Enliven The Palate With Scotch Infused Dishes
In Robert Crais’ words, “As a man gets older, his regrets change. Especially when he's gotten into the Scotch.”
This golden liquid has long been treasured by whisky connoisseurs and literary figures alike. As you examine your dram of Scotch, do you realize that it has gradually moved out of the drinks cabinet into the kitchens? As food aficionados step up their chef game, Scotch has emerged as an integral ingredient of innovative cooking. A dash of the spirit can enhance the flavour in seafood, add smokiness to food and bring out the sweetness in a dessert. Interestingly, Scotch whisky has a more diverse flavour spectrum than wine. It gets its distinct flavour and aroma from the fermentation of malted barley, along with the distillation and maturation in oak casks over the years. Many may be skeptical of cooking with the spirit but who argue in favour of using Scotch for cooking.
Melt-in-your-mouth Scotch Blondies
Next time you invite your bestie over for a tete-a-tete, why don’t you dish up some delicious Scotch blondies? As you use blended Scotch to make these chewy and soft blondies, a close cousin of brownies, save some to sip along with them. To prepare these blondies you will need brown sugar, a blended Scotch such as 100 Pipers, eggs and vanilla in addition to unsalted butter and flour. Mini chocolate chips will add to the flavour of this magical dessert. Serve it warm. You can store them for 5 days at room temperature. Pair these brownie-like blondies with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Shrimps in butter and Scotch
For special occasions such as your anniversary or your spouse’s birthday, why not rustle up an entree of ‘Scotch and butter shrimps with pasta’? Drown the shrimps in butter and a generous dash of a smooth Scotch like Ballantine’s, before you fry them in a hot pan. For seasoning use salt and black pepper. Serve a herby, creamy garlic pasta with the shrimps for a sumptuous and satisfying meal. See faces light up at the dinner table as you serve this dish.
Scotch pudding for sweet cravings
If you want to wow your mom on Mother’s Day, try the glorious Scotch pudding. For this pudding, you will need heavy cream, brown sugar, a sweet single malt Scotch (Aberlour works splendidly), vanilla extract, egg yolk, and crushed toffee candy. Once you have brought the pudding to simmer over medium-low heat, strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve, refrigerate and garnish with toffee candy. This is the ideal dessert for your loved ones who indulge their sweet tooth once in a while.
To turn your plain, no frills salad into an indulgent meal, add a dash of Scotch and bacon. And, who does not want a glaze on their pork chops? Scotch can come to use here as well. Finally, for the winter months, a risotto-style hearty soup made with barley and Scotch is the best bet. To really transform the soup, use a splash of earthy Chivas Regal. To make the barley soup, you would require vegetable broth, barley grits, vegetable oil, Scotch whisky, freshly ground pepper, dried salami and celery leaves. Once you have added all the broth and the soup is almost ready, add the whisky. Garnish with the dried salami and celery leaves.
And, on a special evening when you want to play the perfect host, serve a succulent pork belly glazed with Scotch. Adding Scotch to a dish is an excellent way to elevate the dining experience you offer. Its light-bodied attributes do not overpower the original flavour in a dish but rather, accentuate the existing ones, adding a revitalizing finish to a dish.
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