Martine Nouet delves in to the wonderful world of marmalades and tangy, fresh fruit
Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, kumquat... when it comes to describing a whisky, citrus fruit are often picked up as part of the fruity bouquet, whether it be fresh and juicy, cooked or candied or more concentrated on the peel.
It is interesting to note that one can identify three of th...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 60 published on 10/11/2006
Whisky ambassadors travel the world promoting whisky. The ideal job? Martine Nouet went to find out
Seen from the public point of view, their life is an antidote against monotony.
Many a whisky lover would like to share the brand ambassadors’ diary, envying their continuous travelling round the globe and the opportunities they are given to taste outstanding drams.
Earning your living entertainin...
Independent Bottlers
from Issue 58 published on 30/08/2006
The Ardbeg candelight dinner is becoming an institution. Martine Nouet, who is at the event’s core, reports on this year’s event
This year’s Islay Malt and Whisky Festival brought onto the island its usual profusion of enthusiasts geared up for a week of tastings and fun. The Ardbeg Candlelight dinner has now become a classic in the festival-goers diary.
The booking, only opened from 9am on the launch day of the festival, br...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 57 published on 21/07/2006
Spicy food works well with whisky.Martine Nouet visited La Porte des Indes for a special Indian food and whisky tasting
Britain is certainly the European country which has established the most refined tradition of Indian cuisine, for obvious historical reasons. No wonder London boasts some of the best addresses featuring the great classics of Indian gastronomy.
La Porte des Indes, opened in 1996, offers a total chan...
Whisky and food
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
Did our Mystery Visitor really call Speyside a catering desert? Martine Nouet reports on a restaurant
If he’d been told 10 years ago that he would be living in whiskyland where rain and dampness are welcomed as blessings by those who mature the golden nectar there, French chef Eric Obry would have burst into laughter.
That open, loud and cheery laughter that says: “Are you kidding? I am having a fa...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 54 published on 03/03/2006
Pascal Barbot is a young award-winning chef in Paris who wasn’t too familiar with whisky before Glenfiddich challenged him.Martine Nouet reports
In quite a short time, pairing whisky and food has gone from the status of an anorak oddity to that of a challenging entertainment for all kinds of whisky lovers.
I remember when I started working on my whisky dinners some eight years ago, I had to struggle hard to convince marketing teams that pro...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 51 published on 07/10/2005
Whisky dinners are becoming increasingly popular in Belgium. Martine Nouet meets a chef passionate about malt on the plate
Whisky is a serious matter in Belgium. Whisky clubs number their members by hundreds, not by dozens. A new distillery has even started operating on old-looking pot-stills in Grâce-Hollogne, a village located in Flemish Belgium.
With a peculiar name, PUR-E distillery, it intends to produce 200 casks...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 46 published on 10/3/2005
Martine Nouet looks at the whisky industry in Northern France – and plots its Celtic roots
Aland with a profound sense of identity, Brittany became part of French kingdom only in the 16th century. With its own Celtic language – the
exact replica of the Cornish one – its culture deeply rooted in myths and legends, its climate so similar to Ireland’s or Scotland’s west coast, Brittany has ...
Whisky Trends
from Issue 44 published on 25/11/2004
Amber is the new restaurant at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, and unsurprisingly whisky features high on its agenda. Martine Nouet visited it
It is hard to think of a better place than the Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre for Scotland’s first whisky restaurant.
The news about the opening of Amber restaurant and its dedication to whisky and food is as exciting to me as the discovery of an Egyptian tomb would be for an archeologist....
Whisky and Food
from Issue 44 published on 25/11/2004
The smells of Islay reflect on some of its wonderful whiskies. Martine Nouet takes you on a sensory journey across the island and introduces its flora and fauna
Westering home and a song in the air”, says the song about Islay. It could as well be: “Westering home and whisky in the air”.
Not only because the ‘island of whisky’ shelters seven distilleries (and maybe eight in the near future). But also because all the fragrances carried by summer breeze or wi...
Whisky Experience
from Issue 41 published on 16/7/2004
It’s easy to spice up your food offering with whisky. Here Martine Nouet uses Islay and Jura to pep up her menu
Islay malts register the best growth in the single malts category, not only in Europe. The global success of the Islay Whisky Festival is but a sign. Some 20 years ago medicinal whiskies were completely misunderstood. Now they’re favoured in many places.
I have already focused on cooking with Islay...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 40 published on 4/6/2004
The Islay Festival is the highlight of the Scotch whisky year. Martine Nouet looks ahead to this year’s activities
The Islay and Jura Festival is not only a true highlight in the whisky lover’s calendar, but it is a particularly generous affair time-wise. It stretches over a week and each distillery has its own prominent, though not exclusive, day.
Here are some of the highlights:
Let’s arouse our senses
All ...
Islay
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
Martine Nouet lightens up for summer
When spring appears, we crave light. Longer and brighter days but also lighter meals with fresh crunchy vegetables, special sauces and cold
dishes. This is the season for salads.
At first sight, that type of food does not excite inspiration for great matches or recipes with whisky.
My culinary pas...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
Martine Nouet provides us with some warnimg soup recipes and shows us how to liven them up with a drop of whisky to make an ideal starter to any meal
There is a tradition in the Périgord region, in the South West of France, to add a good dash of red wine to your bowl of soup. We call it faire chabrot, a phrase deriving from chevreau (kid in English), a young animal which is supposed to be fond of wine. Another French paradox to be proposed to vet...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 36 published on 28/12/2003
Martine Nouet gathers her thoughts and gives a back-to-basics guide to the cooking methods she uses
It is funny how I fill up my mind with good resolutions when coming back to work after a long summer break. This sudden good-will syndrome gives me an irrepressible energy to tidy up my desk, reschedule my agenda in order to send my columns two weeks ahead of the deadlines.
I even find the strength...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 35 published on 17/11/2003
Robin Shields isn’t from Islay. He’s not Scottish. And he doesn’t have a distillery background. But as Martine Nouet finds out, he’s up for the challenge of protecting the reputation of Laphroaig
Robin Shields, Laphroaig’s new distillery manager faces more than a challenge: He’s taking over from living legend Iain Henderson, discovering a brand-new job after 25 years in the brewing industry, and shifting from a mainland urban way of life to an island community.
All challenging issues that Ro...
Whisky Profile
from Issue 34 published on 5/10/2003
Martine Nouet finds a whisky dessert for each of the seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring
Each and every Scot has the reputation of being a sweet tooth. It fits their great sense of enjoyment and the nature of their national drink.
Have a look at our tasting notes : we often find Christmas cake or toffee aromas in sherried malts. Others are described as ‘custardy ‘, ‘ creamy ‘ or ‘ sher...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 33 published on 25/9/2003
Martine Nouet finds good use for the harvests of summer, combined with whisky
We are all looking forward to the holiday season to unwind and relax. If you are as restless as I am, and love being busy as a bee, follow me
into the kitchen. Harvest time has come. Let’s make the best of our fruit and vegetable crops and see how whisky can enhance easy-to-make preserves to appreci...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 32 published on 13/7/2003
Martine Nouet describes the highlights visitors can anticipate at this May’s Islay Whisky Festival
A distillery visit a day keeps the blues away in the merry, merry month of May.
For the third year, the Islay Malt and Music Festival is fully ready to welcome crowds of whisky pilgrims from the world over. Growing numbers of enthusiasts have already booked distillery tours and special tastings. Th...
Islay
from Issue 31 published on 9/6/2003
Martine Nouet teamed up with renowned Savoy chef Anton Edelmann to create a stunning Aberlour whisky dinner to kick-start Whisky Live
Whisky Magazine and Aberlour single malt collaborated to concoct a classy appetiser to tasting event Whisky Live in London this March. The black-tie Aberlour Whisky Dinner prepared by world-acclaimed maître de cuisine Anton Edelmann at The Savoy proved once more that there is nothing unusual about e...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 31 published on 9/6/2003
Martine Nouet profiles two talented singer/songwriters in the world of whisky:
Robin Laing and Norma Munro
Robin Laing’s first encounter with whisky came well before his idea of capturing its poetic essence on a CD. As a student, he spent a summer in the ‘70s as a barman in the Arisaig Hotel on Scotland’s west coast. The conscientious young Robin carried out research by sampling the whole stock of singl...
Whisky and Music
from Issue 30 published on 7/4/2003
Martine Nouet reports back on the exquisite creations of Michelin-Star chef Alain Passard, paired with expressions of Glenfiddich
What started as a challenge ended in a game. The chance to work with one of France’s most acclaimed chefs on a menu combining six courses with the six ages of Glenfiddich is an offer not to be refused.
Alain Passard was awarded his third Michelin Star in 1996, which established his reputation as on...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 30 published on 7/4/2003
Martine Nouet argues that one of the advantages of bad weather is that you can drink strong spirits to keep out the cold
Eveybody fights the rigours of winter in their own manner. Modern conveniences have spoilt us with houses that are (too) well-heated. But think of the old times when peat or log fires were the only way to get some warmth in cold, damp houses.
There were days when the freezing cold necessitated addi...
Whisky Cocktails
from Issue 29 published on 24/3/2003
Martine Nouet crosses the Atlantic to bring you some fine recipes using quality bourbons
Bourbon is a delightful companion to food because it is usually drunk with ice and therefore at a lower alcoholic strength, which suits a table drink well. But it is also a great ingredient in food because of its rich, aromatic profile. The high percentage of corn in the mashbill brings sweet flavou...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 28 published on 16/1/2003
Martine Nouet shares her impressions of three rare 1964 Bowmore releases
Bowmore is taking a step back in time with the release of its last remaining casks filled in 1964, a year made legendary by the success of Black Bowmore, now a big auction hit. The initial launch of two fino casks will be followed by oloroso casks in spring 2003 and bourbon casks six months later. O...
Whisky launches
from Issue 27 published on 16/11/2002
Martine Nouet introduces two superb whisky recipes courtesy of innovators from the famous grouse experience and trhe Macallan
Continuing with our mouthwatering tour of distillery restaurants and catering, hungry visitors will not regret calling in at Glenturret Distillery, near Crieff. The distillery has undergone a few changes in the last year and has become the home for The Famous Grouse. The Edrington Group
has spent £2...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 27 published on 16/11/2002
It's official Cooking with whisky is very much in vogue. Martine Nouet talks to experts on the subject and discovers a truly original new sauce
Some chefs are blessed. They can use the whisky produced or matured on the premises in their cooking. Both Arran Distillery and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society insist that whisky is as appealing on the plate as in the bottle; a story straight from the horse’s mouth.
There is nothing like a restauran...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 26 published on 16/10/2002
Martine Nouet exanines the benefits of learning local malts with local produce, a la Islay
When wine experts explore accompanying food with wine in France, they most often recommend serving local specialities with local wine , such as Muscadet with oysters or Bresse chicken with a Savagnin from Jura. It’s just good common sense to let the soil speak. Gastronomic adventurers may find it le...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 24 published on 16/7/2002
Martine Nouet reminisces about a trip to Islay and the culinary delights she found there, in the surprising shape of the old kiln cafe and Ardbeg distillery
As I was driving to Ardbeg Distillery where I was to meet with Mary, the Old Kiln Café cook for an interview, on that clear May morning, I was far from imagining I would experience a new job. The Islay Whisky Festival had just started and since the first event had proved so
successful, the second o...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 21 published on 16/2/2002
A keen collector of first-hand information on whisky, Martine Nouet had the fantastic opportunity to make a whisky-lover and -writer’s dream come true: work in the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries for a week. Have a dram of her dream.
How close can a whisky writer approach whisky, apart from nosing and tasting? Visiting a distillery certainly brings you nearer to your subject but there’s still a sense of distance. The knowledge journalists patiently collect through visiting distilleries and interviewing whisky makers may be first...
Whisky Production
from Issue 20 published on 16/12/2001
Martine Nouet finds whiskies that lend themselves to teh warm, care free days of summer and creates a refreshing menu to accompany them
Everyone will agree that, to be thoroughly enjoyed with food, a single malt has to be in synchronisation with the ingredients of the dish – especially when it is a constituent of the dish itself. Yet the harmony should not be based exclusively on the subtle (and quite mysterious) chemistry of aromas...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 16 published on 16/6/2001
Martine Nouet savours Campeltown's whiskies before creating a menu that reflects that lush pastures, beautiful landscape and gentle light of Kintyre.
There are very few activities in this world that can truly be described as being very special. Contrary to popular belief, driving down the Mull of Kintyre along the A83 on a sunny summer evening is a very special treat. No, really. Imagine the sun melting into the tranquil waters, its low-angled li...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 15 published on 16/4/2001
Martine Nouet embarks on another culinary experiment with Islay malts, pungent yet sweet whiskies she describes as sharing the same character traits as the lleachs
How many times have I heard my daring culinary experiments, such as cooking a full meal with Islay malts, mocked or ridiculed. “These whiskies are too pungent to allow other flavours to express themselves” people complain, or they even exclaim that attempting the menu is akin to “swallowing a full a...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 14 published on 16/2/2001
Martine Nouet challenges the stereotypical Christmas dinner with the help of single malt whisky in an attempt to create the perfect family gathering
Would it be considered sacrilege if, instead of conforming to the sacrosanct roast turkey (“roastit bubblyjock” as they call it in Scotland) and Christmas pudding weighed down with high-caloried brandy butter, you went for a malt-whisky inspired Christmas dinner?
It's a novelty to be enjoyed by th...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 13 published on 16/12/2000
A freelance writer devoted to whisky, Martine Nouet is also a keen advocate of malt whisky dinners. She runs 'cooking with malt whisky' classes in Paris and wants to promote the blending of whisky with fine food.
Being a frequent traveller to Scotland and always on the look-out for the most charming B & B or country house hotels with genuine Scottish fare, I am always surprised to notice a lack of dishes cooked with whisky on the menus. It is a fact that, apart a few traditional delights like cranachan or ha...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 12 published on 16/11/2000
