Burns Night in Loch Lomond, Scotland

I'm taking you back. Way back. The year is now 2016. It's taken that long to get round to posting this!

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Did I want to cater for a Burns weekend in Scotland? Try stopping me! We spent summer holidays from when I was aged 10 - 18 in different parts of the west coast & islands of Scotland. It was so good to be back!

We had catered for this group before in the Cotswolds - 3 families, one Irish, one Scottish, one Welsh. Last time they had met in the Cotswolds, but this time it was Scotland, and we must have done a good job, because they wanted us back for their next event, celebrating, among other things, Robbie Burns.

Stuckgowan House sits above Loch Lomond, looking over Ben Lomond. WHAT A DREAM HOUSE! The pic below really doesn't do the house justice - it's huge!

The view over Loch Lomond. As walks to work go - this sure has it! 

Having worked in 4 and 5 star hotels for 10 years, it comes as a surprise when a hotel says 'no'. Can I plug my refrigerated van in, while we're staying with you? No.
OK, well that was fine. After driving 9 hours up to Loch Lomond, I plugged the refrigerated van into the house we were working at, then hiked the 4 miles back to the hotel in the dark along the main road, and back again in the morning, this time finding the coastal route - bliss!

The old road right on the water's edge has been turned into a footpath, replaced by the road I had followed in the dark the night before.

Ben Lomond

So much of the time, you walk around and everyone's either talking into their phones or they have earphones in with the music they're listening too drowning out the real world. Take the earphones out, and you catch the sound of a waterfall, the lapping of the waters of Loch Lomond on the shore, the sound of the firs high above shimmering in the slight breeze. That's the sound of nature. Magic moments. Why do we make everything so complicated?

 Soon enough, of course, it was time to get into the kitchen....,.,.,

Love the lighting behind the Everhot range - there's a remote to change the colour. We didn't test it of course..... much.

A kitchen with a view!

We started with Saturday brunch. Most of the rest of the pics are quite bad quality as they were taken by the guests with flash. Oh well, maybe next time......

Homemade Bagels with Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon

Poached Eggs Florentine

There was also American pancakes with maple syrup and a platter of bacon, potato rosti and grilled tomatoes.

Later that night it was on to the main event.......

 Catered 5 Course Burns Night Supper
 One of the main reasons for celebrating, as well as being Burn's Night was the hostess of the event had been given a diagnosis of the remission of cancer - always a good reason to celebrate! They did so in style with a bottle of Cristal champagne.

... which went nicely with some Burn's Night and Scottish/ Irish inspired canapes 

Potato Wafers with Scottish Smoked Salmon, Watercress and Horseradish

Spoon of Slow Roast Duck with Apple Sauce and Crisp Walnut Crumble

Figs with Honey and Lanarkshire Blue Cheese

Spiced Roast Pheasant with Redcurrant Compote on Homemade Mini Aberdeen Butteries

Aberdeen Butteries are really something you need in your life!

 Cullen Skink with Toast Spoons
They had liked it so much the last time we served it, they wanted it for this event too.

Grilled King Scallops with Goats Cheese and Hazelnut Crust

As tradition goes, before the main course goes in, the haggis was paraded around the room behind the piper.

Chicken Balmoral with Neeps 'n Tatties & Drambuie Cream

Aka Free range corn-fed chicken filled with haggis, wrapped in pancetta with creamed potato, swede fondant and sauteed kale.

They had also like the Hendrick's gin & tonic sorbet so much last time, we served it this time as well (I took the sorbet machine up there). This time I added raspberry coulis to the mix.  Laying it out flat on a tray in the freezer it was just frozen in the nick of time - love living on the edge!

Dessert as a trio of desserts:

Steamed Clootie Dumpling with Clotted Cream

Apple Tart with Whisky Caramel Pecan, Walnut, Pine Nut and Hazelnut Topping

Plum Tarte Tatin with Dundee Orange Marmalade Ice Cream

Sunday Lunch

After a continental breakfast/ hangover cure, later in the afternoon there was just time for a restorative late Sunday Lunch. 

 Butternut Squash Soup served in a Homemade Bread Roll Bowl

Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding - how English!

Followed by Apple pie. 

And that was that. A good night's sleep on Sunday night, and then the drive back to the Cotswolds on Monday, then Tuesday it was on to shopping for the ingredients for Friday and Saturday nights parties. And then 350 people the week after. Go, go, go!

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Eggs Benedict for a pre-wedding breakfast in Chepstow, Monmouthshire

"That kettle doesn't seem to be working"
"I think someone has filled it too full" She pours some water out, switches it on. It works again.
"Wow - you're a genius!"
"...I'm a mother!"

Think of a fantasy breakfast you could have served up before you set off for your wedding. Eggs Benedict has to be right up there doesn't it?!
Home Farm bacon (or ham if you prefer) and poached eggs on toasted english muffins topped off with freshly made hollandaise (see hollandaise recipe here).

I served this on Saturday for a party before they set off to their wedding.

It's a while since I served 24 people on my own. Luckily I had some help from some of the guests when it came to plating up.

"Look at those yolks!"
"Look John - that's how you poach eggs!"

Using the best eggs helps of course:

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Chef in Venice #7 - Poached eggs with parma ham on toasted ciabatta

"We should write a 'survival guide to Venice on a budget'" said my friend last week.

Chiesa St. Barnaba..... at 8am (early start that day)

Chapter one would certainly be titled 'Cook for yourself'. Self catering should mean just that - it's hard to get out from a restaurant under €100 for 2 - and believe me, everyone you meet will like to tell you so, and that's before they start on the price of drinks. But go to the local Billa supermarket and markets in campo St. Margherita (not the Rialto - that's where tourists go) and that €100 goes a long way!

This was breakfast one day - poached eggs with parma ham on toasted ciabatta. When you're traversing the Ventian streets in search of Biennale exhibits you need a decent start

The eggs were supposed to be for making pasta - hence the vivid orange yolks. Didn't stretch to making pasta - it was a holiday after all - but they were rather good like this!

Don't forget the coffee though - it starts every Italian's day. It also has to get a mention in surviving Venice on a budget - make a macchiato at your place and it's going to be around 10 cents vs €2 - €3 (most often around the €3 mark) when you are out and about. Might be wonderful coffee (actually nobody makes it like the Italians, but still, when you're just a poor chef.......

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Previous Venice postings

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Breakfast delivery

Breakfast delivery - everything you need for breakfast. Ideal for a weekend away in the Cotswolds. This particular breakfast delivery was for guests staying at Wellacres and Oak House as part of a 4 day wedding event.

We also do traditional english breakfast with bacon and sausages from Home Farm, Oakfield organic portobello mushrooms - click here to link to the english breakfast delivery post.

Shown above:

Broadway apple juice
Milk
Bananas
Apple and berry compote
Poached pears
Yogurt for both of the above
Home made almond and cranberry granola
Homemade luxury museli
Homemade Hedgerow jelly from Dove Cottage in Broadway
Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs
Homemade loaves of bread - a variety of granary, sesame & poppy seed, apricot and pinenut, pumpkin seed


Breakfast menu
Brunch menu

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English breakfast delivery
Breakfast muffins
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1001 kitchen tips # 40 - How much does an egg weigh?

Around Christmas time your fridge fills up with all sorts of things, half of which may end up being wasted two weeks later when you can't shut the fridge door any longer and decide to route your way through furry tubs of leftovers.

Making crème brûlée, crème caramel, zabaglione all use egg yolks, so you’re left with a load of whites in the fridge. That can be a good thing – you can use these to make meringues, sorbet, mousse, marshmallows, pavlova etc.

How do you measure how many left-over egg whites/ yolks you have?

Measure them on the scales. An average medium egg is 47g in weight – 28 grams white and 19 grams yolk.

So if you need 5 egg whites it’s 28g x 5 = 140g

Amended 3/10/2011

** Since writing this I have discovered on the side of the pasteurized egg white carton they measure 1 egg white as 25g. Last Saturday I used that measurement to make italian meringue (this recipe) and I have to say it was the best italian meringue I'v ever made. So the 25g measurement seems to be the best for pasteurizd egg whites. The jury's still out on real eggs.....

Strawberry meringue roulade with Three Choirs Cuvée sorbet (Summer menu)

Uncooked eggs for pregnant ladies
High risk groups – pregnant ladies, children and the elderly are advised against eating dishes using raw/ uncooked eggs - homemade sorbet, crème anglaise, mousse, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise etc. In these cases you should use pasteurized eggs (pasteurizing destroys salmonella) which is what commercial products are made with. I use pasteurized (also known as liquid-) egg as a matter of course for all dishes where eggs are uncooked - such as the meringe roulade with sorbet above (meringues are dried out rather than cooked so don't reach the neccessary temperature).

Related posts:

Desserts

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