Recipe of the Month!

Thank you to all of you who kindly emailed me about my last blog.

I really enjoyed writing my monthly recipe and I am so pleased with the response for me to carry it on, on my own.

For those of you who requested the new monthly recipe by email … its on its way!

So for this month we are going to cook … MUSSELS IN A BLACK ISLE BLONDE ALE AND CREAM SAUCE.

In my Cornish homeland, this is a very popular pub dish, traditionally cooked in one of the great ales brewed in Cornwall and served with either a hunk of bread, or as I like it with a big bowl of hand-cut chips.

Serves 2

• 1 kg of mussels
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 2 sticks of celery chopped roughly
• 2 gloves of crushed garlic
• 6 rashers of smoked bacon chopped into strips
• 330ml of Black Isle Blonde organic ale
• 250ml double cream
• Handful of chopped parsley to dress

1. Make sure the mussels are washed and cleaned under cold water. Remove any beards and discard any that are open.

2. In a large pan add the olive oil and fry off the celery, bacon and garlic for a couple of minutes.

3. Pour in the Blonde Ale and stir together.

4. Add the mussels and place a lid on the pan for a couple of minutes until all the mussels are open.

5. Pour in the cream and stir through. Heat for another couple of minutes and pour into a big bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with either some bread or chips.

6. Enjoy!

Remember if you have any ingredients YOU would like me to use for next months recipe drop me an email.

Click here to access the Black Isle Brewery directly.

Something new – for everyone to get involved in

As you may know if you live in the Inverness area for the past two years I have written a monthly recipe for the SpotlightOn magazine which has been well received by the readers of the magazine, however it is time now for someone else to take the mantel on.

You may have read on my Twitter site or on Facebook last week about the fact that even though I am no longer writing the monthly recipe for the magazine, I have decided to continue to write a monthly recipe using only locally sourced and seasonal produce for a new idea I have.

I am hoping that some of you will join up to receive this recipe by email each month. I am also hoping that once you have tried the recipe you will email be back with your comments. Also any suggestions on produce YOU would like me to use to create the next recipe from or any questions … I am hoping that we might form a little online community.

What are your thoughts?

First month nearly finished and its time for LOVE !!!!!

Hard to believe that the first month of the new year is nearly over. That means its time to think of February and for those of you who are lovers its means valentines day.

Today I have been working on material for the restaurants VALENTINES MASTERCLASS on Sunday 5^th February were we will show you how to light the passion, turn up the heat and cook something mouth watering for your loved one on valentines day.

Also I have been working on our valentines day menu for you romantics who like to treat your some one special.

To see what’s on offer visit our events page.

 

Food and drink…

 This week has seen me spending time on our new menus, which we started to serve up yesterday. There are some old favourites and few new dishes which I hope you will like. 

Whilst tomorrow (Thursday) see us uncork or new wine list, with a tasting hosted by members of our wine suppliers including a Master of Wine (that means he knows his stuff) along with the tasting there will be some antipasto platters to nibble from. 

For more details on the menus and wine see our website. 

Cheers 

Alfie

Belated Happy New Year !!!

To all those I have not seen or spoken to I wish you all a happy new year and hope 2012 is a good one for you all.

 It seems a distant memory now the roast turkey, Christmas tree and mince pies, but there is always next year.

Festive time

Well now the Christmas lights are on, the shops have the Christmas music playing and we have the decorations up at the restaurant, it is now officially the Festive season!! 

Don’t forget our festive menus are on line for you to view. 

Just to let you all know we are closed on Christmas Day (got to cook at home that day), Boxing Day and also January 1^st and 2^nd  2012.

Busy week…

We have had a busy week here at the restaurant. 

It started with a great night with our Beaujolais dinner, then we had a cookery afternoon with the Chit Chat group from Raigmore Primary school (photos on our face book ).. Our Pig out night .. Very tasty and finally we were at Macrae and Dick Land Rover for an outside catering event and cookery demonstration. 

The week ahead sees the festive period draw near starting with our festive dinner party master class on Sunday 4^th.

Detail on our events page.

PIGGY PIGGY

Well this week we had some fun creating, cooking and of course eating some dishes ready for next Friday’s pig out night.

Friday 25th November

7pm for 7.30pm

Snout to Trotter
Six course taster menu, with canapés and cider on arrival
Using only local free range pork.
With a local breeder on hand to answer any questions
£38.00 pp

BEAUJOLAIS NOUVELL

It is just over a week to the uncorking of this very traditional event in France and we here at River House are getting all set to celebrate ONLY 24hrs later !!!

If you would like to join us we will be celebrating in style and serving up the following -

7.00 – for a 7.30pm start.

To whet your appetite …

Glass of Ayala champagne and canapés
This champagne is from the same champagne house as Bollinger!

To start …..

Duck and port pâté
with toasted brioche and an orange salad

To follow ..

Roast breast of guinea fowl
with crispy potatoes and a wild mushroom sauce

To finish ..

Apple tart tartan
with vanilla ice cream and calvados

To nibble ..

French cheese board
with bread and pickles

And plenty of the young Beaujolais to wash it down !

£45.00 per person

Halloween….

I am amazed at the amount of ghostly, ghoulish and creepy crawly products for sale in shops for Halloween, it was never like that when I was a child. Remember just putting a sheet over your head.?

One thing that has not changed is the food we all seem to eat on Halloween: Toffee apples, biscuits with spider webs on them and some mixed drink with a spooky name .. like “Witches Brew“.

One of my favourite dishes is Pumpkin pie. Here is my recipe:

Pumpkin Pie
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
One and a half pounds (675g) pumpkin, peeled and fibrous centre removed, cut into cubes
4 oz. (125g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
half a teaspoon of ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons milk
10 oz. (275g0 plain flour
two and a half ounces (65g) hard margarine
two and a half ounces of lard
3-4 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions:

• Place the pumpkin in a colander over a pan of boiling water and steam for about 20 minutes or until tender
• Mash to a pulp and cool
• Sift the flour and two teaspoons of cinnamon into a bowl
• Rub in the fats till mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs
• Mix with water to form a firm dough, lightly knead and roll out on a floured board
• Line a 10.5 inch x 7.5 inch (26 x 18.5cm) tin with the pastry and reserve the trimmings
• Prick the base, line with greaseproof paper and baking beans
• Bake at 375F, Gas Mark 5, 190C for 15 minutes
• Remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes
• Whisk the eggs and sugar together with the nutmeg, ginger and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Fold in the mashed pumpkin and 4 tablespoons of milk and pour into the pastry case
• Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut into strips with a pastry wheel
• Brush the strips and the pastry edges with the remaining milk
• Position strips in a lattice pattern over the pie top
• Bake at 375F, Gas Mark 5, 190C for about 40 minutes, or until filling has sat
• Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold with whipped cream

Hope you enjoy.

To see some more of my recipes read the monthly edition of spotlight on Inverness or view their website at www.spotlighton.co.uk.

Alfie