Sea Bass with fennel veloute, potato fondant, sweet potato and garlic crisps, spinach purée, carrots, ginger, leeks

With a little care, it is possible to fillet most fish without gutting the fish first, which is what I did below. Just be careful to leave the guts in tack around the belly. Give it a go!  

To cook the garlic chips, place the fine slices in milk and bring to boil, then drain and discard the milk. Do this three times before frying, this helps retain the sweetness of the garlic. 

To get really vibrant green vegetables such as the below spinach purée there are a few essential tips.  Use a large pan of very salted water.  The pan should be much larger than needed for the quantity of vegetables to ensure that the water temperature does not drop when you place the veg in.  If you reduce the temperature below boiling, the colour will leach out.  Then once cooked (and don't over cook), immediately place the veg into iced water to reserve the colour. 

 Chocolate Grenache Ravioli - hip bustingly deep fried.

Tempura Oysters in a Marsalla Wine and Fish Stock reduction

First time ever for me preparing oysters. I had them once when I was young and still remember the fishy salty yucky taste and their slimy texture. So I was a little nervous tasting this but my word, absolutely brilliant. Not slimy, not fishy or salty but smooth, soft and brilliant. Garnished with a little dill from the garden.  Gave me a good opportunity to use some of the gallons of home-made fish stock sitting in my freezer after getting more fish bones from Eddies.

Never Ending Lasagne

Decided to make a massive lasagne, no idea why as the wife is away next week. This picture was after our two portions for dinner, still loads left.  Lasagne for breakfast lunch and dinner all this week I think.The top is overly crispy due to Lindsey's preferences possibly an acquired taste after years of her 'cordon noir' cooking.  Some home-made bread to mop up the juiced too. To be fair, Lindsey has never burnt anything :-)

Eggs Benedict on Bagels

Poaching the perfect egg is a difficult thing to achieve especially if you are as fussy as me.  They say it is absolutely essential to use really fresh eggs as that's what holds the whites together.  However, getting your hands on one is very difficult if you don't own a restaurant.  Often you buy eggs that have been sitting out on a self for days so you really just don't know.  Anyway, home-made hollandaise sauce and perfect poached eggs is a very good start to the day.
If you are cooking lots of poached eggs, you can poached them for 1.5 to 2 mins then sit them in a bowl of iced water and when ready to use, reheat for about 20 seconds eggs no longer and serve.

Shetland Scallops on Eddoe Mash with Spicy Pea Purée

I have been getting a request for a scallop dish, so to appease the masses, here is a wee number I came up with. This time I went down the Gordon Ramsay route of cutting the scallops in half which makes them easier to cook rather than gambling on getting too rubber or being a little raw in the middle. Actually if you get really good fresh scallops you could eat them raw in the middle.  Last weekend I had sushi with some scallops and the quality of these Shetland Scallops via Eddies Seafood market in Marchmont, you can guarantee, these were swimming in the the sea yesterday. They were soft, sweet and succulent.

The pea purée was put through a tamis which made a huge difference to the finesse and quality and I added some chilli and paprika to spruce it up a bit. This is the first time I have cooked Eddoe, which is a nutty flavoured root vegetable rather like a potato. I gave incorrect instructions to my sous chef (Lindsey) and asked her to peel them first. Actually you should cook them first before peeling. I am not sure if I like the eddoe but I think it is more of a taste thing rather than the cooking method, however I think I'll try again and cook them properly next time, maybe not with sweet scallops but more of a spicy Caribbean dish to suit their origins.  Still, it is worth an experiment and now I know what they go with for next time.

Sea Urchin Soup

Sea Urchin Soup, looks great but it was just a little bit fishy for me.  I did feel sorry for the poor little blighter when I cut it open.  It's rather hit or miss with urchins, some and quite big when you cut them open others aren't.  This one was tiny. Cooked it with garlic and cream with a little fennel.  You can eat them raw, I might try that next time, if there is a next time??

Monkfish and truffle risotto with peppers and broccoli purée

Baked monkfish with truffle risotto made with my home made fish stock.  I've never really had truffle before, this was one brought back from Brussels by my wife and the risotto was finished off with truffle butter. I use yellow and orange peppers, grilling the skin to burnt and blistered then putting them in a bowl covered with cling film to cool, before removing the skins. I also added some caramelised onions and salsify to the centre of the broccoli purée (but that picture didn't come out well).

40th Birthday Dinner

I finally reached 40 and I decided to roll-out the red carpet for some of the family. Below is my menu from 10th Sept 2010.

Home cured Gravlax infused with coriander

& ginger with a Hovmästarås dressing

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Sea Bass fillet with boulangere potatoes

arrowleaf spinach & a herb velouté

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Elderflower ginger strawberry

amuse bouche

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Galloway venison fillet with potato &

sweet potato mash in a red wine sauce

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Mint and Strawberry Ying & Yang sorbets

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I cured the Gravlax at home and used ginger and coriander as well as dill and served it with a Swedish sauce.

The Seabass herb velouté and potatoes were made with my own fish stock which I made after popping into Eddies Seafood Market in Marchmont, Edinburgh. They gave me the bones of five or six lemon sole which I boiled up with some onion, fennel and thyme. The herbs all came from my little garden.

The venison I bought on line from Blackface.co.uk, it arrived in one long sliver loin fillet and it was gorgeous meat. It went down very well and was served pink.

The sorbets were a bit of a giggle, rather psychedelic but a bit of fun. I just broke up the mixes in the freezer with a fork. They didn't exactly come out very smooth so since then I have bought my own ice cream machine.

Oddly enough the amuse bouche almost stole the show. I used the St Germain Elderflower liqueur, with ginger beer and frozen mashed strawberry ice droplets.

As for my birthday presents, all cooking (food or drink) related; some new kitchen knives, a tamis, mondolin, chinois, a Martin Wishart cooking lesson, a pestle and morter, silicone spatulas, magic and thanks all.

Seabass with Curried Veloute and Coconut Peas

I do love seabass and I hardly ever cooked fish two years ago. How things have changed. This was in a curried veloute but not too overpowering.

Salad of Seared Tuna with a Sauté of Treviso

I enjoyed this which was surprising as I have always had the impression that tuna is a bit like cat food. Possibly because I've not had tuna cooked like this before. I sautéed the Treviso (or red chicory)after dusting it with icing sugar. The treviso was a little bitter so it was not perfect but something to work on. It was a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

Fillet Steak with Redcurrant and Red Wine Sauce and Beetroot, Turnip and Parsnip Dauphinoise

Thick red wine sauce, looks a bit like chocolate. I used a lot of port in the sauce, the redcurrants were a bit sour. I tried the dauphinoise using beetroot, turnip and parsnip. I have decided I don't really like beetroot it tastes too much like mud for my liking. Soya beans and panchetta. Possibly a bit too many flavours on the plate!

Gnocchi Mad

I went a bit mad and made far too much gnocchi. 2kg of potatoes baked in the over for 1.5 hours on a bed of salt. Its great for freezing but we spent most of Sunday evening rolling and shaping the stupid wee things.


Gnocchi with Meatballs
The great news is that the kids loved the gnocchi as well. I didn't tell them it was made with potato until afterwards but it worked. The wee soles spent ages rolling out the meatballs and actually did a really good job.

Clams with Panchetta in a Port Jus with Samphire

I absolutely loved these clams really sweat and went well with the port just and panchetta. Reminder to self, I really need to buy more clams.


Ah yes also found this picture, chicken and sag korma.

Razor Clams White Wine and Herb sauce.

I'd actually just realised that I have a few dishes I haven't posted and how could I forget the razor clams.

Sauté the diced carrots then set aside. Heat a large pan then place the razor clams, 100ml white wine and shallots in together, they only take about a minute to cook and it is important not to over cook them. Then remove (reserving the wine), and chop up the clams. Reduce the wine by half then add some whipping cream, chives, carrots and dill. As the cream thickens, add the clams and lemon juice and serve in their shells.

Venison with Red Wine Sauce and Rosemary Herb Oil

I'm gutted this picture didn't come out well as this a cracking plate of food. I bought the venison from the farmer's market in Edinburgh and it was very tender. Nothing too complex, just leeks, mashed potatoes and venison in a thick red wine sauce.
There are two schools of thought to a red wine sauce, one where you sweat the onions in oil/butter first(then add pepper corns, garlic and bay leaves) and then skim off the fat when it is reducing. The other one is those that don't use butter as the sauce is said to split. Either way you can get the same result and you need to cook for at least 45mins to reduce the wine, then sieve off the onions etc. The rosemary herb oil just completed the dish.


The above picture didn't come out well and I just happened to find another venison dish I did but haven't posted, venison in a beetroot and caper jus, and sweat potato and potato mash.

Belly of Pork with Sage Anya Potatoes and Caramelised Shallots and Leeks

Amazingly enough, this was the first time I have cooked pork belly and there are conflicting ways to cook it. I went for Tom Kitchin's suggestion to cook it fat side down for an hour then flip it over and cook for another 40 mins. The result, crackalacking! I was really pleased with the accompaniments on this one. I sweated the leeks and shallots with some pancetta then added sugar to caramelise slightly before adding chicken stock and reducing. I always feel that pork needs a little bit of sweetness like an apple sauce, and the caramelised leeks and and shallots was just the ticket.

I've bought a big block of pancetta from the Foodies Festival in Edinburgh. It is great, it is cured so you don't need to keep it in the fridge, its just hanging from my cook books in the kitchen.


I added some sage from the garden to beurre monte (emulsified butter, just whisked into a splash of boiling water) and added a little cream before adding this to the anya potatoes.

Lemon saybon tart with honey mascrapone cream

There is a lot of whisking with this one, just a shame the kids didn't like it. I stole the recipe from The French Laundry which is an American book and restaurant and it was a little sharp.

Smoked Haddock and soya bean risotto

On old favourite of mine, this time with soya beans as an alternative to spinach.

Sri Lankan Curry with Basmati Rice

I cook a lot of curries and decided to do something really different with this one, I wish I had written down what I did as it went down very well. I'm not sure why I have called this a Sri Lankan curry, I'm just have a feeling that their curry's are a little fruitier. I used a lot of amchoor(mango)powder, fenugreek and star anise which gave it a different flavour and I deep fried the chicken in spicy breadcrumbs.

Sea Bass with a herb veloute, peppered spinach, boulangere potatoes and leaks

The veloute really made this dish, I used a mixture of herbs from my garden especially lemon thyme, a small amount of marjoram and sage. Boulangere potatoes were cooked in fish stock for about 50 mins.

Apricot Soufflé Omelette

Sea Bass with Aubergine Caponata

Complex dish, but worth the effort. Even filleted the fish myself for this one. Aubergine, peppers, celery, nage, paprika, mini capers, golden raisins and toasted pine kernels.

Some basics

Home made tagliatelli with tomato and basil sauce. I have adopted a new recipe for my home made pasta and what a difference. 480g '00' flour, 2tbsp olive oil, 120ml cold saffron water, 4 egg yokes, 1 egg and pinch of salt. The secret is to add the water and oil very slowly and the essential ingredient to a good tomato based sauce is add some gastric (equal weight of white wine vinegar and sugar) to give it that sweet and sour experience.

North Indian chicken curry.

Chicken, chirozo, puy lentils and sweetcorn

Tarte Ta Tan

A Recipe Raymond Blanc's from the BBC programme

Pork loin with a lemon herb sauce.

Smoked haddock risotto with a beetroot salad

Fillet Steak with Port Reduction

Looks a little like chocolate sauce.

Whole Sea Bream with Tomato and Chirizo Salad

Soften onions and garlic in olive oil, then gut the fish, making sure to remove the gills. Once prepared, dry the fish then place lemon parsley and tarragon with the onion and garlic mixture inside and outside the fish. Put into the oven for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the fish.

Plum Crumble Frangipan Tart on a Flower of Plum Purée

This recipe is nicked from Gordon Ramsay's 3 Star Chef book. I fell in love with the presentation and the flower pattern which is a result of chocolate piping keeping a plum purée in the middle. It took a lot of work (especially for just one :-( person) but wow, it was a taste sensation and hardly touched the sides.

Pan Fried Sea Bass in Bengali Broth and Curried Potatoes

Getting the skin on a fillet of fish takes a bit or practice, the secret is to dry the skin well first then rub with corn flower.

This is a subtle spiced broth using mustard seeds, onions, garlic, turmeric, chilli, coriander, and tomato paste, cook with fish stock then strain the liquid for a clear broth. Cook the potatoes in spiced water with lots of turmeric to give them that lovely yellow colour.

Fillet of Beef on a bed of Spinach with Watercress and Celeriac Purées

Spent most of last night cooking, keeping myself busy with the family away. I was preparing my plum frangipan tart for later on in the week.

The above picture shows one of the tastiest dishes I've ever cooked, simple but really great. The peppery watercress purée combined really well with the creamy celeriac purée.

Now It Begins

For a while I've been getting keener and keener on cooking and trying to raise my game from a good home cook to a chef. Much of my inspiration must go to my beautiful wife for her encouragement and praise which has given me the confidence to try more things. So now it begins...

I did put an entry into MasterChef and even had a phone call from the programme about six weeks ago now. Since then I've really been trying to raise my game, just in case. I doubt I'll get on, but nothing ventured....

I've even started to take a few pictures of me creations and thought this blog would be a good way to keep a record. I've never been much of a pudding person, probably because I want to watch my weight but also I'd rather get some good healthy meat down my gob first. Anyway, I've been trying to get to grips with puddings, and in doing so I've been starting to get rather fond of them.

Lavender and Lemon Iinfused Floating Islands With a Summer Fruit Confit,Passion fruit,Strawberries,Blackberries and a Touilet Biscuit
I was quite proud of the below one that was my own creation and the combination blew me away. I had recently grown some lavender in my garden and as I'd never used it in cooking before, I decided it was about time I did. But what goes with lavender? It can be very over-powering, strong, flowery and could easily ruin a dish. However, get it just right and it could make a dish. I just began to imagine different taste combinations in my mind and mixed them together. Some worked in my mind others didn't. One that just felt right was lavender and passion fruit. I could imagine it, taste it, even smell it. So I tried it, and it was just as I had felt, smelt and tasted. I'd never seen this combination in a recipe (I am sure there are probably loads but I had never read about it) so for me it was a discovery, and a good one.

I managed to make the lavender subtle enough to make it compliment the passion-fruit but without being over powering. I very finely chopped about 3 fronds of lavender (per floating island) and also used about six in the milk to help infuse the flavour in the island whilst cooking. The floweriness was balanced by the sweetness of the confit and the fruit with the sharpness of the lemon, it was just perfect.

The odd thing is, I could go to the same local shop and buy the same fruit, but next week, it might be a different, the fruit might not quite be the same, not as sweet, slightly bitter and the whole dish would change.

Biscuit Tuiles are easy, quick and delicious, you can mound them into shapes when just out the oven and they can really add something to a desert.

50grams butter at room temperature, 50g icing sugar, 1 egg white, 30g plain flour (sifted). Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6, mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon until smooth, drop onto a baking sheet and spread into desired shape, then into the oven for 10 mins. When I brought this one out I curled it up inside a baking ring to give it a curled shape.

Venison with Beetroot Jus and Capers with Potato and Sweet Potato Mash

I'd never cooked venison before and would have to say it was a little over-cooked, no excuses really. I'm not much of a beetroot fan in general but the earthiness did go well with the sweet potato.

Poached Chicken breasts stuffed with onion, garlic basil and rosemary with a baby spinach and saffron infused valoute with sweet potato and a peppered spinach herb oil dressing

Poaching chicken is a simple way to ensure succulent breasts and can give your dish an extra special look to it.
For poaching, bash out your chicken breasts thinly between two pieces of cling film, season, fill with whatever you with, then roll up as tightly as you can.

Wrap in cling film very tightly, the wrap the cling film in tin foil. Pop in boiling water for ten minutes, then rest for ten in a warm place( as there will be lots of juices to come from it). Make sure you use good quality cling film, the sort that is microwave proof. Then slice and serve.

Here is another poached chicken dish, this one was stuffed with sage and caramelised onions and came with a mustard mash and a balsamic vinegar and sun dried tomato chutney.

I cheated as I didn't make the chutney myself, I just found it at the back of the fridge. The sage was a little too strong so I wasn't that happy with the dish but the onions went really well.

Monkfish en Papilotte with a Fennel stock cooked with Leeks, Ginger, Chirozo and a Mustard mash.

En Papilotte is cooking the fish, stock and vegetables it in the oven in two tightly wrapped sheets of tin foil, if you manage to get it air tight it blows up into a pillow shape.

Fillet Steak with a celeriac purée, pee purée and cubed roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary and a red wine reduction.

Presentation not the best, but if you are only having one course, you might want to dump a little more on the plate to fill yourself up.

I'm really into my celeriac purée just now. It's not something that I did until recently and now I just can get enough of it. Best way is to peel and chop it into small 2cm cubes, season then sweat in butter for 4 mins. Then cover with single cream or half whipping cream and half milk. Add a squeeze of lemon and then cook until soft (30-35 mins). Once cooked, blend it very well to form a smooth paste. You can do this before hand and then warm up before serving.

Prawns in Garlic With a Lemongrass and Chilli Veloute with a Mint Garnish

And finally, I'd better finish with a quick starter. I've also discovered veloute sauces and the magic things you can do with them. My research shows that there are two different ways of making a veloutes or at least two methods of creating something that people refer to as veloutes. The classic French veloute (or blond sauce) is basically a bechamel (or white sauce) made with stock instead of milk. A veloute sauce is one of the five 'mother' sauces of classic French cuisine.

The other way to make a veloute is more of a cheat, but then again it is described this way in the book 'Gordon Ramsay Three Star Chef' and I'm not going to argue with his expertise. His doesn't use any flour but instead he reduces onions, garlic and herbs and a dry vermouth down to a syrupy glaze, before adding the stock then reducing by half, then adding cream and reducing until it reaches the desired consistency. Put through a fine sieve and season as desired.

You can add what herbs you want to compliment the dish and similarly with the stock. I added lemon grass, chilli bay leaf and naturally I used fish stock to compliment the prawns.

I suppose in writing this, I have just realised my passion for it and perhaps this is what I really should focus on?