TWO FAT LADIES, TROON
signalled that the kitchen had embarked on a totally new direction. My companion’s mussel and chorizo risotto with a – hello! – smoked tomato oil was a clear hint that the chef has his eye firmly fixed on new horizons. This dish was full of flavour, the mussels blending well with the loose, light risotto, which wasn’t too creamy or too heavily seasoned with parmesan. The crumbly black pudding in the centre of
my dish of pan-fried scallops wasn’t immedi- ately recognisable as Stornoway’s finest, but then I realised it looked different because the chef had added to it his own ingredient of diced apple. This early show of culinary flair both transformed its appearance and provided enough acidity to cut through the pudding and complement the natural sweetness of the soft, plump molluscs. For good measure, a smoked haddock cream with samphire countered this with its salty, creamy depth to provide the most delicious balance of flavour and texture. The freshest piece of flash-fried halibut,
skilfully cooked and simply seasoned with a well-judged sprinkling of sea salt, accompanied by a stunning deep-flavoured langoustine bisque, and sitting on a bed of parmesan mash, so beguiled my companion that she almost (I did say almost) felt she could dispense with dessert. These were a clever choice of seasonal flavours such as clootie dumpling with apple compôte, and iced dark-chocolate parfait with sticky orange sauce. After a bit of feigned hesitation it didn’t in
the end take much to persuade her to try a crème brûlée with stewed plums and an orange and polenta shortbread. The cream was rich and cool with a pleasant sugary crackle; the plums, served separately in chunks and a little puddle of jus, were pink and properly tart; the shortbread sent my friend, a skilled shortbread baker in her own right, into blissful orbit. My raspberry poached pear with Glayva
field FACTS
PRICE Dinner for two, without drinks: £78.35 RATING
Two Fat Ladies at the Marine Hotel, Troon, Ayrshire Tel: 01292 676220
www.twofatladies
restaurant.com
wCate Devine is food riter at The Herald
cranachan also took my breath away. Standing upright on the plate, stalk on, it glowed like a bejewelled lightbulb throwing its light onto a quenelle of creamy cranachan and a disc of honey-toasted oatmeal. The chef’s brilliant deconstruction of the classic dish managed to highlight the individual flavours while preserving the original’s dignity; no mean feat. The seasonal fruit yielded firmly under my fork, revealing its beautiful interior of graduating pinks-to-whites and it tasted simply divine: the two fruity flavours a very cool blend indeed and pretty outstanding when savoured with the sweet cranachan and crunchy oats. With bold, contemporary Scottish cooking
like this, I reckon that it won’t be long before Troon throws off its reputation as a culinary backwater once and for all.
chef’sCHOICE Ian McAndrew, head chef at Blackaddie Country House Hotel, picks his top Scottish restaurants
21212, EDINBURGH This is one of the capital’s best restaurants, with an eclectic approach to haute cuisine. The menu changes weekly and much of the produce comes from local
suppliers such as Valvona & Crolla and Armstrong’s. 0131 523 1030;
www.21212restaurant.co.uk
ANDREW FAIRLIE, GLENEAGLES As its two Michelin stars show, this is one of Scotland’s most respected restaurants. The menu offers an abundance of game and fish, boasting scallops from
Ulva and locally sourced roe deer. It’s a dining experience for a very special occasion. 01764 694267;
www.andrewfairlie.co.uk
KIRKPATRICK’S, KIRKCUDBRIGHT Kirkpatrick’s sits above a kebab shop, but don’t let that put you off. Breast of pigeon, venison with turnip purée and chocolate bread- and-butter pudding regularly
appear on the menu. The Thursday Tapas night offers intriguing morsels such as Irn-Bru sausages. 01557 330888;
www.kirkpatricksrestaurant.co.uk
BRODIES OF MOFFAT, MOFFAT Brodies offers a lunch menu, an afternoon cake stand and all-day brunch on Sundays. By evening, there’s fine dining, with the likes of braised hogget and Moffat trout.
There’s also a good range of vegetarian options. 01683 222870;
www.brodiesofmoffat.co.uk
DEL AMITRI, ANNAN A wonderfully unpretentious place, which does fine dining in an informal setting, Del Amitri has recently won an AA rosette. The menu changes regularly, and has
included local rib-eye steak, pan-fried plaice with brown shrimp, and delicious local cheeses. 01461 201999;
www.del-amitri.co.uk
NEW CITY CANTONESE, AYR A specialist in Cantonese cuisine, the New City also does West Coast seafood and steaks. It has an astounding wine selection, too, featuring Château Lafite, Pétrus.
Romanée-Conti and Dom Perignon. 01292 266 544;
www.newcitycantoneserestaurant.co.uk
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IAN McAndrew’s choices? let us know on our forum At
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
YOURSAY
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 121
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208