Scottish classics

HAGGIS , NEEPS AND TATTIES

Ingredients

·         450g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces

·         3 tbsp warm milk

·         40g unsalted butter

·         Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         400g turnip (or swede, depending on your nationality), cooked, seasoned and mashed with a knob of butter

·         500g haggis

For the gravy

·         300ml hot beef stock

·         Splash of red wine

·         Knob of butter

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.    Place the potatoes into a pan of salted cold water and bring to boil. As soon as the water comes to the boil, reduce to a simmer (it's important not to cook the potatoes too quickly), and cook for approximately 20 minutes.

2.    Check the tenderness, the point of a sharp knife should feel little resistance when pushed into the potato. Drain in a colander and return to the pan to dry out over low heat for a few minutes. Mash them with a potato masher or pass them through a mouli or ricer into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon beat in the warm milk, then the butter vigorously, making the mash light and fluffy. (If you are going to reheat them, don't add the butter yet).

3.    Boil the turnip in a large pan of salted water until tender then drain and roughly mash with some salt and pepper and a knob of butter.

4.    To make the gravy, reduce the beef stock and red wine until thickened. Stir in the butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for a further few minutes to thicken further.

5.    Cook your haggis according to packet instructions, then carefully lift out of the water and split open with a knife.

6.    To serve, use a serving spoon to shape a spoonful of the haggis, neeps and tatties on the plate and spoon around some of the gravy.

Cook's tip: Take the presentation up a level and use a ring mould to create a tri-colour tower. Spoon in a layer of the mashed potatoes into a ring mould and press down firmly. Top with a layer of mashed turnip and again compress. Finally top with a layer of haggis, taking care to get an even top layer. Gently remove the ring mould and spoon around the gravy and serve.

 

PEPPERED FILLET STEAK WITH WHISKY SAUCE

Ingredients

·         3 tbsp black peppercorns

·         4 fillet steaks, weighing about 175g each

·         4 tsp Dijon mustard

·         Maldon sea salt

·         2 tbsp sunflower oil

·         50g butter

·         200g chestnut mushrooms, halved

·         50ml malt whisky (Nick uses Laphroaig)

·         4 tbsp chicken and beef stock (or crumble a little mixed beef and chicken stock cubes into 4 tbsp of boiling water)

·         4 tbsp double cream

To serve

·         ½ savoy cabbage

·         Green beans

Method

1.    Using a pepper grinder, simply grind enough pepper to cover one end of each steak onto a plate. Season the steaks with salt then roll in the pepper if you intend to cook the steak in its crust. Otherwise set the pepper aside for later.

2.    Heat a large frying pan until hot. Add the sunflower oil and heat, then add the steak. (You may need to do them in two batches.) Give them a couple of minutes on either side (a minute longer if you don’t like your meat so rare). Do not move them around once they are in the pan - the meat will not caramelise, or the pepper crust will come off. If your steaks are very thick, you may need to hold them on their sides with tongs to achieve a good seal round the edges.

3.    Transfer the steaks to a warm (not hot) baking tray and leave in a warm place to rest. This is vital, allowing all the juices to redistribute away from the centre making the meat tender and succulent.

4.    Add the butter to the pan and allow it to colour to nut brown. Toss in the mushrooms and work around in the butter. Add the whisky to the same pan and boil over a high heat for 1 minute – the alcohol must be boiled off. A word of warning: the whisky is liable to burst into flames. If this worries you, have a large lid handy to whack on the pan. Please note that if the pan is alight, remove it from the heat until the alcohol burns off. Be particularly careful if you have a plastic hood or filter over your hob.

5.    Add the stock, bring back to the boil and pour in the cream. Scrape and stir together any gooey bits from the bottom of the pan. When it boils fiercely, it’s ready – you’re looking for a coating consistency. Pour any juices from the rested steak back into the sauce and stir.

6.    If you haven't cooked the steaks in the pepper crust, smear one side of the steaks with the Dijon mustard and dip into the crushed peppercorns to coat thoroughly.

7.    Lightly steam the cabbage, and cook the beans until just firm to the bite.

8.    To serve, place the cabbage in the centre of four warmed plates, topped with the beans and steaks and spoon around the sauce and mushrooms.

 

BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRANACHAN

Ingredients

·         50g butter

·         75g rolled oats

·         50g caster sugar

·         150ml whipping cream

·         115g Greek yogurt

·         2 tbsp each honey, whisky and light muscovado sugar

·         200g blackberries

·         2 tart apples, such as granny smith, peeled, cored and sliced

·         Crème de mûre or crème de cassis, to drizzle

METHOD

How to make blackberry and apple cranachan

1. Melt half the butter in a small pan, add the oats and cook for 1 minute, then add half the caster sugar. Stir for 4-5 minutes, until the oats are lightly caramelised, then tip onto a piece of baking paper and leave to cool.

2. Lightly whip the cream, then fold in the yogurt, honey, whisky, muscovado sugar and oats. Stir in the blackberries (set aside a few to decorate), crushing them slightly.

3. In a pan, melt the remaining butter and sauté the apples (in 2 batches, if necessary) for 3-4 minutes. When the apples begin to soften, add the remaining caster sugar and cook until caramelised. Set aside.

4. Layer up the cream and oats with the apples in 4 glasses or 1 big bowl. Top with the reserved blackberries and drizzle with a little crème de mûre or cassis. Serve with shortbread, if you like.

SCOTCH-SMOKED SALMON PENNE

Ingredients

·         ½ lb (250g) thin-sliced MSC certified pacific or organically farmed smoked salmon or smoked trout, torn into small pieces *

·         ¼ cup (50ml) single malt scotch

·         2 tbsp (25ml) extra virgin olive oil

·         2 shallots, minced

·         1 cup (250ml) vegetable or chicken stock

·         1 cup (250ml) Chardonnay

·         12 oz (350g) penne

·         2 cups (500ml) heavy cream (38%)

·         1 tbsp (15ml) cornstarch

·         ½ cup (125ml) grated Parmesan cheese

·         ¼ cup (50ml) chopped chives

·         Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

How to make scotch-smoked salmon penne

1. Line the bottom of a small casserole dish with smoked salmon. Pour scotch over salmon, cover dish with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for about 1 hour.

2. Heat 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots until translucent and beginning to brown. Add stock and wine, bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions.

4. Slowly stir cream into stock mixture. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp (15ml) water and stir into sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and simmer until thickened, being careful not to boil. Remove from heat and stir in smoked salmon and chives.

5. Serve sauce over pasta and garnish with fresh pepper, remaining chives or grated Parmesan

 

KIPPERS WITH EGGS

Ingredients

·         2 eggs

·         2 smoked kippers

·         225g bag baby leaf spinach

·         Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread

METHOD

How to make kippers with eggs

1. Fill a deep, wide frying pan with boiling water, place over a high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, swirl the water rapidly using a spoon and drop in 2 eggs, 1 at a time - the swirling water will help the egg white wrap around the yolk.

2. Poach for 2-3 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

3. Add 2 smoked kippers to the simmering water and heat through for 2 minutes. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Meanwhile, pierce a bag of baby leaf spinach a few times and microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, until just wilted.

4. Tip into a bowl, season and divide between 2 plates. Rest the kippers on the spinach, top each with a poached egg and season. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread to mop up the yolk, if you like.

 

SCOTTISH OATCAKES

Ingredients

·         140g medium oatmeal, plus extra for dusting

·         140g porridge oats

·         A little pinch of salt

·         75ml sunflower oil

·         About 2 tbsp just-boiled water

METHOD

How to make Scottish oatcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Add the oil and enough hot water to mix to a firm dough. Pat into a flat disc, cover and leave for 10 minutes or so - this makes the dough a little easier to roll.

3. Dust your work surface and the dough with oatmeal and roll out until it is about 5mm thick. Using a 6cm cutter, cut out about 20 discs. Place on baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes until just browned at the edges.

4. Leave on the trays for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Either eat straight away, with cheese if you like, or keep for up to a few days in an airtight container.

 

TATTIE SCONE WITH SMOKED BACON, MUSHROOMS AND SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Ingredients

·         150ml Worcestershire sauce

·         8 field mushrooms, peeled

·         Few knobs of butter

·         4 plum tomatoes

·         12 rashers Ayrshire smoked streaky bacon

·         50ml vegetable or sunflower oil

·         4 eggs

For the tattie scones

·         300g warm mashed potatoes

·         80g flour

·         20g butter

·         1 egg yolk

·         Pinch of mace

Method

1.    Pour the Worcestershire sauce into pan and bubble rapidly until reduced by a third.

2.    Place the mushrooms on a baking tray stalk-side up, stuff some butter into each and bake until soft.

3.    Cut the cores out of the tomatoes then cut in half down the length and sit in a roasting tray cut-side up. Add a knob of butter to the top of each and bake until softened, then tip into the pan with the reduced Worcestershire sauce and set aside.

4.    Lay the rashers of bacon on a baking sheet and cook until golden in a hot oven or grill.

5.    Meanwhile mix the warm mashed potato with the butter, flour, mace and salt. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 4cm thick and cut into 8 rectangles about 10 x 6cm.

6.    Heat a griddle pan until very hot then rub lightly with oil and add the tattie scones. Cook for 20-30 seconds a side until crisp and golden then remove and keep warm.

7.    Heat some more oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs over a low heat until cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

8.    Place 4 tattie scones on warmed plates and sit 2 mushrooms on top of each. Spoon the tomatoes over, sit 3 rashers of bacon on top and sit the eggs on top. Place the remaining tattie scones on top as lids, pour around any excess Worcestershire sauce and serve.