mumbai chef Dane Fernandes, this Christmas is going to be extra special because there is a new addition to his family as his second son was born earlier this year. He shares, “This being my younger son’s first Christmas, we look forward to spending some quality family time.” Earlier, Fernandes used to spend time with his wife and older son by decorating the Christmas tree, cooking delicious dishes and playing games with him. It is no surprise then when he says spending time with his immediate family is also his favourite aspect and memory of the season. “My busy schedule at work gives me little to do with them and this is one time of the year when there are no compromises in spending it with them,” he adds.
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The city chef’s celebrations make it evident that family time is very intrinsic to the Fernandes household, one that he has picked up over the years because of relatives living near him in the city. He explains, “We are very fortunate to have our extended family living close to us. Christmas is that time of the year when the entire family gets together to celebrate the festival in a big way.” The festivities bring together people of all age groups but most importantly children simply because of the abundance of sweets along with fun family evenings and lots of gifts that are exchanged among them. “They always have their letters to Santa ready a month in advance with the list only getting longer each year,” he shares.
While the Mumbaikar, who is the executive chef at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar makes many Indian specials for the festival. Over the years, he has also taken the liberty to make dishes that he has enjoyed during his travels around the world. He shares, “Every country I've visited, I witnessed unique, fascinating traditions for Christmas celebrations and some authentic recipes that blew me away. I brought back those delicious memories with me and tried to recreate my versions of it.”
He has now made one of them from Scotland, a part of his annual Christmas ritual. “Dundee cake is a traditional Scottish fruit cake with a rich flavour. It is a light, spongy delight made with the finest currants, sultanas, fruit peels laced beautifully with blanched almonds,” he explains. The traditional Scottish delight, Fernandes tells us dates back to Dundee in Scotland in the late 1700s. “Janet Keiller used to run a very popular marmalade company called Keiller's Marmalade that created the recipe and over the years the cake became a favourite tea-time delicacy,” says the chef. Being able to function as an ideal Christmas dessert and teatime delicacy is also what makes it his celebratory recipe for him. The fact that it is easy to prepare and rich in flavour is another reason.
Recipe for Dundee Cake by chef Dane Fernandes
Ingredients:
Butter 225 gm
Castor sugar 225 gm
Egg (whole) 300 gm
Refined flour 350 gm
Baking powder 10 gm
Salt 3 gm
Almond powder 100 gm
Raisins 575 gm
Mixed peel 100 gm
Rum 30 ml
Caramel colour 100 gm
Method:
1. Take soft butter, beat along with sugar, adding eggs one at the time.
2. Soak raisins in rum and add all the dry ingredients.
3. Put the mixture in a cake mould and arrange blanched almonds on cake in a flower shape.
4. Bake the cake for 70 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
Also Read: Sorpotel: Mumbai’s Father Warner D’souza on why the Goan dish is his celebratory dish for Christmas
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