Chef in a kilt...with Gordon Howe

A taste of land and sea

Hebridean Beef and Reef, - a modern twist on a classic “Surf & Turf”. For this recipe I have used two award winning suppliers of our World Class Scottish produce. p114

Firstly, Jackson Bros Master Butcher of Oban. Alister Jackson’s beef is specially selected and supplied for him by John Scott Meat, of Ayrshire, and is nurtured from their very select group of beef finishing farms in central Scotland.

The specialist meat supplier acquires their stock from select farms that consistently meet the rigorous quality standard specifications that, quite frankly, you only get and can expect in premium quality meat.

The Cattle, mainly Aberdeen Angus Cross and Limousin, “Heifers” cows are put to the Aberdeen Angus or Limousin Bull. Their offspring flourish in the natural yet gently nurturing conditions of the beautiful Ayrshire coast and surrounding green central belt.

Their own farm, Thirdpart Farm, has a family history going back over 200 years of live premium stock production and remains true to tradition. The farm perfectly situated in Skemorlie, North Ayrshire, rises from sea level to a scenic and panoramic 1,080ft above sea level. It is from here the prime stock are finished and sold via John Scott Meat directly to Alister at Jackson Bros Master Butchers.

Alister's passionate approach to his beef selection, the 'Chewing the Cud” process, guarantees consistency, texture, fat percentage and flavour.

For my seafood choice for this recipe I picked the award winning Isle of Mull Scallops, located in the Scottish Inner Hebrides at Baliscate. Scotland has a plentiful, rich history of producing first class seafood dating back to 7000BC. The Isle of Mull, in particular, is surrounded by rich, clear waters of the Atlantic gently warmed by the passing Gulf Stream making it a perfect source for these world class scallops.

The Isle Mull Scallops Company established in 2010 have a zero waste policy. This means shells are environmentally friendly disposed of, by being crushed as the top layer on Forestry Commission roads and the inner waste inedible “Skirt” is used by fishermen as bait or by fish farms to feed “Wrasse”

These truly delicious, delicate and sustainable scallops, hand cut less than a mile from the sea and delivered fresh within hours, are the perfect match with Jacksons’s fillet of beef tenderloin for this recipe

The Recipe:

Serves 4 ( Main Course) Prep 25/30 mins. Cooking 30/35 mins

Main Ingredients

500g Beef Fillet

12 scallops

16 Asparagus Spears

120g Samphire

120g Sugar Snaps

1 large Lemon (juiced) and Rind cut into very thin fine strips

3 tbsp Finely Chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp Watercress

12 small fresh mint leaves

50g Lightly salted butter

1 garlic clove

Sea salt and crushed pepper to season

1 tbsp Scottish Rapeseed oil

Cucumber and Dill Pickle

1/2 cucumber roughly chopped

1 tsp freshly chopped Dill

2 table spoons of Scottish Heather honey

2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar

Good pinch of Sea Salt

(Combine all in small food processor and pulse until almost paste with little chunks, set aside in the fridge until the food is played)

Directions:

Remove your beef fillet tail from the packaging, pat dry and bring up to room temperature about 20- 25 minutes.

Keep the fillet in one piece Pre-heat a heavy based frying pan until it smokes when you add rapeseed oil and it crackles. Season the meat with sea salt and ground pepper just before cooking, drop in crushed whole garlic clove.

Next, Put a medium saucepan of lightly salted water on to boil.

Now, Place the meat in the Center of the pan, Cook over high heat turning the steak on all sides every 5 to 6 minutes (25/30 minutes total)to produce a nice medium rare piece of fillet.

Finish by adding the knob of butter.

Leave to rest in a warm place for 3-4 minutes.

The meat will firm as it cooks, press softly with your thumb, the more the fillet springs back the hotter the protein cells expand (the more well done your meat is cooked) for medium rare fillet, it should have a soft feel with a little spring back.

Put a small frying pan on until it’s just smoking it very hot.

The drop the asparagus into the salted water cook for two to three minutes and remove from water and set aside. Now add the Sugar Snaps and cook for two minutes then remove.

Pat dry and season with sea salt then place Scallops in hot frying pan clockwise, leave for one minute, season with salt. Start with the first scallop, turning them over one at a time in a clockwise direction. Leave for two or three minutes until golden with a gentile spring when touched. Take the pan off the heat and plate - you will lose a lot of seasoning in the pan.

To serve

Divide the Samphire between the four plates, in a long line, centred on the plate. Then the same with the sugar snaps on top of the samphire.

Place three scallops on top and leave space between each scallop and place the generously sliced fillet between each scallop standing up.

Lay asparagus, end up leaning towards the beef and scallops. Heavily drizzle the cucumber and dill pickle around the plate generously. Put one edible flower beside the beef and a few petals around the pickle. Put one small fresh mint leave on top of each scallop.

Mix chopped fresh parsley in the lemon juice and drizzle over scallops and scatter some lemon rind strips and serve immediately.

Side dish suggestions:

Crusty bread and butter, creamy mashed potatoes or hand cut chips.

Note! Edible flowers I foraged Serbian Bell (semi-evergreen perennials) flowers growing wild on a sea wall in Ayr for this recipe. Fresh purple petals with fresh taste. (forage with knowledge and care or buy online)

Note! Edible flowers I foraged Serbian Bell (semi-