Me Myself and I

I thought I would fill you in on a little more about myself and why I like what I do!

As a wee girl I spent a lot of time cooking with my gran’s when they looked after me when I got home from school. I remember licking bowls out, attempting to flip pancakes with the special pancake knife and helping mash the tatties for tea. Over the years my passion for cooking has grown which led me to working in the kitchen at my mum and aunts restaurant. Picking up hints and tips from my uncle who was the head chef. This influenced what I decided to study at university. I have competed in cookery competitions for my local young farmers club. When I applied for my summer job, at the Blair Athol Watermill and Tearoom, I was hopeing that I could learn more about traditional methods used when making flour and further my knowledge of making bread. Although I now live I Dundee I still get a lot of inspiration from my home in Lanarkshire.

Who would'nt be inspired by this view.

One particular summer holiday has stuck in my mind and that was to Islay. This is where I was introduced to whisky. Before I went I didn’t realise how big an industry it was, or how diverse a range of whiskey there is. It was here getting to taste all the different  whiskey’s and the differences between single malts to blends and the distinctive flavours which come from whisky aged in Spanish Sherry casks or Port Casks. Ever since then I have never turned up the chance to try a new whisky and I must admit I tried an Indian whisky at the Highland Show a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. My heart will always lie with a good Scotch, single malt of course.

In Ardbeg distilery.

Not only do I love drinking whisky but I love cooking with it which is why I chose to start this blog so that I could write down all the ups and downs I have when trying to combine my passion for cooking with my love for whisky. Even though I consider myself a competent cook I do still have the odd disaster in the kitchen. But hopefully the people who read this blog will be able to learn from my mistakes and try some of my dishes at home. In my recipes some parts will be highlighted in purple these are hits and tips from me or suggestions of how you can alter the recipes if you can’t get the ingredients.

As you already know my blogs are not full of hard core whisky facts because that would even bore me. I want to tell you about my stories why, I choose recipes and maybe some of the amusing bits of information I have found out over the years. I hope you enjoy reading my blogs as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Picture Perfect

I have been given an amazingly exciting opportunity through university; I am getting to have a photography session with a professional food photographer. For this I wanted to use a dish that would look amazing, and that I could also have an amazing set to go with it. At the same time I want it to be personal to me and to reflect some of the things I have done in my life.

One dish sprang to mind: Medalions of Venison with Whisky and Bramble reduction served with Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Ayrshire Bacon. I cooked this dish for a young farmers cooking competition, I came first at the Lanarkshire round and second at the national competition. So not only is it a very tasty dish but one that I have tried, tested and love.

My special Ardbeg

As you know I wouldn’t be writing about this dish if it didn’t have whisky in it. The whisky I’m using  is especially important to me as i got it I on a family holiday on Islay when I was younger. It is by Ardbeg, is a limited edition it was made in 1990 and is called Airigh Nam Beist. It was produced in the year I was born and I received it for my 21^st birthday this year. Luckily I bought a miniature of it at the time as well so haven’t had to open my big bottle. People who have read my previous blogs may have seen the bottle or the box in some of my other photos.

Venison was my meat of choice as not only is it one of my favourites but it is really good for you and it is something that I have been familiar with all my life. Going back over 10 years my first close up encounter with a deer happened on our family  farm . I remember walking past the window of a shed through the murky darkness seeing something unusual so I opened the door and peaked around it and there hanging by its hind legs was a deer. Not just any deer but the first one ever to be shot on the farm. Intrigued I asked my gran what it was and she replied “your dinner, in about 2 weeks”.  I didn’t think any more of it and quite happily ate and enjoyed it and have done ever since.

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Deer on Islay

Since those early days I have been fascinated by deer I love the heir of majesty they have with their great antlers, I remember driving through Glen Coe with my granddad it was late at night but the anticipation of seeing the deer kept me up. Mile after mile went by and nothing then as we rounded a corner there stood a magnificent stag standing on a wee hillock proud antlers showing as he watched over his harem of hinds. I chose to put an antler in my photo as it is probably the most iconic part of the deer. My thanks have to go to the kind staff at Highland Game who supplied me with it and the beautiful venison for the recipie below.

Medallions of venison with Whisky and Bramble reduction

I serve this dish with sautéed savoy cabbage and Ayrshire bacon but you can really put almost anything with it.

You will need: A steamer.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Venison:                                              Cabbage:

6 medallions of venison                        ½ savoy cabbage

10g butter                                           4 slices of Ayrshire bacon

20mls Bramble jelly                              10g butter
100mls whisky                                    
200mls Chicken stock
Handful of fresh brambles

Method:

Venison:

Melt the butter in a frying pan, once hot put in your medallions of venison and fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Once they have been cooked on both sides remove from the pan and put on a plate to rest.
*This meat will be rare, but if you prefer it more well done cook for longer on either side.
To the same pan add the whisky, bramble jelly and some fresh brambles.

*The pan may go in fire when you add the whisky, don’t panic, turn the heat down and the flames will go out after all the alcohol has burned off.

Add the chicken stock and let the sauce reduce on a low heat, once it has reduced by half put the venison back in the pan as well as any of the juices which may have come out of it while it was resting.

*Putting the venison juices in to the sauce improves the flavour.

Let the sauce reduce a little more and serve.

Cabbage:

Slice the bacon finely, heat the butter in a pan and fry the bacon until crispy.

*If you cannot get Ayrshire bacon any good quality smoked back bacon will work too.

Roughly slice the cabbage, and steam for about a minute.

*If you don’t have a steamer you can also use a pot, put a little water in the bottom of it put a lid on it and bring to the boil, put the cabbage in and return lid for a minute then drain.

Once it has steamed put it in the pan with the bacon and fry everything together for a few minutes.

To plate up; put venison on a plate with some of the cabbage and drizzle over the whisky and bramble jus.

The finished Photo