Book review: Relish Scotland Second Helping
Relish Scotland Second Helping
Relish Publications, £20
This is Relish Publications' second Scotland-focused cookery book, celebrating the country's finest chefs and restaurants as well as its rich larder and top food producers. It is the latest in a series of regional foodie books by the company, which also include Relish Wales, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Midlands.
RelishScotland Second Helping features 23 of Scotland's best known restaurants from the Michelin-starred 21212 to Wedgwood the Restaurant and plenty of regional and urban eateries in between.
The book starts out with a foreword by Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur Tom Kitchin, who shares his thoughts on how far the Scottish culinary scene has come to establish itself internationally. He talks about his unwavering passion for his home country's produce as well as its suppliers, some of which are showcased in the book's final chapter, entitled Larder. Here producers including bakers, butchers, fishmongers and whisky distillers as well as cookery schools and tableware suppliers are featured, giving an overview of the diverse range of products currently available in Scotland.
The recipes are as diverse as the restaurants listed, ranging from pub classics such as a starter of smoked haddock chowder from award-winning pub the Applecross Inn in Strathcarron, Wester Ross, to a Mediterranean-inspired main course of monkfish all'aqua pazza from Cucina at Edinburgh's Hotel Missoni; and a sophisticated dessert made up of a cake, purée, sorbet and mousse of root vegetables from the Restaurant at the Lovat at Loch Ness. All the recipes come with suggested wine pairings as well as special tips from the chef to help perfect the dish.
The book definitely showcases the best of the Scottish culinary scene although there are some obvious omissions: Andrew Fairlie, Martin Wishart, Roy Brett, Michael Smith and Dominic Jack are just a few of the big names not here. However, some of Scotland's restaurants that are perhaps lesser known outside its borders, hidden gems if you like, are included and the book certainly gives a great overview of what's happening in Scotland today.
Hot off the press, Relish Scotland Second Helping is hitting book shelves across the country this week and will also be available at the featured restaurants.
By Kerstin KÁ¼hn
If you like this, you might like these:
â- Relish Scotland
â- A Cook's Tour of Scotlandâ¨Sue Lawrence
â- New Scottish Cookeryâ¨Nick Nairn