Why take unnecessary Risks? Stick to your usual Bottle of Glenwhater.

Why take unnecessary Risks? Stick to your usual Bottle of Glenwhater.

There's nothing safe about our single malt. We offer no money back guarantee if you're not totally satisfied. We're well aware that the uncompromising taste of Laphroaig (La-froyg) leads to extremes. Its pungent, earthy aroma and sweet, heathery smokiness are just as likely to dissuade as they are to delight. It's a gamble. But as they 'nothing ventured...same again?'

Food | 12 Jan 1999 | Issue 1 | By Nick Nairn

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Beef fillet with caramelised onions, mushrooms and whisky and chive sauce


Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 150g/6oz Aberdeen Angus fillet per person

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

  • 150g/6 oz chestnut mushrooms, quartered

  • 300ml/10 fl oz beef stock - a cube is okay

  • 75ml/3 fl oz double cream

  • 150ml/6 fl oz whisky

  • salt and pepper to season

  • 4 tbsp chopped chives



METHOD
Sauté the beef over a high heat briefly, until nearly cooked as you like it. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until well browned. Flame with the whisky, then add the stock and reduce until you have about 1.5 tablespoons of sauce per person. Finish the sauce with the cream and chives.


Hot toddy soufflès


Serves 6

As with all soufflés, butter the mould well and don't over whisk the egg whites.

INGREDIENTS

  • A little butter for greasing

  • 40g/1.5 oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

  • 50ml/2 fl oz whisky

  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 3 whole cloves

  • 300ml/10 fl oz milk

  • 3 medium egg yolks

  • 15g/0.5 oz plain flour

  • 15g/0.5 oz cornflour

  • 4 tbsps clear honey

  • 6 medium egg whites

  • icing sugar, to decorate



METHOD
Slide a baking sheet on to the middle shelf of the oven and preheat it to 220˚C/425˚F/Gas Mark 7. Grease six 7.5cm/3 inch ramekins with butter, making sure that you take it right up to the top of the rim, and dust them out with some of the caster sugar.Put the whisky, lemon zest, lemon juice and cloves into a small pan and leave over a low heat. Pour the milk into another pan and bring it up to the boil. Mix the egg yolks, the caster sugar, flour and cornflour together in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the boiling milk, return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring every now and then, for ten minutes so that you cook out the taste of the flour. Strain the whisky mixture into the custard, add one tablespoon of the honey and whisk well together.Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl into soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the rest of the honey to make a soft meringue. Lightly whisk one quarter of the honey meringue into the custard to loosen it slightly, then carefully fold in the remainder. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, level the tops and then run the tip of a knife around the inside edge of each dish to release the mixture. Slide the ramekins on to the baking sheet and bake for ten to 12 minutes until the soufflès are well risen, browned and doubled in height, but still slightly wobbly. Quickly lift them on to small dessert plates, dust with icing sugar and serve straight away.


Whisky parfait with prunes and Earl Grey syrup


Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 g/10 oz granulated sugar

  • 300 ml/10 fl oz water

  • 1 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves

  • 32 Agen prunes, soaked in cold water for 24 hours and stoned

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 75 ml/3 fl oz Chivas Regal whisky

  • 5 egg yolks

  • 300 ml/10 fl oz double cream

  • 75 g/3 oz caster sugar, dissolved in 3 tbsp water

  • 12x 125 ml dariole moulds



METHOD
For the Earl Grey syrup
Dissolve the granulated sugar in the water and boil gently in a large pan for about five minutes. Add the tea leaves and allow to infuse for a further six minutes.Pass the syrup through a sieve (using it as a big tea strainer) and add the prunes to the still hot liquid. Season with the lemon juice and 25 ml of the whisky. Place this in a tub, allow it to cool, and store in the fridge. It can be used straight away but the flavour improves the longer you leave it.

For the Chivas parfait
Whisk the egg yolks in an electric mixer until very pale and increased in volume. Whip the cream with the rest of the whisky until it just starts to thicken. Boil the caster sugar and three tablespoons of water until it reaches softball stage (dip in a cold teaspoon to coat, dip it into cold water to set and pinch a little between finger and thumb. When it can be rolled into a soft ball, it's ready). With the mixer running on full speed, slowly pour the softball sugar on to the yolks. Reduce the speed by half and whisk for a further five minutes. Fold the yolk and syrup mix and the whipped cream together and pour into the moulds. Freeze immediately.
To serve, heat four prunes per person in enough Earl Grey syrup to cover. Remove the parfaits from the freezer, run the tip of a knife around the top of each one, invert the moulds and give them a good old tap on a hard surface to help release them. Turn the parfaits out on to the centre of each plate. Arrange four prunes around each one and drizzle a little Earl Grey syrup over.

NB: you can just pour the parfait mix into a tub, freeze it and use an ice cream scoop to serve it.
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