The importance placed on provenance, sustainability and health implications of our food has meant that wild British meat has seen a rise in popularity with diners. We’re lucky as Scotland is home to an abundance of game, some of which is considered the best in the world, yet some still wrongly assume that game meat is tough, strong tasting or unpleasant. However, the popularity of game meats being served in top hotels and restaurants is slowly dispelling these myths.

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• Celebrating Real Bread Week

The benefits of eating game

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The importance placed on provenance, sustainability and health implications of our food has meant that wild British meat has seen a rise in popularity with diners. We’re lucky as Scotland is home to an abundance of game, some of which is considered the best in the world, yet some still wrongly assume that game meat is tough, strong tasting or unpleasant. However, the popularity of game meats being served in top hotels and restaurants is slowly dispelling these myths.

What meats are classed as game?

• Pheasant
• Partridge
• Grouse
• Rabbit
• Pigeon
• Hare
• Wild duck
• Wild Geese
• Snipe
• Woodcock
• Squirrel
• Venison – Red, Sika, Fallow, Roe, Chinese Water Deer and Muntjac

So what are the benefits of eating game meat?

• It’s one of the healthiest meats available as it’s very low in fat and cholesterol and one of the healthiest sources of good fat in Omega-3. Game is very high in iron and contains higher levels of many beneficial nutrients including vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc, vitamin B(6) and selenium.
• It’s wild and natural – therefore hormone and additive free thanks to the animals having a natural diet from roaming free in forests, farm land and moorlands.
• It’s easy to cook – as it’s a lean meat it doesn’t require a lot of cooking, meaning you can enjoy it as a tasty, quick dinner.
• It’s good for your carbon footprint – game meat is often locally sourced so there are relatively few miles from field to fork.
• It’s a delicious alternative to your typical meat dishes such as beef and chicken. Venison and pheasant can replace beef and chicken respectively, and pigeon and grouse are stronger tasting meats when you’re looking for something different.

If you’re totally new to cooking game or just need a helping hand with some new ideas, our Game Day is the perfect class for you. Our chefs will demonstrate how to prepare different types of game, the best way to cook the meat and you will also learn what food compliments the game.

Check out the menu for our next Game Day:

• Five-spiced duck with orange, fennel and rocket salad
• British game pie with lemon and parsley gremolata
• Khad khargosh, garlic chutney and pilaf rice

Treat your Mum this Mother’s Day by making a delicious sweet treat for her and your family to enjoy…

Gateau Fraisier

• 125g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 lemons, zest only, finely grated
• 125g self-raising flour, plus extra for flouring
• 50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing

Crème Patisserie

• 600ml milk
• Vanilla pod
• 4 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 180g caster sugar
• 1 tsp kirsch
• 100g cornflour
• 150g butter, cut into cubes and kept at room temperature

Lemon Syrup

• 70ml water
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 lemons, juice only

Garnish

• 200g marzipan
• 200g dark chocolate
• 600g medium sized strawberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease, flour and line the base of a 23cm/9in spring-form or round loose bottom cake tin.
2. Place the sugar, eggs and lemon zest in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the mixture over a medium heat until doubled in volume and pale in colour. The mixture is at the right stage when it forms a ribbon trail when the whisk is lifted out of the mixture. Remove from the heat.
3. Sift in two-thirds of the flour and gently fold into the whisked mixture with a metal spoon or spatula. Add the remaining flour and fold again. Try to keep in as much of the air as possible. Make sure all the flour is incorporated into the mixture.
4. Gently fold in the melted butter. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sides of the cake begin to come away from the tin and it is pale golden-brown.
5. When cooked, allow the sponge to cool a little bit in the tin and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Be careful as this sponge is quite delicate. It should be just under 5cm/2in in height.
6. To make the crème patisserie, pour the milk into a wide based pan, split the vanilla pod along its length using a sharp knife, and add it to the milk along with the vanilla seeds. Bring the milk up to the boil then take it off the heat.
7. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, kirsch and cornflour in a medium sized bowl until blended. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour the hot milk through a sieve into the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
8. Pour the custard back into a clean saucepan and set over a medium heat. Stir the custard constantly until the mixture thickens. The mixture will take about four minutes to thicken, but when it does it happens very quickly, so you need to really keep stirring to prevent lumps. Whisk until smooth.
9. Cook the mixture until the crème is very thick, so that it can be piped and it will hold its shape. Stir in the butter until thoroughly melted and combined.
10. Allow to cool slightly, pour into a shallow dish and chill in the fridge for about an hour until really cold and set firm. This chills it faster as it cools over a larger surface area alternatively you could fill the piping bags with it at this stage and leave overnight to chill.
11. Place the ingredients for the lemon syrup in a small saucepan with the water, heat gently until the sugar dissolves then boil rapidly for two minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
12. Meanwhile, roll out a thin disc of marzipan to fit a 23cm/9in circumference circle. It is best if you draw around the 23cm/9in base of another loose bottomed tin for the perfect circle. For best results and a perfectly flat surface, chill it in the fridge until it is needed.
13. Slice the sponge in half horizontally, creating two slim discs of cake. The cut must be as level as possible as it will be visible in the finished cake. Place a strip of acetate plastic around the inside of the spring tin. Or line the base and sides with cling film or parchment lined foil.
14. Place one layer of sponge cake in the bottom of the cake tin. Then liberally brush the sponge with half the syrup. With the back of a spoon, gently squash the edges of the cake down so that they are pushed directly against the sides of the tin, creating the defined edges necessary for the cake.
15. Rinse, hull and halve about 12 strawberries, try and make sure they are all the same height. Place the cut sides of the strawberries against the plastic on the inside of the tin. The strawberry halves should be sitting snugly beside each other, so it looks like a little crown inside the tin.
16. Take the chilled crème patisserie out of the fridge and spoon two thirds of the crème into a piping bag, fitted with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe a swirl covering the exposed sponge completely in the bottom of the tin. Then pipe between each of the strawberries so the gaps are filled right to the top with the crème patisserie.
17. Set about 3-5 strawberries to one side for decoration, then hull and quarter the rest of them and place on top of the crème, so it raises the inside of the cake by about an inch.Pipe another swirl of crème patisserie on top of the cut strawberries to cover the whole surface. Then smooth with a palette knife.
18. Place the other disc of sponge on top of this, with the cut side uppermost, so it has a completely flat top. Brush with the remaining syrup.Gently press the top down quite firmly, so that the cake and filling push against the acetate to create the distinctive smooth and defined sides of the cake.
19. Lay the chilled marzipan circle on top of the cake and put the whole thing back in the fridge to set. Make some decorations of your choice with melted dark chocolate.
20. When ready to serve, remove the cake from fridge. Very carefully release the spring tin/loose bottom and remove the cake from the tin and from the acetate or cling film.Place onto a serving plate and decorate with reserved strawberries, chocolate decoration and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve chilled.

It’s Real Bread Week so here are a few of our delicious bread recipes for you to try at home…

Wholemeal Oat Topped Loaf

• 30g fresh yeast
• 600ml water @ 37C
• 550g strong white flour + extra for dusting
• 550g strong wholemeal flour
• 20g Maldon sea salt flakes
• 100ml orange juice
• Rolled oats for coating
• Vegetable oil

Method

1. Whisk the yeast with the water then add 225g of the strong white flour. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes it will be foamy when ready. Meanwhile prepare your tin by brushing with oil and coating with oats.

2. Put all the remaining dry ingredients into large bowl along with the remaining white flour; add the yeast mix along with the orange juice. Mix all the ingredients with a dough scraper. Transfer to a floured surface and work to a smooth dough, make sure the bowl is clean. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size.

3. Remove from the bowl to a lightly floured surface, divide into 2 pieces and shape into 2 loaves. Carefully place into the tins and cover with a clean damp cloth, leave to double in size. Pre-heat the oven to 220c. Put a small roasting tray into the bottom of the oven.

4. When the loaves have proved check the by poking with a finger it will come back slowly when ready. Boil the kettle and add around a cup of hot water to the tray in the bottom. Add the loaves to the oven, shut the door directly behind them. Bake for 7 minutes then turn the oven to 180c bake for a further 40-50 minutes the loaves will be golden and have a crisp crust, remove from the tins and tap the bottom to hear a hollow sound. Cool on wire racks.

Stilton + Walnut Soda Bread

• 200ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• 125g wholemeal flour
• 30g butter
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 50g stilton, crumbled up
• 30g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Rub all dry ingredients with butter, add milk and mix to a wet dough. Add in your stilton and walnuts until it is mixed thoroughly.

2. Generously flour a work surface and begin to shape bread into a rough loaf shape.

3. Transfer to a non-stick or greased tray and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190c fan assisted.

Garlic Focaccia

• 450g strong flour
• 150g plain flour
• 50g fine polenta
• 30g fresh yeast or 1 x 7 g sachet dried yeast
• 450ml warm water @ 35°C
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp maldon sea salt

Method

1. Measure 450ml of warm water and put into a jug, sprinkle over the yeast and add the sugar, whisk to dissolve. Add a handful of the plain flour and whisk to a smooth paste this is called a biga, cover with cling film and leave to ferment for around 30 minutes.

2. Mix the 2 flours, semolina and salt together and gently pour onto your clean workbench, use the bowl to make a well then pour in your biga mix. Slowly start to mix in the flour from the edge taking care not to burst the dam, continue to mix until it starts to thicken.

3. Once the mix is nearly incorporated clean off the sticky hand with flour and start to gently work the dough together. The dough needs to be well combined but not smooth, make sure all the residual dough is bought together from the work surface, rub your fingers and hand with a little flour to get clean then kneed into your dough. Place in a large bowl cover with a damp cloth and put into a warm place to prove for one hour.

4. We are now going to do three book folds to work and generate elasticity into the dough. After the first hour take the dough, scrape onto a lightly floured bench, and using floured hands gently flatten the dough to an inch thickness in the shape of a long rectangle. Fold each end in on its self a third of the length then fold over to form a pillow repeat and return to the bowl for 1 hour. Shape or roll to the size required this is when you would add your desired flavours. Once shaped or rolled and flavoured generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with Maldon sea salt then prove again until doubled in size and bake for 30 minutes at 180c.

Focaccia Bread Flavours

• Fresh tomatoes or sun dried
• Thinly sliced black or green olives
• Caramelised red onions
• Grilled courgettes
• Roasted peppers
• Homemade pesto
• Freshly chopped rosemary, thyme or basil
• Confit garlic

elebrate National Curry Week with our delicious three course menu:

Goan Prawn Skewer

• 12 tiger prawns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds1 star anise
• 1 red chilli½ tsp turmeric1 tsp palm sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3cm root ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped4 tsp coconut cream

Method

1. Lightly toast the coriander, cumin, and star anise until fragrant. Grind in the mortar and pestle until fine.
2. Place all ingredients except the coconut cream in the food processor and pulse to a fine paste. Remove from the processor and mix in the coconut cream. Remove the shells from the prawns, the heads can stay on if you prefer. Mix in the marinade and chill for up to 1 hour.
3. Skewer the prawns so they are flat and even. Turn on your grill or BBQ and cook for two minutes on each side.

Lamb Rogan Josh

Paste

• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 red chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, roughly ground
• 2 tsp paprika1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp tomato purée

Lamb

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 600g diced lamb fillet
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 small piece ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 100g natural yoghurt

Method

1. To make the paste, in a mixer, blend together the coriander stalks, red chilli, ground spices and salt. Mix in the tomato purée.
2. To cook the lamb, heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole. Fry the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaves and cloves for 2 minutes. Add the onion and lamb and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the spice paste and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add 400ml water, then cover with a lid and simmer for 40-50 minutes, until cooked. Stir in the yoghurt and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Serve garnished with the fresh coriander leaves.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Caramelised Pineapple

• 250ml coconut milk
• 250ml double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 70g castor sugar
• 3 sheets gelatine, soaked in cold water until soft

Method

1. Pour the coconut milk and cream into a saucepan, and then add the sugar. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds, then add to the pan with the empty pod. Bring to the boil, and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 mins.
2. Pour the hot mixture into a bowl. Squeeze the soaked gelatine of any excess water and put into hot mixture. Stir until the gelatine is all dissolved, pour through a fine strainer into a suitably sized jug and leave to cool.
3. Once mixture has cooled down pour it in to your desired moulds and set in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

For the Caramelised Pineapple

• ½ pineapple, peeled and cored
• 200g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• Juice of 1 lime

Method

1. Put the sugar and water and bring to the boil, cook the syrup on a high heat until in turns to a dark caramel colour remove from the heat add the lime juice.
2. Slice the pineapple and lay in a serving dish pour over the caramel and allow to marinate until cool.
3. Arrange caramelised pineapple to the aise of coconut panna cotta and serve.