How to throw a Burns Night supper
To celebrate Burns Night, Michelin-starred Scottish chef Michael Smith has travelled all the way from Lochbay Restaurant on the Isle of Skye to make a traditional Burns supper for us.
He'll show us how to get our favourite traditional Scottish dishes right - with everything from cullen skink, haggis, neeps and tatties and whisky syllabub.
Clapshot and whisky sauce
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the clapshot
500g turnip (swede) peeled and roughly chopped1 medium onion, peeled and diced500g potatoes, (floury are best) peeled and quartered70ml double cream6 spring onions, finely chopped70g butter, dicedRresh chivesSalt and pepper
For the whisky sauce
500ml/17fl oz double creamhalf a lamb stock cube, dissolved in little water from boiled kettle2 tsp wholegrain mustard1 tbsp Dijon mustard2 tsp whiskyCurly parsley, finely chopped½ lemon, juice only
Method
To make the clapshot, boil the turnip and chopped onion together in a large pan for 10 minutes
Add the potatoes and continue to boil until the potatoes are tender. Drain.
In a small pan, add the cream and spring onion and bring to gently bring to boil then remove from the heat
Begin to mash the vegetables, adding the butter and the cream infusion as you go. Check for seasoning.
Once mashed, garnish with the finely chopped chives
To make the whisky sauce, heat the double cream and stock in a pan over a medium heat
Add the wholegrain mustard, Dijon mustard and whisky and stir to combine
Increase the heat until the mixture is simmering and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.
Cullen skink
Serves: 4
Ingredients
500g undyed smoked haddock, skin on150ml double cream1 glass dry white wineA bay leafKnob of butter1 onion, peeled and finely chopped1 leek, washed and cut into chunks2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks350ml whole milk100g mashed potato (optional)Chives, chopped, to serveSalt and black pepper
Method
Remove the skin from the fish, then put the skin into a small pan, add the cream and gently bring to simmer.
Remove from the heat and strain out the skin to leave the flavoured cream
Put the fish into a pan large enough to hold it comfortably, then cover with the wine and about 250ml cold water. Add the bay leaf, and simmer for 3 minutes. By this time the fish should be just cooked – if it's not, then give it another minute or so. Remove from the pan, and set aside to cool.
Melt the butter in another pan on a medium-low heat, add the onion and the leek, then cover with a lid and allow to sweat until softened, without colouring, for about 10 minutes. Season with black pepper.
Add the potato and stir to coat with butter
Pour in the haddock cooking liquor and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potato is tender.
Meanwhile, remove the skin, and any bones from the haddock, and break into flakes
Lift out a generous slotted spoonful of potatoes and leeks, and set aside. Discard the bay leaf. Add the milk and cream, and half the haddock to the pan, and either mash roughly or blend until smooth-ish.
Season to taste, and serve with a generous spoonful of the potato, leek and haddock mixture in each bowl, and a sprinkling of chives
Iced syllabub with ginger jelly
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the syllabub
300ml / ½ pint double cream1 lemon, juice and zest100g castor sugar2 tsp heather honey1 clove head, crushed finelyNon-peaty whisky to taste
For the jelly
200ml Crabbies Ginger Wine (must be Crabbies)1 leaf Bronze gelatine, softened in cold watershortbread, to serve
Method
To make the syllabub, whisk all the ingredients together until thick
Place into mould(s) and freeze for at least 8 hours
To make the Jelly, heat half of the wine gently
Squeeze out the softened gelatine and whisk into the wine until dissolved
Add the rest of the wine and refrigerate overnight to set
Serve the syllabub and jelly together with shortbread