Simply the best
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. Itâs just good common sense to let the soil speak. Gastronomic adventurers may find it less sexy than trying exotic and sophisticated combinations, but the simpler and more obvious choices often prove to be the best. And that also applies to whisky. What could complement an Islay single malt better than Islay produce, either
seafood or meat?
Have a blether with a local chef and your mouth will soon be watering. For those who come to Islay Whisky Festival, the âtriple Lagavulinâ sea-scallops are not to be missed: âTripleâ because theyâre hand-picked by divers in Lagavulin Bay, laced with 16-year-old Lagavulin and enjoyed by the shores of Lagavulin Distillery. Could there be any tastier treat?
Douglas Law from The Croft Kitchen Restaurant in Port Charlotte has them on the menu every day, apart from some (rare) warm periods when the plankton blooms due to the rise of sea-water temperature and develops a toxin which affects the scallops, resulting in a temporary ban. âDan Boness dives for them. I like to use this guy because he is careful not to destroy the sea-beds. I get my lobster, crab and langoustines from a local fisherman in Port Charlotte. I enjoy cooking Loch Gruinart Oysters from Tony Archibald at Craigens Farm. They are just superb.â Douglas s.....
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By Martine Nouet
Section : Whisky and Food
Page number : 56
