Modern Recipes

Selection of summer fruit vodka jellies Vodka has in many ways become the spirit of choice in Scotland in modern times, particularly perhaps among the younger generations. It is therefore entirely appropriate to consider different ways in which vodka may be served in unusual and tasty ways. While vodka fruit jellies are very popular, it's maybe not quite so common that they be made with fresh fruit which can be bought from any supermarket at this time of year. The fruits included on this page are merely suggestions and a wide variety of alternatives would work equally well, especially those which can be sourced fresh locally. Selection of fresh summer fruits Ingredients Small tub fresh blueberries Small tub fresh raspberries 1 medium sized ripe pear Large wedge of fresh lemon 16 fluid ounces vodka 4 fluid ounces sugar syrup* *You can buy sugar syrup but it is incredibly easy to make at home and I've shown how a little bit further down the page Diced pear flesh is soaked in cold...

Buffalo burger on a roll with bacon and fried egg served with potato wedges I am always on the look-out for new foodstuffs to try and genuinely do get a real buzz when I come across something really different and appealing for the first time. This usually happens when I'm travelling or visiting a new supermarket/shop but occasionally I find great new products much closer to home. In this instance, I was taking a browse around my local Morrsions when I happened to spy this new product from Highland Game. I'm very familiar with Highland Game and enjoy their venison products on a regular basis so I didn't hesitate when it came to picking up a pack of these burgers to sample. Scottish Highland Game buffalo burger I'm actually not sure whether this was the first time I had ever tasted buffalo but it was certainly the first time I had ever tasted buffalo burgers. What I decided to do was take the traditional, American burger concept and adapt it a little bit to incorporate mo...

Selection of canapes featuring Scottish king scallops poached in milk I love scallops and cook them usually in one of three ways. The first two are popular in that I griddle or fry them but this method of poaching them gently in milk is perhaps not quite so well known. It is actually a foolproof method for ensuring they are cooked to perfection every time and don't become overcooked and rubbery as can so easily happen with these delectable but delicate little morsels. This way of serving the scallops as part of canapes was an experiment but I think it worked very well and the canape bases/additional toppings are of course infinitely variable. The following is precisely how I made this particular selection of Scottish king scallop canapes. Bread (toasted) and crackers form the bases of the cnapes Ingredients for 8 Canapes 8 Scottish king scallops 2 slices of bread 4 crackers of chosen type(s) 2 teaspoons tomato salsa 2 teaspoons soured cream with chives 2 teaspoons quail pate Milk a...

A lightly poached egg makes the perfect casserole topping I've featured Wee Willie Winkie sausages a couple of times before on this blog but if you're unfamiliar with them, they're simply small, skinless pork sausages which are very popular in Scotland with children. They also make perfect cocktail sausages. They are usually gently fried before being served with fairly simple accompaniments. In this instance, however, I decided to bring these favourites from my own childhood in to the twenty-first century and incorporate them in a tasty casserole made from a selection of Mediterranean style vegetables. I have made the casserole a little bit spicy but that is optional, as is serving the poached egg on top. Wee Willie Winkie sausages and Mediterranean vegetable selection for casserole Ingredients (Serves Two) 12 ounce tray of assorted Mediterranean style roasting vegetables Pack of 20 Wee Willie Winkie sausages 14 ounce can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice 1 red chilli pepper...