This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Cooking up a Scottish storm
25/05/2005
Leaders from across Europe will enjoy menus featuring
traditional Scottish food when they dine at the European
Council as part of a drive by the UK to showcase our
produce.
European Council Chef, Pierre Balthazar, was in
Edinburgh today learning the secrets of quality Scottish
dishes and other British treats from two leading Chefs,
Martin Wishart (Restaurant Martin Wishart) and Jeff Bland
(The Balmoral).
Chef Balthazar will now return to Brussels where he will
cook Scottish and British recipes for Ministers and VIPs
during the UK Presidency of the EU in the second half of
this year.
Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie today sampled a
Scottish menu, including Scottish Beef and Aberdeen Cullen
Skink, with Chef Balthazar at Restaurant Martin Wishart in
Leith.
Mr Finnie said:
"I am delighted have had the opportunity today to
formally welcome Chef Balthazar to Scotland. It is
fantastic that he has taken the time to come to learn first
hand about our food.
"I am also very grateful to Martin Wishart and Jeff
Bland for the time they have taken out of their busy
schedules and for all the expert knowledge they have shared
on dishes which would give a Scottish tone to a meal.
"As a result of this visit people from countries across
Europe will have the opportunity to sample the very best of
Scottish and other British produce. I look forward to
enjoying some of our top quality dishes myself when I visit
Brussels during the UK Presidency."
European Council Chef Pierre Balthazar dined at the
Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh on Tuesday night and had a
morning session with Chef Jeff Bland on Wednesday where he
learned how to add some Scottish flare to traditional
dishes.
Martin Wishart invited Chef Balthazar and Rural
Development Minister Ross Finnie to join him for lunch at
his Michelin star restaurant in Leith. After dining Chef
Balthazar joined Martin in the kitchen to share some of his
Scottish secrets.
The UK Presidency of the EU is a fantastic opportunity
to showcase British food in official dinners and lunches.
This will be partly done through hospitality offered by the
UK Permanent Representative and Scotland House in Brussels
but it will also be part of the hospitality offered by the
EU Council thanks to Chef Balthazar's new learned
skills.
The following dishes were served to the Minister for
Environment and Rural Development and Chef Balthazar at
Restaurant Matin Wishart.
ABERDEEN CULLEN SKINK
Finnan haddock leek and potato soup
Serves 4 - 6
50g unsalted butter
250g white of leeks
1 small sized Yukon gold potato
1 small sized onion
250ml chicken stock
150ml double cream
250ml boiling water
200ml milk
400g of Finnan haddock
Method
1. Wash the leeks and discard any dark green.
2. Finely slice the onion and leeks and place aside.
3. Pour the cream, chicken stock and water into a large
saucepan and bring to the boil.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan and add the
leeks and onions. Gently sauté without colouring for 5-8
minutes.
5. Add the boiling liquid and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Peel and finely slice the potato and add to the soup.
Boil for a further 10 minutes and remove from the heat.
7. Pour the soup into a liquidiser and blend for 5
minutes, so the soup becomes silky in texture.
8. Poach the smoked haddock in milk for 4-5 minutes and
remove.
9. Carefully flake the smoked haddock using your
fingers, into 4 soup bowls. Warm the soup and pour over the
haddock. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.
SCOTTISH LOBSTER & SMOKED HADDOCK SOUFFLE &
LOBSTER CAPPUCCINO
Serves 4
Lobster soufflé base
1 lt. lobster stock
50g un-salted butter
50g plain flour
30g grated parmesan
1 egg yolk
Special equipment: 4x10cm diameter non stick tartlet
moulds
Method
1. Bring lobster stock to the boil
2. Melt the butter in a heavy based sauce pan.
3. Stir the flour to form a roux, add te lobster stock
gradually while stirring with a wooden spoon, cook over a
low heat for 10 mins.
4. Remove from the heat, add the egg yolk & parmesan
& mix together.
5. Tranfer into a bowl & cover with cling film.
Lobster sauce:
500ml lobster stock
250ml double cream
1 clove garlic (sliced)
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Armagnac/Brandy
50g un-salted butter
Method:
1. Boil together the lobster stock, sliced garlic &
Cayenne pepper & reduce to 250ml
2. Add the cream & Armagnac & simmer for 5
mins
3. Finnish with 50g of butter, whisking into the sauce
until melted, pass through a sieve & place aside
Soufflé:
4 egg white
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of lobster soufflé base
30g grated parmesan
2 drops of lemon juice
Brush each tartlet mould with soft butter & place
in the fridge to set, then repeat the process &
sprinkle with some finely grated Parmesan; this will
prevent the soufflé from sticking.
Preparing & cooking (pre set the oven to 200C)
1. Place 4 spoons of lobster into a large bowl
2. Wisk the egg whites to form soft peaks add a third of
the egg whites to the lobster base beat with a whisk until
smooth, then fold in the remaining whites, place a few
pieces of lobster & haddock, on top of each soufflé,
and cook in a hot oven for 8 min.
3. Bring the lobster sauce to the boil & pour into 4
warm soup plates. Turn out the soufflé & serve
immediately.
BRAISED SHIN OF SCOTTISH BEEF
Serves 10
2.5 kg boneless shin of beef
1 medium onion 1 large carrot
3 celery stalks 1 head of garlic
3 springs of fresh thyme 1 bottle of red wine
(Cabernet Sauvignon)
1.5 lt of veal stock 2 lt of chicken stock
30g plain flour
Method:
1. Trim the shin of beef of all silver sinew and cut
into 5 cm pieces. Place in a large bowl cover with red wine
and leave for 24 hours.
2. Drain the meat and place on a kitchen towel to remove
any excess moisture, keeping the wine for use later on.
3. Peel and chop the vegetables into 3 cm dice cut the
garlic in half
4. Season the meat and colour in a very hot pan, then
place in a suitable casserole pan. Caramelize the
vegetables until golden brown then add to the meat.
5. Add the red wine to the casserole pan and reduce
until it becomes a glaze then add the flour and mix well
cover with the veal and chicken stocks add the thyme and
garlic bring to the boil then place a paper cartouche on
top and cook in a oven pre-heated to 180C for 2 1/2 to 3
hours.
6. Remove from the oven, the beef should be very tender
so that you can cut it just with a spoon and the sauce is
rich and dark in colour. Allow to cool down before removing
the beef and passing the sauce through a fine sieve.
POTATO PUREE
Serves 4 - 6
1kg Golden Wonder potatoes, Maris piper or Belle de
Fontaney
1 teaspoon of salt
150g unsalted butter
150ml warm milk
Method
1. Peel and wash potatoes.
2. Cut into slices 3cm thick slices and wash off any
excess starch. Place in a pan and cover with cold water.
Add 1 teaspoon of table salt and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Make sure that they only simmer and when cooked drain off
the water. Allow to dry in the pan, this can be done by
warming over a little heat to evaporate any moisture.
3. Pass through a potato ricer or potato masher. Add the
butter, then whisk in the warm milk, season with salt and
place aside.