Whisky and food

[ClubSmed]

Saw this on the BBC News website:

Whisky cookbook wins world award
Whiskies
The cookbook suggests uses for various whisky flavours

Two restaurant owners from Grantown on Spey have won an international award for a book - on cooking with whisky.

Sheila McConachie and Graham Harvey run the Craggan Mill restaurant. The Whisky Kitchen - 100 ways with whisky and food, is their first book.

It was judged best book on cooking with beer, wine or spirits at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris.

Ms McConachie said different whiskies could be used for cooking fish and meat.

She said: "The main thing is whisky isn't just whisky because they have different tastes.

"They vary tremendously from the peaty, smoky ones from the islands through to the sweeter ones on Speyside."

The restaurateur added: "You have to cook the whisky. If you just pour it on it is actually quite hideous and ruins whatever it is you are cooking."

[Liechtenstein]

The restaurateur added: "You have to cook the whisky. If you just pour it on it is actually quite hideous and ruins whatever it is you are cooking."

I would agree...almost; and this would probably be true for most spirits. You can add spirits (rum, whisky or kirsch) to whipped cream and they will flavour that quite nicely.

I also add whisky to my porridge ...so, you don't have to just cook with whisky as it does marry well with some flavours.

[Holysinner]

I'm eating smoked salmon and an applewood smoked cheddar, and have poured a glass of Caol Ila 12 and one of Bruichladdich 3D3.

I should have gotten a better smoked salmon (it's a supermarket brand, a bit too salty), but the Caol Ila improves it, taming the salt, and the CI itself is going down very well after a bite of the salmon. With the smoked cheddar, not so much.

The Bruichladdich on the other hand pairs extremely well with the smoked cheddar, developing a creamy sweetness to go along with the wood smoke. Sipping it after the salmon, it's a little too woody and spirity.

I might have to get some more of the applewood smoked cheddar to go with the 3D3, this is really good. I'll go with higher quality smoked salmon next time, I think CI is a natural with this.