Whisky Galore: Recipes

The Balvenie with Dundee cake
12-year-old Double Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky, £29, by the Balvenie

Whisky Dundee cake

100ml whisky, plus more for feeding
350g mixed dried vine fruit
100g glace cherries, halved
50g chopped candied peel
zest of one orange
150g butter at room temperature
150g soft brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
200g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbs ground almonds
100g whole blanched almonds

Place the vine fruit, cherries and orange zest in a bowl with the whisky, and leave to soak overnight.
Grease an 8 inch 20cm round baking tin, and line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time; making sure each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Carefully fold in the flour mixture, and then the ground almonds. Mix in the fruit and whisky. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Arrange the blanched almonds on the top of the cake, pressing them in only very lightly, to avoid them sinking during baking. Place the cake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes -2 hours until the centre is firm and the cake golden brown. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack. Make small holes in the top of the cake and feed it by sprinkling the surface with couple more tablespoons of whisky.

Johnnie Walker with Lamb Bhuna
Black Label Blended Whisky, £25, by Johnnie Walker

Serves 4-6

4 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 dried red chillies, broken onto pieces
1 tsp black peppercorns
5tbs tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 peeled chopped tomatoes, or 250g canned chopped tomatoes
12 curry leaves
1 kg boneless lamb, cut into 3cm cubes
11/2 tsp salt

Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium to high heat. When hot, add all the dry spices and stir them around for 3-5 minutes until they are fragrant, and a shade darker. Tip them onto a plate and allow to cool slightly, and then grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, and set aside.

Put the oil into a large heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic, and fry, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and the curry leaves and continue to stir-fry for about 5 minutes until you have a thick paste. Add the ground spices and cook for another minute, adding a tablespoon or two of water if the paste seems too dry. Add the meat and the salt, stirring, and coating the pieces in the fragrant spice mixture, for five minutes. Pour in 250ml water, bring to a simmer, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for one and a half hours. After this time, remove the lid, turn the heat to high, and reduce the sauce, stirring constantly, until it clings to the meat. Serve with rice or roti.

Glenmorangie with chocolate whisky semifreddo
Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, £112, by Glenmorangie, from The Whisky Exchange

Serves 8-10

250g dark chocolate at least 70%
4 eggs separated
5 tbs caster sugar
3 tbs Whisky
400 ml double cream

Line a 1 litre loaf tin with cling film. Break up the chocolate and place in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, until the chocolate has melted. Stir and set aside. Whisk the egg yolks with two tablespoons of the sugar, until pale and fluffy. Beat this mixture into the melted chocolate, and then beat in the whisky. Beat in 150ml of the cream, until you have a smooth and glossy mixture. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar, whisk again until glossy, and set aside. Beat the remaining cream in a separate bowl until it hold soft peaks and then beat about a quarter of it into the chocolate mixture, to loosen it. Fold in the rest of the cream, and then the egg white, until all are thoroughly but lightly combined. Spoon into the tin and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Invert onto a plate, remove the cling film, and cut into slices with a sharp knife dipped in warm water. Serve with blueberries and raspberries.

Talisker with scallops with black pudding and pea purée
Ten-year-old Single Malt, £59, by Talisker, from Single Malts Direct

Serves 4 as a generous starter

For the pea purée

40g butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 banana shallot or small onion, peeled and finely chopped
400g frozen peas
200 ml chicken stock
about 20 mint leaves
3 tbs double cream
salt and pepper

2 tbs olive oil
1 Stornaway black pudding, or approx. 400g, cut into 8, 1cm thick slices.
12 scallops
salt & pepper

Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the peas and the stock, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 7 minutes until the peas are tender. Add the mint and cream, season to taste, and then process the mixture to an almost smooth puree, but with some texture remaining.

Heat a large, heavy frying pan and pour in the olive oil. When very hot, place the black pudding slices in the pan. They will need about 2 minutes on each side, the scallops one minute each side. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place them in the pan when you turn the black pudding. The black pudding should be crispy, and the scallops well browned. Spoon hot pea puree onto each plate, add two slices of black pudding, and place three scallops on top.