IT was created by a young Scottish chef to provide the Capital with its very own unique recipe. And now Edinburgh's new "signature dish" is to be tackled by three of the UK's top cooks as part of a culinary cook-off.
The challenge, which is due to take place at the Taste festival in the Meadows next week, will see TV stars Antony Worrall-Thompson and Nick Nairn lock horns alongside top Edinburgh restaurateur Martin Wishart.
Each will create his own version of
the dish – a mix of Scottish lamb, Spanish chorizo and deep fried dauphine potatoes.
The recipe was unveiled this week by Loch Lomond-based cook Jamie Wakeford, who won the recent Scottish Food Scholarship.
Part of his prize was a commission to create a special dish reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Edinburgh, which will be included on menus around the city over the coming year.
He will also be taking part in the Taste festival event to see whether the celebrity chefs manage to better his own version of the Holyrood Lamb dish.
The cook-off between the chefs will be one of the highlights of this year's festival, which is now in its second year and gives visitors the chance to sample dishes from leading restaurants.
Top restaurateurs such as Tony Singh and Tom Kitchin will be leading demonstrations, while it is hoped celebrity chefs such as Jean-Christophe Novelli, Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall may also appear during the four-day event.
Tasting sessions, wine masterclasses and a special "food and whisky school" have also been introduced for this year's event.
Sarah Forbes, Taste of Edinburgh festival director said: "Taste is the perfect mechanism to highlight what Scotland has to offer – and at the same time it's a fantastic day out. What better way to celebrate the Scottish culinary community than bringing all of our top restaurants and producers together."
Last year, more than 15,000 people attended the festival and got the opportunity to sample "taster dishes" from 15 of Edinburgh's top restaurants, as chefs work in their on-site kitchens.
The Taste of Edinburgh festival takes place on the Meadows from May 29-June 1.
Holyrood lamb (Serves 4)IngredientsLamb4 3-bone French-trim racks of good Scottish Lamb.
Chorizo and summer greens150g diced chorizo
1 clove garlic
80 g shallots
200 ml chicken stock
200g podded broad beans
100g podded peas
2-3 baby gem: washed, halved and stalk removed
60g tomato concasse
20g chopped chervil
Celeriac purée600g celeriac
100g butter
100ml cream
Roast Garlic pommes dauphine3 peeled, Red Rooster potatoes
10 garlic cloves
500ml water
100g butter
5-10g salt
320g flour
8 eggs
Pinch nutmeg
Lamb jus500ml lamb stock
20g butter
To garnish1 punnet pea shoots, or picked chervil
20ml rendered lamb fat or olive oil
Method 1. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature
2. Peel the garlic cloves and immerse in olive oil. Wrap with tin foil and roast until soft. Take out of foil, squeeze out the soft flesh out of each bulb.
3. Chop peeled potatoes to equal sized cubes and place in a pan. Cover with cold water and salt. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until cooked. Strain and leave in the colander to steam dry.
4. Peel celeriac and dice to thumbnail size and cover in water. Add butter and seasoning. Cook gently for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Put lamb stock in pan and reduce gently always removing scum.
6. To make the choux paste, boil water and butter together in a pan. Gently incorporate flour and beat to a smooth paste until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool slightly and then beat in eight eggs.
9. Take the dry potatoes and press through a drum sieve if possible. If not, mash until smooth and allow to cool slightly. Mix one part choux paste with two parts mash, add the roast garlic to taste. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and beat until smooth. Quenelle (make into dumpling shapes) and reserve in freezer on grease proof paper.
10. Check celeriac when cooked, there should be very little liquid left. Transfer to liquidiser and blend with a splash of cream until you can make a mark on it with a spoon and the mark remains. Check seasoning (I always add a little lemon juice just to lift it slightly), pass through a sieve if necessary.
11. Take the lamb racks, make sure they're nice and dry, season them well with salt and pepper and place in medium-heat pan, fat side down. Cook for around three to four minutes each side, turning regularly. It is vital to rest the meat at this point to give it time to relax.
12. Take the lamb stock off when it reaches around the 150ml mark. Pass through sieve. Keep warm.
13. Gently fry the chorizo, adding the garlic, shallots, butter and a little bit of salt. When the shallots are translucent and soft, add a little chicken stock, not too much, and evaporate to almost nothing, just a glaze. Once reduced, add baby gems cut side down and wilt for around 30 seconds. Then turn them over and add broad beans and peas. Finish with tomato concasse and chervil. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
14. Take four warm plates and put a spoonful of hot celeriac puree just off centre and drag the tip of a spoon through it. Take the baby gem and carefully pat on some cloth to rid any excess liquid and place it in the centre of the plate. Scatter the broad beans and peas around it, close to the baby gem.
15. Drop the pommes dauphine in the fryer and keep them moving around, colouring all sides.
16. Gently reheat the lamb under the grill or in the oven. To carve lamb, use the rack as a guide, slicing down the back of each bone. Season the cut sides with rock salt. Gently lean the cutlets against the baby gem.
17. Now reheat the lamb jus and add a couple of small knobs of butter, stirring until fully incorporated. Spoon around the dish. You can then drizzle a little bit of lamb fat around, splitting the jus.
18. Finally garnish with some pea shoots.
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www.channel4.com/life/microsites/T/taste2008/events/edinburghThe full article contains 1086 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
