Good Scottish ingredients, and fewer of them. That’s the philosophy of Fraser Smith, pictured, head chef at Edinburgh’s Angels with Bagpipes. Since focusing on using fresh, local, and seasonal produce from “Scotland’s stunning natural larder” in his cooking, Smith has found that he’s cut down from having 12 elements on a plate to four or five.

“When you’ve got such, such good produce to use, you don’t want to mask them with anything,” he says.

There are many benefits to eating locally and seasonally. Instead of grabbing a supermarket vegetable that’s grown in a faraway country, eating what is naturally grown on your doorstep is good for your cooking, your health, the economy, and our planet.

With less time spent in transit, local produce arrives in your kitchen at a perfect ripeness, packed with nutrients, and carrying a much smaller carbon footprint. Buying seasonally also supports Scottish producers and the produce actually stays fresher for longer.

But how do we get out of the habit of eating unseasonably? While shopping at butchers and farmers markets is more time-consuming, Smith has some tips to make the transition easier.

“You allocate time for the gym, you allocate time for your social life … you should allocate time to eat really great produce,” he says. And he points out that many small businesses found at farmers markets now have online stores, making it easier than ever to support Scottish producers.

In Scotland we have some of the world’s finest seafood, meat, and vegetables, so why not give cooking seasonally a try? Smith has kindly shared these delicious recipes for you to try at home, using in-season ingredients such as mushrooms from East Lothian and wild venison from the Highlands. Ith do shàth!

Starter: Mushrooms on Toast

Ingredients:

· 300g mixed wild mushrooms

· 1 x Banana shallot, diced

· 50g x flat leaf parsley, finely sliced

· 50 ml veg stock

· 4x duck or hen eggs

· Juice of 1 lemon

· 130g cold diced butter

· Pressed rapeseed oil

· Sourdough loaf

Method:

Cut the mushrooms into similar size pieces so they cook evenly.

Warm a large pan for the mushrooms and a frying pan for the eggs and pre heat the grill.

Put a couple of tablespoons of oil in the large pan and add the mushrooms once hot. You are looking to get a nice caramelization on them so try not to move them too much while they cook.

Slice the bread and drizzle oil over it, place under the grill and toast both sides.

Once the mushrooms have a nice colour, season them and add the veg stock, shallots, lemon juice then reduce the heat. Stir in the parsley then add the cold butter a little bit at a time making sure it doesn’t split. This will thicken up the liquid to a sauce consistency. Check the seasoning and place at the side till ready to serve.

Fry the eggs in oil.

Place the toast in the middle of the plate, spoon the mushroom and sauce mix on top then place the fried egg on top and serve.

Main: Venison Loin with Parsnips, Sprouts and Port Jus

Ingredients:

· 300g sprouts, cut in half

· 500g parsnips

· 600ml veg stock

· 480g venison loin, trimmed

· 150ml port

· 60ml double cream

· 1 litre beef stock

· 20g butter

Method:

Wash parsnips and peel. Keep the peelings and deep fry or air fry for some parsnip crisps to garnish the dish.

Cut parsnips and cover in 500ml veg stock in a saucepan.

Place lid on and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer until soft.

Puree in a blender and return to a saucepan to heat later.

Place port in saucepan and reduce by half. Add beef stock and reduce until it reaches a sauce consistency.

Cut the venison into 2 equal pieces and season, seal in a hot frying pan to get some nice colour on the meat then place on a baking tray and cook for 10 mins at 180 degrees centigrade in a fan oven. Remove from oven and rest somewhere warm for 6/7 mins before carving.

While the venison is cooking heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and place the sprouts flat side down. Cook for a few minutes on a medium to high heat to get a nice caramelization. Toss the sprouts and add the remaining veg stock, butter and seasoning and continue cooking until they are to your liking. I like mine with still a bit of bite in them.

Put the puree on the heat with the double cream and season. Slice each venison piece into 4.

Place the puree on the plate, followed by the venison and sprouts, then finish with jus and parsnip crisps.

Dessert: Apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

· 130g castor sugar

· 110g unsalted butter

· ½ tsp ground cinnamon

· 300g puff pastry

· 6 apples, I used Braeburn

· Good quality vanilla ice cream

Method:

Slice butter thinly and lay on the base of a medium size frying pan. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on top.

Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Place them on top of the sugar, making a circle on the outside of the pan keeping them as tight as possible. Continue placing them in rings in the pan until the whole pan is covered.

Place on the stove on a medium heat until the apples have a nice colour and the butter and sugar turn to caramel. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 mins.

Pre heat the oven to 180 C.

Roll out your puff pastry and cut out a circle the size of your frying pan. Prick with a fork and make some small slices in the pastry to let steam out. Place over your apples, tucking the edges in the pan and bake in the oven at 180C for about 30/40 mins until the pastry is nice and brown.

Remove from the oven and turn out onto a resting rack. Leave to cool slightly before cutting and serving with a good scoop of ice cream.

Angels with Bagpipes, 343 High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1PW, angelswithbagpipes.co.uk,

0131 220 1111