Recipes from 'Food Made in Shetland'

This is a great vegetarian recipe which I have made on several occasions for guests on Shetland Wool Adventures dinners. The principle of a tarte tatin, where fruit – usually apples – is cooked underneath the pastry then served upside down is just superb as there is no soggy-bottom danger and advanced pastry skills are not required as the crust is not on view. Consequently, it is an ideal dish to make, sweet or savoury, when teaching beginners. This recipe has walnuts in the pastry, giving terrific flavours, extra nutrients and a lovely crispness. You could also make this as a starter, cut into small slices, or take it on a picnic – tin and all.

Course: Starter or Lunch
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 150g plain flour

• 75g butter

• 50g roughly chopped walnuts 6 teaspoons cold water

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Filling

• 100g goat cheese (I like to use the small round log, for ease of cutting)

• 150g parsnips 150g carrots

• 150g neep (swede) Chives for garnish

Instructions:

1. Have ready a 23cm sandwich tin.

2. Prepare the vegetables and cut into chunks or slices. Part-cook by steaming for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

3. Make the pastry: rub the butter into the flour, add walnuts, salt and pepper then the water. Mix well.

4. Knead lightly and roll out to form a circle to fit. Place on a sheet of baking paper and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

5. Preheat the oven to 190C.

6. Layer the vegetables with thin slices of the goat cheese. Season well.

7. Place the pastry over the top and press firmly.

8. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then upturn on to a serving platter.

9. Garnish with finely chopped chives and some more chopped walnuts.

This simple dish uses lightly steamed kale. Shetland kale is very attractive indeed, with rich dark green leaves and purple ribs. While it is usually just simply steamed or boiled, this combination is a real change from the traditional way of cooking this Shetland staple. Curly kale and cavolo nero would be equally suitable if you are far away from ‘da kale yard’. Using hazelnut oil and crunchy toasted hazelnuts produces a really lovely contrast of flavours and textures. You can make this several hours in advance – just keep it covered in a cool place.

Course: Lunch or side dish
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Shetland kale – 8 medium- sized leaves, well rinsed

• 12 peerie (small) cherry tomatoes – halved

• 3 tbsps hazelnut oil (use olive oil if this is not available)

• 1 tbsp wine vinegar

  25g toasted hazelnuts – roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Finely shred the kale and steam for approximately 5-8 minutes until just done.

2. Tip into a bowl and add the halved tomatoes, oil and vinegar, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. The warmth of the kale will help all the ingredients to amalgamate.

3. Just before serving, sprinkle the hazelnuts over.

This is the mackerel version of the well-loved gravadlax (cured salmon with dill) and it is truly delicious. With such a quantity of fresh mackerel available from peerie (small) boats in the summer, this is a really good way to preserve a few of them. I am indebted to Jan Riise and Kenny Pottinger for their advice with this recipe. The dill crème fraiche sauce to accompany this is creamy and rich but the traditional dill mustard sauce is fine to use too. Warning: this is a three-day process. First, go to the beach and ‘gadder’ some large stanes! I’m joking! Any heavy weight will be fine.

Course: Starter
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh mackerel fillets – filleted and skinned

• 25g demerara sugar

• 25g coarse salt (table salt will be fine)

• Small handful fresh dill

• Coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce

• 1 tub crème fraiche – 225g

• Small bunch dill – finely chopped

• 1 rounded teaspoon demerara sugar

Instructions:

Day 1

1. Lay the fillets in pairs in a shallow dish with the curing mixture between them.

2. Add a suitable-sized smaller dish on top and weigh it down with fine Shetland beach stones.

3. Leave in a cool place and check each day, turning them over and making sure that the curing mixture – which will now be very liquid – is reaching all the fish.

Day 3 (or 4)

1. Mix the sauce ingredients thoroughly and transfer to a small dish.

2. Scrape the peppercorns and dill off the fillets and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

3. Slice thinly at an angle and serve with the sauce on oatcakes, ryebread or a dark beremeal bannock.

This cordial is a lovely summer drink and looks so pretty, too. It is also good to be able to offer something other than fruit juice to children and those not drinking alcohol. I have been experimenting with proportions and think I have achieved a balance between not being ‘ower shilpit’ (too sharp) whilst reducing sugar levels to an acceptable proportion.

Servings: Makes 500ml

Ingredients:

• 500g rhubarb

• 500ml cold water

• 100g granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Wipe the stalks of the rhubarb and cut roughly into 1cm pieces

2. Add the cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until totally mushy. Then stir in the sugar, allow to dissolve, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture through a sieve and allow to cool. This will produce about 500ml and should be diluted 50:50 with sparkling or still water.

4. Why not experiment by adding mint leaves, slices of orange, cucumber, strawberry – Pimms-style – for a really exotic party drink?