Chefs Recipes at Tigh na Sgiath Country House Hotel

STARTERS	MAIN COURSE	SIDE DISHES	DESERTS
soda bread	lamb cutlets	hasselback potatoes	pecan tart
pea soup	beef tournedos	cauliflower polonaise	white choc cheesecake
scallops			Scottish tablet
feta patties

Cream of Garden Pea and Apple Soup
with Soda Bread

Ingredients:  Serves 4 -6
25 g (1 oz) Butter 
1 small onion , skinned and chopped
Dash of Vegetable Oil
400ml (3/4 pt) vegetable stock
450g (1lb) Fresh Peas – or can use frozen peas
1 large Apple –peeled & cored & chopped into slices
4 tablespoons Single Cream
Pinch Sugar
Seasoning to taste

Method:

1. In a heavy based sauce pan - saute the onion in the butter with ½ teaspoon oil until soft – do not allow to burn.
2. Add the sliced apple and continue to cook until softened.
3. Add the Vegetable Stock & gradually bring to the boil.
4. Add the peas – if using frozen peas allow time to defrost before adding into stock.
5. Cover & cook gently for approx 40 minutes or until peas are soft.
6. Puree the soup in a blender or rub through a sieve if you require a very smooth soup.
7. Stir in the cream, add the sugar and season according to taste.
8. Garnish with sprig of mint & a swirl of cream.

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Soda Bread

Ingredients: Serves 6
170g/6oz self-raising wholemeal flour
170g/6oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
290ml/½ pint buttermilk

Method
1.Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.
2. Tip the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir.
3. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, mixing quickly with a large fork to form a soft dough. (Depending upon the absorbency of the flour, you may need to add a little milk if the dough seems too stiff but it should not be too wet or sticky.)
4.Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
5. Form into a round and flatten the dough slightly before placing on a lightly floured baking sheet.
6. Cut a cross on the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

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Grilled Moray Scallops and King Prawns with a Chardonnay
White Wine and Ginger Butter

Ingredients:  Serves 4
12 uncooked king prawns, shelled
12 Scallops

White Wine and Ginger Butter Sauce
75g or 3oz  Butter
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup Chardonnay White wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salad Leaves

To make Sauce - melt butter in sauce pan, add juice from grated fresh ginger (obtain by crushing in garlic press)-
add the crushed garlic, wine and fresh herbs and heat thoroughly.  Remove from heat.

Cut through back of each prawn, remove dark vein, press prawns open gently with knife.  Wrap a Prawn around each scallop, skewer with a cocktail stick to keep together - place on a tray, drizzle half the wine and ginger butter over the top of each skewered scallop and grill gently until tender, turning only once and  add remaining butter . Remove Skewer and serve immediately over a bed of Salad Leaves.

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Lightly Spiced Courgette, Carrot & Feta Cheese Patties

Ingredients: Serves 4
1 small onion
1 large courgette
2 large carrots
60g/2oz Feta Cheese
30g/1oz plain flour (or use gluten free flour if intolerance to gluten)
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp poppy seeds
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tsp curry powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 medium egg, beaten
30g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt & pepper to season

Method

1. Grate the carrots, courgette, onion & feta cheese coarsely by either a hand grater or a food processor.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, curry powder and fresh chopped coriander.
3. Add the carrot mixture to the seasoned flour, mixing well.  Stir in the beaten egg & continue to mix.  Add in the peanut butter & combine thoroughly.  If mixture looks too soft, add a tablespoon of flour & mix through. Mixture should be of a consistency to form a “pattie”.
4. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan.  Place heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan & slightly press down to flatten.
5. Fry for approx 2 minutes each side until crispy & golden in colour.
6. Once cooked, set aside to keep warm until service – they do need to be served fairly quickly once cooked - serve with a dip of your choice.

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Pan Fried Scottish Lamb Cutlets with an Armagnac, Apricot and Orange Glaze – an easy and quick dish if short of time.

Ingredients: Serves 4 (allowing 3 cutlets per guest)

12 Lamb Cutlets, trimmed
½ small onion – chopped finely
25g/1oz Dried Apricots, chopped finely
1 tablespoon thick cut orange marmalade
25g/1oz Butter
1 tsp oil
Dash Armagnac

Method:

1. Season lightly both sides of the lamb cutlets with salt & pepper.
2. In a large heavy based sauce pan, heat the butter & oil, add the lamb cutlets, sear on both sides – depending on how pink you prefer your lamb – the time will vary for cooking.
3. Remove lamb cutlets from pan and keep warm in the oven
4. Return the pan to the heat with the juices from the lamb – if juices look excessively fatty, drain some of the fat off.
5. Add the finely chopped onion & dried apricots to the pan & cook gently until both are softened.
6. Add in the dash of Armagnac & flambe.
7. Add the orange marmalade & stir well.  If you wish it to be a smooth glaze then remove from heat and blend using a hand blender, otherwise it can remain as is.
8. Arrange the lamb on the plate & serve glaze over the cutlets – it is a glaze & therefore does not have the quantity of a sauce/jus- if you prefer more quantity you can add some stock to the juices when cooking & allow to reduce to desired quantity.

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Tournedos of Orkney Gold Beef with a Chanterelle Mushroom, Arran Mustard
and Whisky Cream Sauce

Ingredients: Serves 4
4 x 7oz/175g Fillet of Orkney Beef
2oz/50g Butter
Drop of Vegetable Oil
2 Shallots
4oz/100g Chanterelle Mushrooms (washed & cleaned)
1 teaspoon Arran Mustard
2 tablespoons Whisky
150ml/1/4 pt Double Cream

Pre-heat frying pan, add 30g butter and very small drop of vegetable oil, when hot add the tournedos steaks
and sear each side, if too hot, reduce heat, cook to required taste. Remove and set aside on a warm plate on the bottom of a low heat oven.  To make the sauce, use same frying pan, add remaining butter, chopped shallots and fry gently until softened, add Chanterelle Mushrooms (if too large cut in half), saute, then add whisky and flambe, next add the Cream and Arran Mustard and a pinch of ground black pepper to season.  Sauce will start to thicken, return steaks to pan with sauce and serve immediately - can garnish top of each steak with sliced truffle (optional).

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Hasselback Potatoes - Similar to Roast Potatoes

Ingredients: Serves 4

Sunflower Oil for Roasting
4 medium Potatoes, peeled and halved lengthways to give 8
Salt & Pepper to season
1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Pour enough oil into a small roasting pan – just enough to cover the base, place in an oven set at 200C/400F/Gas6 to heat.
2. In the meantime, par boil the potatoes for approx 5 minutes, then drain. Cool slightly, then place each potato half with flat side down onto surface, then with sharp knife, make cuts across the rounded surface of the potato – almost to the bottom- the potato should remain whole – if you slice too far down the potato you will end up with individual slices.
3. Place the potatoes in the heated roasted pan & spoon over the hot oil. Season well & return the potatoes to the oven for approx 20-30mins.
4. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, slightly prise open the cuts on the potatoes & spoon the hot oil over the potatoes again, sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs & return to the oven for another 15-20 mins – they should be crispy & golden when cooked – similar to roast potatoes.
5. If you want a spicy Hasselback Potato, then sprinkle some cumin powder through the oil.

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Cauliflower Polonaise – this topping gives a bit of colour to cauliflower

Ingredients: Serves 6 (as side vegetable)

1 medium cauliflower, washed & trimmed into florets.
25g/1oz butter
25g/1oz fresh breadcrumbs (homemade if possible)
1 medium hard boiled egg, shelled & chopped.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to season

Method:

1. Cook cauliflower florets in boiling salted water for approx 15 minutes until tender. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan & sauté the breadcrumbs until golden.  Add the chopped egg, parsley, lemon juice & salt & stir together until mixed well.
3. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a heated serving dish & sprinkle with the egg & breadcrumb mixture.  Serve immediately.

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Pecan Tart

Ingredients: Serves 6 – Makes a 9in pie/flan

Shortcrust Pastry
200g/7oz plain flour
100g/3 ½ oz fat (half lard and other half either margarine or butter)
Approx 35ml or 7 (tsp) cold water
Pinch salt

Method:

1. Sift the flour with the pinch of salt in a large bowl, next add in the fat, cutting into small pieces.
2. Rub the fat through the flour, working quickly, until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the water & stir with a round bladed knife until the mixture forms a smooth, firm dough.  Cover with cling film & place in fridge to rest for approx 20 mins.
4. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.
5. Place into a  lightly greased 9in Pie/Flan Dish & trim pastry around the edges as necessary.
6. Bake Blind – i.e place a sheet of greased proof paper (greased side down) on top of pastry – fill it with uncooked dried beans to weight down the paper.  Cook at 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 for 10-15 mins.
7. Remove Paper & Beans & continue to cook at same temperature for 5 – 10 mins.
8. Remove from oven and set aside.

Pecan Filling
3 medium eggs
15ml (1 tablespoon milk)
175g /6oz Demerara sugar
150g /5oz maple or golden syrup
50g/2oz butter, softened
½ tsp vanilla essence
175g /6oz shelled pecans – halved

Whilst pastry is cooking prepare the pecan filling as follows:

1. In a bowl whisk together the eggs & milk.
2. In a heavy based saucepan dissolve the demerara sugar & syrup & boil for approx 3 minutes, ensuring it does not burn.  Stir the butter and vanilla essence into the syrup mixture.  Allow to cool slightly.
3. Slowly whisk the syrup mixture into the beaten eggs & milk.
4. Arrange the Pecan nuts onto the cooked pastry case, covering the bottom of the case completely.
5. Pour in the filling & spread.  Bake at 220C/425F/gas mark 7 for 10 mins, then at 170C/325F/gas mark 3 for 45mins – to test if cooked – insert a knife into centre of mixture – if cooked the knife should come out clean.

Serve immediately with Fresh Cream or Ice Cream of your choice.

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Traditional Scottish Tablet

Ingredients: Makes approx  30 small squares

2lb Granulated Sugar
1 large cup milk (ordinary milk is fine)
1 large tablespoon golden syrup
1 knob/approx 2oz butter
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Place all ingredients into a heavy based sauce pan & melt over a very low heat – stirring all the time.
2. Increase the heat slightly, stirring constantly, should start to simmer & bubble lightly, continue to cook for 10-15 mins – test to see if ready by placing a small teaspoon of the mixture into a cup of iced cold water – it should form a soft ball which you should be able to form between your fingers.  If not at soft ball stage return to heat & re-test in a few minutes time.
3. When soft ball stage is reached, remove pan from heat & place the pan on an oven cloth on a flat surface & beat with a wooden spoon by hand until mixture begins to grain & thicken – you will notice this around the edges of the pan.  Alternatively use an electric hand held beater.
4. When ready, pour mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 inch swiss roll tin & allow to cool.  Before completely set – mark out the squares with a sharp knife.
5. When cooled, remove squares & place in an airtight container.

Instead of Vanilla Essence you could try adding Whisky or a Cream Liqueur such as Heather Cream – the quantity that you add will depend on how much flavour you wish to have.

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White Chocolate and Amarula Cheesecake

Ingredients: Serves 4

5oz/125g Digestive Biscuits, crushed
3oz/75g Butter
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

8oz/225g White Chocolate
8oz/225g Full Fat Cream Cheese
150ml/1/4 pt Double Cream
3 tablespoons Amarula Liqueur or Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur

To make base of each cheesecake, melt butter in pan, add mixed spice, cinnamon and crushed biscuits, mix well.
Press into a 4in buttered metal ring on a baking tray, press down and smooth each base of cheesecake. Place in fridge.

To make Cheesecake filling, chop white chocolate into smaller pieces and place in pan over boiling water, melt gently and allow to cool slightly.
Whip Double Cream in a bowl until it reaches soft peak stage, then in separate bowl add cream cheese and mix until smooth.  Add Amarula or liqueur of your choice to cream cheese mixture.  Add the melted white chocolate to your cream cheese mixture and mix thoroughly, next fold in the whipped cream and mix well. 

Spoon into each mould and level each cheesecake, return to fridge until set (approx 2 hours)Remove cheesecake from each ring by placing a warmed damp cloth on outside and ease out with knife.  Garnish with Fresh Strawberries,
Fresh Cream and dusted icing sugar, serve immediately.

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