Scotsman Edinburgh *New Menu*

Ali McCulloch reports on The Scotsman hotel’s new menu

If you’re thinking of taking in some culture and comedy this August at Edinburgh’s famous Festival, it might be worth treating yourself to a night at the glamorous Scotsman hotel.  Selflessly, I popped in to check on how the new chef, Spencer Wilson, formally of Petrus, is getting on in the former home of The Scotsman newspaper.

The restaurant is loosely French in style, with a Scottish twist that works perfectly North of the border.  I sampled a punchy gazpacho amuse bouche, smoked salmon served on a perfectly warm blini followed by cod rarebit – an interesting take on the tradition and rounded the meal off with a Scottish summer pudding.

I even managed to grab a word with Spencer himself and persuade him to leave me with a recipe for one of the starters – warmed asparagus, Serrano ham with a poached egg dressing.  Check out how to prepare and serve it below.

It’s customary in Scotland to round off the meal with a whisky or two, but the mixologists here have created an alternative digestif in the form of the Royal Military Tattoo cocktail compiled of crushed handmade tablet, lemon and lime wedges, Talisker and Drambuie yum!

Warmed Asparagus, Serrano Ham with Poached Egg Dressing

Ingredients to serve 2

14 spears asparagus

2 slices Serrano ham

2 poached eggs

5g chopped gherkin

5g chopped capers

5g chopped parsley

50ml olive oil

10ml balsamic vinigar

20g parmasan shavings

1 punnet pea shoots

5g grain mustard

10ml water salt and pepper

1. Chop up the poached eggs and place in a round metal bowl, place bowl over simmering water and stir until eggs start to firm up.  Remove from heat and allow cooling slightly, then gradually add a little olive oil and keep stirring until 30g – 40g of oil is used.  Add chopped gherkin, capers, parsley, grain mustard and salt and pepper and chill in the fridge
2. Heat a pan large enough to put all the asparagus into, then add a little olive oil until it smokes, then place asparagus and water in pan with a little salt and place lid on top and cook for about 1-2 minutes, so the asparagus is just cooked then remove from pan and cut the hard bottoms off.
3. Place ham under grill to warm slightly but not to cook
4. Then put the warmed asparagus on the left of the plate and cover with a slice of ham.  Then on the other side, spoon some of the egg dressing
5. Pour a little olive oil around the place and a little balsamic vinegar and then place some pea shoots and parmasan around the plate.