In a special video edition of Me and My Buttery, we hand deliver a JG Ross rowie to celebrated chef Michel Roux Jr.
He had not eaten one before. And, as you can see in the video above, the Le Gavroche chef appears slightly taken aback by his first bite of a rowie, perhaps surprised by its high salt content.
He soon recovers, however, and offers up some serving suggestions for the north-east staple.
“This would be a good vehicle for something else,” Michel says with a laugh.
The chef eventually decides the buttery would best be deployed as “a really good sandwich”.
“A hot haggis sandwich,” he says, adding a suggestion to add some fried onions and maybe a bit of spicy chutney.
It is a baptism of buttery fire for Michel, who ate his JG Ross rowie straight out of the packet, and without butter or jam.
But the chef has some of the best tastebuds in the business so is used to analysing and assessing flavour combinations.
Seasgair at Inverlochy Castle
Which is why he is such high demand.
Michel Roux was in the north-east not just to eat a buttery but also to promote his latest dining concept, Seasgair at Inverlochy Castle near Fort William.
In collaboration with head chef Coalin Finn, Michel has created a five-course experiential tasting menu. The menu can be served across any of the three dining rooms at the luxury hotel.
A year in the making, the concept celebrates Fort William’s hospitality, beauty and history.
“It will become a food destination more so than it has ever been,” Michel said.
“It has always been known for its hospitality, beautiful location and it history. But now I think it will be on the map for its food.”
Guests start their night off with a glass of Champagne or a custom-designed cocktail in the castle lobby. They will also be able to watch one of the chefs finish off a variety of canapes.
This will be followed by five courses.
