We were presented with a tiny swirl of pastry, hardly bigger than my thumbnail, with segments of different colours.
Sun dried tomato, vibrant green spinach and deep dark olive tapenade created a Mediterranean rainbow in what must have been the smallest palmier I’ve ever seen. It looked lovely. And when I bit into it I was amazed that such a morsel could pack such a punch of distinctive flavours.
The pastry itself was beautifully baked. No soggy bottom, no burnt edges, just a buttery, flaky delight. This was the first of three canapes which left me eagerly anticipating what else I was going to enjoy.
The others, a beautiful chicken boudin and a salmon mousse were wonderful but the palmier was something special. I will remember it for a long time to come.
Special is a good word for the Airds. It is in one of the most glorious parts of Scotland in north Argyll.
When we visited, the mountains were dusted with snow but it was dry and crystal clear. The view across the loch towards the many islands that pop out of the sea is the stuff of picture books. Some of the castles and towers would make you imagine they were part of a set painted by one of Disney’s more outlandishly romantic artists if it were not for the fact they were real. If you don’t know this part of Argyll you are really missing out.
It’s not just the views that bring people to the Airds. It has long had a reputation for its fine restaurant but I think the current owners and chef are taking it to a new level.
Before settling in to the warm lounge with crackling fire for an aperitif, I had been shown around their gardens. They had fruit cages and a small orchard as well as a large polytunnel where they grow a great selection of their own herbs and veg.
Even in deepest February they had kale, young pea shoots, baby beetroot as well as rosemary, sage, thyme and basil all growing well and being picked for use in the kitchen that evening. In the height of summer a large proportion of the kitchen’s produce comes from this well-tended mini Eden.
And so to dinner. While I doubt whether they will ever grow their own rice or saffron in the back yard, their chef certainly knows how to use them to best effect. Much to my annoyance my partner is notorious for turning his nose up at a good risotto.
In my view nothing is better on a cold evening to chase away the chills. But even he cleared the plate of this delicious amuse bouche. Every grain of rice was perfectly cooked in a delicate sauce.
For starters he chose a foie gras and camomile sandwich. It looked wonderful. Thin layers of fried brochette and delicious foie gras looked posher than any sandwich I had ever seen before.
It was nothing like the sort of sandwich you will pick up in the supermarket for lunch at your desk. It was delightful. I had a most wonderful pork ravioli. It was silky pasta packed with wonderfully sticky pulled pork along with a delightful sherry vinaigrette. The black pudding dust which finished it off sounded, shall we say, intriguing but was a perfect garnish.
We both fancied the venison for our main course but I decided, in the interests of sampling as wide a range of the menu as possible, to go for the guinea fowl. Served on a bed of leeks and wild rice, prune jelly and a roasted broth, the waiter described it, with a twinkle in his eye, as the chef’s posh cock-a-leekie soup.
I don’t care how he described it, it was fabulous. I could perhaps have had more of the prune to give it a sweeter zing, but I’m being overly picky. My partner’s venison did not disappoint. It looked a picture, with elements of artichoke, beetroot and pommes Anna all contributing to what they described as a perfectly balanced plate.
The cheese was in superb condition. Celtic promise, Golden Cross, Blue Murder and Isle of Mull Cheddar, each a brilliant example of their type, served with delicious fruit toast and crackers. What a treat.
Yes, we had pudding as well. I will never think of apple tart in the same way again. This was no stodgy dessert aimed at filling you up but an exquisite confection that bore no resemblance to what was served up when I was a child. And trust me, the chocolate fondant was just as good.
The staff at the Airds are pulling out all the stops to produce and serve first class food. They are receiving many plaudits for their efforts and in my view deserve them all.