As the nights draw in and the leaves begin to turn, snuggle down with these hearty eats from Craig Wilson.
Autumn is around the corner, and comforting, cosy foods are on the
menu.
Celebrating local produce, this month I’ve selected the centrepiece of Scotland’s larder: Aberdeen Angus beef.
I’ve paired it with some wonderful flavours – Scottish heather honey and whisky.
I chose to use Glen Garioch whisky. It is distilled just a few miles along the road in Oldmeldrum, and it is a hearty malt which complements the meat really well in this dish.
Chocolate fondue is a fun after-dinner sweet treat. For an extra kick I’ve added some red chilli and orange zest for fragrant freshness.
A selection of seasonal fruits and berries are great for dipping, and my homemade puff candy is deliciously moreish and really easy to make.
It’ll keep for about a month in an airtight container – that’s if you’ve got any leftover!
Happy cooking.
Aberdeen Angus strips with sweet potato chips
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 250g Aberdeen Angus fillet tail
- 350g sweet potato
- 1 small red onion, halved
- Drizzle of rapeseed oil
For the glaze:
- 35ml rapeseed oil
- 15ml whisky
- 5g cracked black pepper
- 30g heather honey
- 2g Scottish sea salt
Method
- Leaving the skin on, cut the sweet potato into chunky chips then deep fry at 140C/120 Fan/275F/Gas Mark 1 for 10 minutes until soft in the middle.
- Then, turn the heat up for a few minutes to crisp up the outside of the chips.
- Remove from the oil and place to one side.
- Put a chargrill pan over a medium heat and add a splash of rapeseed oil.
- Cut the red onion in half and place it, flat side down, on the pan, and you should hear a sizzle.
- Chargrill for around 10 minutes
until it’s softened slightly. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with some sea salt and leave to rest while you make the glaze. - In a bowl mix the rapeseed oil, whisky, black pepper, heather honey and sea salt and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Take the Aberdeen Angus fillet tail and cut into strips.
- Drizzle some more rapeseed oil into the chargrill pan and place back on at a high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, place in the beef strips and leave for 30 seconds, then turn. They should take on a golden, charred colour.
- Remove from the heat and drizzle the glaze across the top of each beef strip.
Remove from the pan and serve with the chunky sweet potato chips and roasted red onion. - Finish with a drizzle of the glaze across the plate.
Puff candy chilli chocolate orange fondue
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the honeycomb:
- 250g caster sugar
- 5 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the fondue:
- 150g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp orange zest
- Selection of fruits for the fondue, such as brambles, apple,
gooseberries
Method
- To make the puff candy, or honeycomb:
- Weigh out the sugar and golden syrup into a deep pan and place over a low heat.
- Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted.
- When the sugar has completely dissolved, turn up the heat slightly and simmer until you have an amber-coloured caramel.
- Remove from the heat and quickly add the bicarbonate of soda and then whisk. The mixture should “foam up”.
- Carefully pour on to a lined baking tray and leave to set for around 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Once it has hardened, you can break into chunks.
To make the fondue:
- Melt chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water.
- Once it’s melted and glossy, add the orange zest and finely chopped red chilli, stir through and pour into a small bowl.
- Assemble your fondue plate with the melted chocolate, selection of fruits and honeycomb pieces.
Dig in and enjoy!