Modern Recipes

Hot smoked pollack salad with new potatoes Pollack is a member of the cod family, very similar in taste to its more illustrious cousin. It is considered a more sustainable alternative to cod. This particular pollack was rod and line caught from a boat on Loch Fyne on the West Coast of Scotland. Hot smoked pollack fillet Pollack can be cooked in many different ways, including shallow or deep fried, baked or even grilled. Cod recipes can even be made to read as pollack recipes . In this instance, though, the fillets were brined and hot smoked to create something just that little bit different from the norm and not too unlike the fabulous Arbroath Smokies (which could easily be substituted for the pollack to create a very similar dish). They were then left to cool before being incorporated in this recipe. Homegrown tomatoes Ingredients per Person Ayrshire new potatoes, quantity as desired 1 large lettuce leaf 2 slices from half a peeled red onion 2 cherry tomatoes 1 yellow banana leg toma...

Poached chicken and summer vegetables salad with Ayrshire potatoes We have certainly had a considerably better than average summer in Scotland this year so far, with many hours of bright sunshine and temperatures soaring. This means that if you have a greenhouse and/or vegetable patch or garden, you may well have a lot of salad veg ready for the table. This recipe is an easy, tasty and healthy suggestion for using homegrown lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, or any similar ingredient you wish. Final preparations are made to chicken for poaching Ingredients (Serves Four) 1 free range, organic chicken 2 red onions 1 large carrot 1 mild green chilli pepper 1 mild red chilli pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary 2 bay leaves Salt and black pepper 2 pounds (900g) baby Ayrshire new potatoes 3 free range, organic eggs 2 small lettuces 2 medium tomatoes 1/2 medium to large cucumber Wedge of unsalted Scottish butter Scattering of dried dill Chicken poaching vegetable accompanim...

Haggis and neep cheeseburgers with Ayrshire tattie wedges Scotland is no different from the majority of the Western world in that the big American burger chains have more than established their presence. Burgers and fries have become the natural fast food choice for many young (and not so young!) Scots, leading potentially to short, medium and long term nutritional deficiencies and more serious health issues. So I started thinking about how I could come up with a similar creation, give it a uniquely Scottish twist, make it hopefully equally appealing and above all, ensure it provided greater nutritional value. Ayrshire tatties, haggis and neep Haggis is almost certainly the foodstuff most people outside Scotland will think of when they think of Scottish food. Perceptions incredibly still abound of furry little creatures in mini-kilts scurrying around the Highlands like ferrets on amphetamines. The reality is of course very different - as is the extent of the popularity of haggis in Sco...

Smoked mackerel fillets with new Ayrshire potatoes and peas Mackerel is one of my favourite eating fish. It is delicious, nutritious and incredibly versatile in terms of the many different ways it can be cooked. Smoking mackerel is a great way of preserving it and adding a whole range of delicious new flavours, not just from the smoke but from the brining solution initially used on the uncooked fillets. I regularly go sea fishing and when I do get a nice bag of summer mackerel, I love to smoke them myself at home. This is a lot easier than you may think, with the results more than justifying the time invested. Me preparing to smoke freshly caught mackerel fillets at home I've written an easy to follow guide on how to smoke mackerel at home but aside from the fresh mackerel, the first thing you will need is a smoker. Smokers come in a huge variety of  forms (both hot and cold smokers) as well as a huge variety of price ranges but you can pick up a real bargain home smoker on your l...