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The Way We Cook: Chef Avinash Martins
The celebrated Goan chef shares his family’s roast duck recipe and Christmas traditions
If there’s one state in India that knows how to celebrate Christmas, it’s Goa. From the food to the festivities, the landscape comes alive during the holiday season. We caught up with Chef Avinash Martins (behind the fine dining hotspots Cavatina and Janot), in his home kitchen in Margao to learn more about his family traditions and how to cook a memorable Christmas feast.
The Martins’ Christmas Roast Duck
Every family has a Christmas tradition, and for the Martins clan it’s their grandmother’s roast duck. An heirloom recipe passed down from Chef Martins grandmother, Benvinda Martins, his version is what he calls an “enhanced” variation. “I've used my skills and my travels to oomph it up. So, all the south-east Asian ingredients are my addition to it. The way I cook it is also a little bit more technique-driven, which is how I've enhanced the recipe.”
It’s close to Chef Martins’ heart because of the memories it evokes: it takes him back to his childhood, where Granny Martins’ kitchen was filled with her homemade masalas and roasts. He says, “Every Christmas we tend to make this…part nostalgia, part how Granny brought us up. And I would love to continue this tradition.” Duck is regular fare in their family, and they make a lot of local duck recipes like Cabidela and Sorpotel. But the roast duck is reserved exclusively for Christmas, which is why it’s extra special.
Sourcing from the Source
Being a chef, Martins believes in “sourcing from the source,” or directly from farmers. Ideally, going to a village where he knows the farmers and getting his produce straight from their fields to his kitchen. But for this recipe, he has used imported duck from the US, purely because of the quality. But he says there are poultry farmers in India who supply a range of non-antibiotic poultry and other birds.
If you don’t have the kind of sourcing network Chef Martins has, the next best option is to head to the local market. In Goa, Chef Martins likes shopping at Margao market for produce. “Margao market is a kaleidoscope of various things, right from locally-sourced produce to things which are brought in from neighbouring states. I generally reach out to vendors who get me local produce. Today we went shopping and got a lot of vegetables from the local supplier,” says Chef Martins.
And this is a practice you can follow as a home cook wherever you may be: head to your nearest market and ask suppliers for what is in season and grown locally.
Traditional Techniques for Maximum Flavour
The recipe is an “enhanced” version of his grandmother’s original, he has retained a few traditional cooking techniques that heighten the flavour and final result. “There is this concept of brining where you salt the duck a night prior, then pat it dry and keep it in the fridge so that the skin dries out. So that's one technique. The second is oven-roasting or dry-roasting. But, you could roast the duck in a pan, too. You can use a thick-bottom Dutch Oven and do a pot roast as well.”
Chef Martins says there are several common “restaurant techniques” you can use at home to cook better and quicker on Christmas Day, like brining, sous-vide, and oven-roasting. He says, “Today all kitchens are evolving, including home kitchens. And I think these methods help you prep faster so you don’t have to go through the lengthy process of 3-4 hours of cooking.”
A Christmas Feast should be Colourful and Lively…and Yes, it can be Frugal, too
One thing Chef Martins is particular about is balance. “Well, I feel Christmas gets quite heavy on meat. I can speak about my family where there's a lot of meat on the plate, on the table. As a chef, I would love to introduce a lot of vegetables, grills, and fish and do a nice mix.” Chef Martins says that the meal should be both lively and colourful, which is why it’s nice to introduce salads and different kinds of grills and roasts beyond just meat.
Christmas lunches are usually associated with abundance and bounty—but can you host a feast on a budget? As per Chef Martins, the answer is yes. The key is figuring out what your “star” dish is going to be, and balancing it out with starchy sides, vegetables, and salad to make a full table. “It depends on the ingredients. I would say one has to be smart enough to identify what ingredient you will put front and centre. For example, roast duck can be replaced with a roast chicken; the pricing is less. Or if you want, you can spend a little more and do a turkey, depending on the size of the family. Always keep a good ratio of meat is to vegetable is to starch is to salads!” he says.
“I could Never Cook this Dish in my Restaurant!”
While professional tips and tricks make their way into his home kitchen, this duck recipe is not something you will find in any of Chef Martins’ restaurants. He says, “I feel that I am too emotionally attached to it for me to take it out of the home. I'm sure I will get orders and demands for this recipe. But cooking at home versus cooking in a commercial kitchen, there are two different emotions attached to it, right? I'm in my own space, I turn my music on, I grab a glass of wine and do my own cooking, I'm just zoned out. And that’s the way I’d like to remember this dish.”
It’s All About that Warm Feeling
Roast duck aside, Chef Martins and his family have another special Christmas tradition: the natal jantar, which translates to “Christmas dinner,” a grand feast that takes place after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. He says while the number of dishes made has reduced over time, the spirit still lingers on. And according to him, that spirit is what makes Christmas memorable. “It’s is all about family coming together for a lovely lunch or a Natal Jantar like my ancestors did…a warm feeling with friends and family where you have a merry time. Food is the talking point, but so is the companionship of everyone coming together!”
Below, Chef Martins shares his family’s roast duck recipe, which you may want to include on your Christmas table this year.
Chef Martins’ Christmas Roast Duck
Ingredients:
For the Duck:
- 2 kg whole duck, bone-in, skin-on
For the Stuffing:
- 250 gms chicken keema
- Duck gizzards, chopped
- 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
- 1 orange, chopped with the skin on
- Salt and pepper
For the Roasted Spice Mix:
- 1/2 tbsp each fennel seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorn, cloves
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 50 ml balsamic vinegar
- 30 ml dark soy sauce
- 30 ml oyster sauce
- 100 ml Goan Worcestershire sauce (made from coconut vinegar and mild spices)
- 100 ml honey
- Ginger garlic paste, salt, and pepper
For the Vegetables:
- 1/4 pumpkin, peeled and chopped
- 2 raw bananas, peeled and chopped
- 4 sweet potatoes, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 turnips, peeled and chopped
- Olive or avocado oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- A day prior, brine the duck, pat dry, and leave in the fridge overnight.
- Dry-roast the spices in a pan till they become aromatic, transfer to a mortar and pestle, and pound till you get a coarse mixture.
- To make the spice paste, transfer the dry spice mix into a bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Goan Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt, pepper and ginger garlic paste. Whisk well to get a smooth paste that is not too thick.
- Pound the raw minced chicken using a mortar and pestle. Add the duck gizzards, chopped onions, chopped oranges, salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Massage the spice paste onto the brined duck, covering the whole bird and coating it well.
- Add the stuffing mixture inside the cavity of the duck.
- Place the chopped vegetables in a roasting dish, toss with the olive/avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 250 C.
- Place the marinated duck directly on the top rack of the oven.
- Place the vegetables on the rack below the duck, so that it catches the duck fat as it roasts.
- Roast the duck and vegetables in the oven for 1.5 hours.
- When done, place the roast duck on the bed of vegetables and serve.
All image by Ethan Mascarenhas
Chef Avinash Martins in Margao market.
Step 1: Marinating the duck
Chef Martins adds the final touches before serving.
Plating up the giant bird!
Everything Chef Martins needs is within arm’s reach in his home kitchen.
Chef Martins’ home bar.
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