RIB-EYE STEAKS WITH CHIPS AND BEARNAISE SAUCE

Ingredients

For the béarnaise sauce

2 tbsp tarragon vinegar

50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 egg yolks

200g/7oz unsalted butter, melted

salt and black pepper

¼ lemon, juice only

2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves, finely chopped

For the chips

vegetable oil, for deep frying

400g/14oz frozen chips

For the rib-eye steaks

4 x 280-350g/10-12oz rib-eye beef steaks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g/1¾oz butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation method

For the béarnaise sauce, place the vinegars, white peppercorns and shallot into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.

Remove the peppercorns and pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl. Add the egg yolks to the bowl and whisk well.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk the eggs together until pale and thick. Gradually add the melted butter, whisking constantly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the lemon juice and chopped tarragon leaves. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the warm pan until ready to serve.

For the chips, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 160C/325F. 

Place the chips in the fryer, a few at a time, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender but not coloured. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and increase the temperature on the fryer to 190C/375F.

Meanwhile, for the rib-eye steaks, season the steaks with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a frying pan until very hot and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter is foaming, add the steaks and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat, cover and rest in a warm place for at least two minutes before serving.

For the chips, return the chips to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked all the way through. Remove the chips again using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt to taste.

To serve, pile the chips on one side of each plate. Place the steak next to the chips along with a spoonful of béarnaise sauce.

Gaelic Coffee (traditional Scottish coffee)

Here are some good ways to round off a meal - whether it has been a Scottish one or not.

Ingredients: 

3 dessertspoons Drambuie liqueur/whisky 
1 level dessertspoon light brown sugar 
Fresh, strong coffee 
Double cream

Method: 

Heat a stemmed wine glass with hot water and dry quickly. Add the Drambuie and stir in the sugar. Pour in the coffee, leaving an inch below the rim. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and pour in the cream over the back of a teaspoon so that it floats on the surface to the depth of about half an inch.

Black pudding and goat's cheese

Ingredients

2 slices black  pudding

2 slices of goat's cheese (with rind)

1-2 teaspoons of modena balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of clear honey

mixed salad leaves and a few cherry tomatoes.

Method

1. cook the black pudding slices on a baking sheet or tray under a medium grill.

2. when nearly cooked through, place the slices of goat's cheese on top of the black pudding slices and return to grill under a low heat.

3. combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a teacup.

4. when the goat's cheese has softened and gone very light brown, remove from grill and transfer to a serving plate.

5. garnish with the salad leaves and a few chopped cherry tomatoes and then drizzle the plate with the balsamic dressing.

6. serve and enjoy

BALMORAL CHICKEN

Ingredients       

150g/5oz chopped haggis, 2 chicken breasts, 4-6 rashers of streaky bacon, whisky sauce.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200’C (400’F and Gas6).

Use a knife to cut a slit along the side of each chicken breast. Do not cut all the way along, leave about 1-2cm at the ends.

Slot haggis into the chicken breasts.

Wrap the chicken in 2 or 3 slices of bacon.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Optional: cover the chicken breasts in foil for extra moisture.

Serve with vegetables and pour whisky sauce over top.

This dish can also be made with black pudding.

Whisky sauce ingredients

250ml of chicken stock, 2tbsp of whisky, 100ml of double cream, 1tbsp of Dijon mustard, 20g butter.

Preparation

Mix chicken stock and whisky in a pan, bringing to the boil and reducing the volume by half.

Add the mustard and cream, continue to stir.

Add butter, this will thicken the sauce. Ready to serve.

BAKED POTATO

ingredients

2 fat, floury potatoes 

olive oil

flaked sea salt

for the gratinated smoked trout filling

2 smoked trout fillets

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives

2 handfuls grated mature cheddar cheese

1 tsp hot horseradish sauce or english mustard

2 large knobs of butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the curried cream cheese topping

150g/5oz cream cheese

1 tbsp medium curry paste

4 spring onions or ½ small red onion, chopped

2.5cm/1in piece cucumber, chopped into dice

1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

small handful chopped fresh mint or coriander leaves

good squeeze of lemon or lime juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

preparation method

preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.

wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick several times with a fork. pour some olive oil into your hands and rub over the potatoes, then scatter over some sea salt which should stick to the oil. place directly on the shelf in the oven and bake for 1¼-1½ hours, depending on the size of the potato. when cooked, the potato should be golden-brown and crisp on the outside and give a little when squeezed. serve split open with lots of salted butter or try one of the fillings below.

for the gratinated smoked trout filling, preheat the grill to medium-high.

split the baked potatoes in half and scoop out most of the fluffy flesh with a fork into a bowl. flake in the trout and add the parsley or chives, three-quarters of the cheese, the horseradish or mustard and butter and stir with the potato flesh until just combined. season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

spoon back into the potato skins, sit on a baking sheet and scatter over the remaining cheese. grill until the cheese is bubbling and pale golden-brown.

for the curried cream cheese topping, mix together all of the curried cream cheese ingredients and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.