Happy Easter A mouth-watering Scottish feast for spring from one of our best chefs

Smoked trout pâté

Sea trout is versatile, flavoursome, low in calories and full of potassium. In Scotland we’re lucky to have access to exceptional, high-quality farmed fish, which plays an important part in protecting our wild trout stocks. The Argyll Smokery in Dunoon is committed to using only hand-reared, sea loch trout, smoked in small batches to achieve exceptional flavour and quality. Produce is hand-packed to order, ensuring minimal waste. www.argyllsmokery.com

Here I’ve made a quick and easy pâté with sourdough discard crackers to accompany (a good way of reducing your discard waste) – but if you don’t bake sourdough, oatcakes make a great alternative.

Ingredients: Pickled cucumber

1 whole cucumber

200ml water

200ml white wine vinegar

50g sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

A few sprigs of fresh dill

Sourdough crackers

300g sourdough starter

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp of dried herbs de Provence

1 tbsp olive oil (for coating)

Trout pâté

2 smoked trout fillets (approx. 125g)

100g cream cheese

2 tsp horseradish sauce

Juice and zest of half a lemon

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Cucumber

Peel the cucumber and then slice into sticks about 6cm in long, 1cm thick. Combine with salt in a bowl, cover and leave for 30 mins. Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar and vinegar by warming the mixture a little, then leave to cool. Add the mustard seeds, dill, lemon zest and juice. Drain the liquid and salt from the cucumbers then transfer to a jar and cover with the vinegar and herb solution. Leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight.

Crackers

Mix your desired seasoning and spices into the sourdough discard. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and brush evenly with a coat of olive oil. Spread the mixture thinly and evenly then bake for 12-15 minutes at 180C until lightly golden brown and crispy. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Pâté

Put all the ingredients into a blender (be careful to remove any bones in the trout before adding it), blitz until smooth and pâté-like. Chill for at least 30 minutes (will keep in the fridge 2 days) then serve with the pickles and crackers.

Slow-cooked roast leg of goat

Goat is unlikely to be top of the agenda for many people when they think of a traditional Sunday roast, but this underrated meat is exceptionally tasty and has great nutritional qualities. It’s a fantastic alternative if you don’t like the full flavour of lamb, it’s mild and versatile, and is as delicious prepared with minimal seasoning as it is with aromatic spices and herbs. I really encourage you to give it a try.

This beautiful leg is from Lunan Bay Farm. Owners Jillian and Neil are committed to producing ethically grown, pasture-fed goat meat using regenerative agriculture principles. They place a strong emphasis on sustainability and on reducing their carbon footprint. Lunan Bay also produces exceptional Scottish asparagus and honeyberries.

www.lunanbayfarm.com

Ingredients

1.4kg goat leg on the bone

8-10 cloves of garlic (3 cut into thin sticks)

5 sprigs of rosemary

½ lemon, sliced (optional)

30g olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tbs dried oregano

125g dry white wine

100g chicken stock

1kg peeled potatoes halved/quartered

1 tbs plain flour

1 tbs olive oil & 1 tbs butter (hot)

250g carrots, peeled and quartered

1 tbs honey

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

For the glaze

3 tbsp honey

1tsp ground coriander

Salt and black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 220c. Sear the meat in a pan with olive oil, then rub with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper, make small incisions throughout and, inside these, add a thin stick of garlic and rosemary. Add remaining rosemary, garlic cloves and lemon to a roasting pan then add the goat. Pour in the wine and stock, then oregano. Wrap well with foil and place into the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 140c (goat is lean, so it’s best cooked at low heat to preserve the tenderness) and roast for 3-4 hours. After 3 hours check – the meat is ready when it’s falling off the bone. About an hour before serving, par boil your potatoes for 6-8 minutes, drain, toss lightly in the colander. Remove excess liquid from the goat tray (consider using for gravy), coat the potatoes in the hot olive oil and butter, then add them to the tray, keeping the meat covered with foil. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn gently. Turn again after another 20 minutes. For the final 20 minutes, take the tinfoil off the goat, mix the glaze ingredients together and spread over the meat.

In a separate roasting tray, mix the carrots with the honey, olive oil, balsamic and then add salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes in the same oven as your meat and potatoes. Serve immediately with any other accompaniments of your choice.

Berry lemon pavlova

Although we’re still a little early in the berry season it’s relatively easy to get your hands on fresh Scottish fruit if you’re selective in where you shop. For this pavlova, I’ve used beautiful berries from Castleton Farm, Aberdeenshire. The team handpick their precious fruit for 9 months of the year and then distribute to suppliers within 24-48 hours so they’re exceptionally fresh.

The farm uses biomass boilers and solar systems and produces more electricity than it uses, exporting during the night and importing it during the day. Castleton Farm is also committed to regenerative farming and its packaging is made of 80% recycled materials, which is also 100% recyclable.

www.castletonfarm.co.uk

Ingredients Pavlova

4 large egg whites (I use Corrie Mains)

250g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Filling

Mixed berries: 300g raspberries and 400g strawberries, hulled and halved

300ml whipping cream

3 tbsp lemon curd (you could have a go at making your own from the leftover egg yolks)

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 lemon zest

Method

Heat the oven to 150C/130 fan, line a baking tray with parchment paper and draw a large circle using a dinner plate or bowl (approx. 25cm diameter). Separate the egg whites from the yolks (this is easier chilled) and then bring them to room temperature by leaving out for 30 minutes. In a clean, dry glass bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks, then add in the caster sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisking between each add until your méringue looks thick and glossy. Then whisk in the lemon juice and cornflour.

Gently spread large spoonfuls of méringue onto the parchment paper circle until evenly filled, make a dip in the centre with the back of the spoon and bring the sides up just a little, then place in the oven and bake for 60 minutes. When finished, turn the oven off and leave the oven door open to let the meringue cool completely.

Whip the cream until nice and thick then gently fold in the lemon curd and zest. Top the méringue with the lemon cream, followed by the mixed berries and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Unruly Lady gin cocktail

I was gifted a bottle of Crosskirk Bay gin for Christmas and instantly fell in love with not only the gin but the story behind it.

North Point Distillery, Caithness uses a mixture of 17 botanicals, including Scots pine taken from a Christmas tree planted in one of the founder’s gardens.

Sustainability is at the heart of North Point. From off-setting carbon footprints by sourcing raw ingredients and using recycled materials for all its packaging (including its bottles), to using stills powered from renewable electricity, this is a proud and ambitious team that not only produces fantastic spirits; it really lives by its core values too.

This gin marries up perfectly with the citrus I’ve used as the grounding for my cocktail, but it’s equally as delicious served with ice, a wedge of grapefruit, Cushiedoos tonic and ice.

www.northpointdistillery.com

Ingredients: Makes 1

50ml Crosskirk Bay gin

1/2 squeezed grapefruit

75ml cloudy apple juice

25ml orange liqueur such as Cointreau

15ml crème de cassis

15ml grenadine

1 tbsp egg white (optional)

Method:

Pour all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice, shake vigorously, then pour through a fine mesh strainer and serve immediately into a martini glass or similar.

Garish with a fresh raspberry or a swirl of grenadine.

Gary Townsend is head chef at One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, Glasgow. See www.hotelduvin.com or phone 0141 378 0385 to book.

Twitter @Chefgtownsend Instagram- @chef.g.townsend