Christmas Dinner 2011

Starter - Scallops with Prawn and Haddock Tortellini and a Chorizo Cream
I've been playing around with making my own tortellini fillings for a while now and getting the pasta thickness just right.   If it is too thin, you cannot place them individually on a plate as they are self supporting but have them too thick and they are wasted.  I've found that the second thinest setting is the best on my pasta machine.

The filling is 70 prawn, 30% haddock or white fish.  Gently poach or bake the haddock but don't over cook as it will also have some cooking in the tortellini. Put the prawn and haddock with a little splash of single cream in a mini-chopper for a few seconds.  I also added a little taragon but not to much. Then that makes your filling, with any left overs, use that to place in the centre and build your green leaves on top to give height.

Chorizo and scallops is a well known combination but it can often over power the flavour of the scallops but if used as a chorizo cream, this leaves a subtle taste that is not overpowering.  Cook the chorizo first, then adding cream, put into a mini-chopper.  Put this through a tamis or sieve and you are left with a mild chorizo cream.  If you can leave the chorizo in the cream for a longer time, this will allow the flavours in infuse more.

Mains - Roast Pork from Sunnyside Farm with Sausages (the one I butchered), Celeriac Puree and all the trimmings.

Desert - Chocolate Ganach with Mango Jelly, Vanilla Ice Cream and a Baileys Cream Sauce.

Scallops with Lemon and Coriander Risotto

Risotto made with my own fish stock.  These were caught that morning so were as fresh as they come. If you get the correct scallops you are much better to under cook than over cook, and a little raw in the middle with fresh muscles is how I like them.

Thai Scallops then Pepper and Cranberry encrusted Venison Fillet

Delicately flavoured Thais sauce using home make fish stock, ginger, lemon rind, tamarind, garlic and garnished with coriander. Should have more colour on the scallops but I turned the wrong pan down, doh!

Venison encrusted with crushed black pepper and cranberry with a garlic puree, dauphinoise potato and kale. I smeared the venison with Dijon mustard to help the crust stick.

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.