British winter warmers: Recipes from Scotland | Food (2024)

Not a winter warmer as such, seeing as it's served cold, but this is a dish that warms the soul. Raw fish can host parasites, which die when heated. This does not happen when it's marinated, so freeze the fish for five days beforehand, to eliminate them, and defrost thoroughly. Itdoes no harm to the taste of the salmon. Serves about 10.

1 tsp white peppercorns
5 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp salt
250g fresh dill, chopped
1kg wild salmon fillet, meticulously boned

Crush the peppercorns and mix withthe sugar and salt. Place half the mix in a baking tray, spread evenly and sprinkle with a bit of dill. Place the salmon skin-side down on top of the mix, sprinkle the rest of the cure on top and sprinkle over the remaining dill. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for two to four days, turning the fish a few times over this period, to make sure the cure penetrates both sides.

Lift the fish from the tray, cut into thin slices and serve with buttered brown bread. Once sliced, it keeps for a week or two in the fridge, and for up to three months in the freezer.

Smoked ham hock with white beans

I usually get two meals out of this: we eat this dish for dinner, and next day I blitz the leftover beans to make a delicious soup, which we eat with flakes of leftover ham and crunchy croutons. Serves four.

A day ahead, soak the ham in cold water for 24 hours to reduce its saltiness, changing the water a few times. Soak the beans in cold water overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

Next day, heat the oil in a pot big enough to hold the ham. Fry the carrots until caramelised, then add the onion and garlic, and cook for six or seven minutes until translucent. Add the herbs, ham and drained beans, pour in the stock, cover and cook on a medium heat until the beans have absorbed most of the stock and are very soft, and the ham is tender. Remove the bouquet garni.

This is a rustic dish, so serve it as itcomes in deep bowls with some crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Coq au vin Scottish-style

On a really cold winter's night, Ican't think of anything I'd rather eat than chicken casserole and some mashed potatoes. Sure, Scotland's not known for its vineyards, but what the heck? If you make this in advance, keep the chicken in the sauce, so it stays moist. Serves four.

For the marinade
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 bottle cabernet sauvignon

For the garnish
200g button mushrooms
4 baby leeks
100g bacon, cut into strips
1 tbsp olive oil
1 knob butter

Put the chicken in a large bowl along with the marinade vegetables and herbs, cover with wine and marinate for 24 hours. Next day, drain the chicken and pat dry with kitchen paper. Discard the marinade and veg: they'll have turned bitter.

In a large, heavy-based pot, heat ateaspoon of oil over medium heat, add the bacon, carrots, onion, celery and garlic, and cook until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables golden.

Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pan and pass the sauce through a fine sieve. Set the vegetables aside. Pour the sauce back into the pan and reduce until it coats the back of the spoon. Put the chicken and veg in the sauce, and keep warm, ready to serve.

For the garnish, heat another pan and add the oil and butter. Add the mushrooms, leek and lardons, season and fry for three to four minutes.

Cranberry & apple pie with cinnamon ice-cream

Serve with cream, custard or, best of all, cinnamon ice-cream. Serves two.

For the ice-cream
250ml milk
250ml single cream
2 cinnamon sticks
125g caster sugar
5 egg yolks

For the filling
2 Bramley apples
½ vanilla pod
Around 2 tbsp sugar, to taste
2 tbsp cornflour
70g cranberries, dried

First make the ice-cream. Gently heat the milk and cream in a pan. Toast the cinnamon in a medium oven for five minutes, then add to the pan and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a mixer or metal bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until thickened and pale yellow in colour. Gradually whisk a third of the warm milk mix into the egg yolks, then whisk in the remaining milk and return everything to the pan. Stir over medium heat until thecustard is thick enough easily tocoat the back of a spoon. Strain off the cinnamon sticks, pour into an ice bath (a bowl set into a bigger bowl filled with ice) and leave to chill. Transfer to an ice-cream machine and churn until set. Storein a covered container and freeze forat least two hours.

Sift the flour and icing sugar into abowl, stir in the butter until mixed through, then add the egg yolk and knead together by hand. Form into aball, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough to around 3mm thick and cut into two 22cm diameter discs. Line an 18cm diameter x 3cm deep tart mould with one disc, and again rest in fridge.

Remove the vanilla pod from the apple mix, then pour into the tart. Wet the edges of the pastry, lay the second disc on top and firmly press together to make a tight seal. Brush the top with egg wash and pierce several times with a knife, to let steam escape during cooking – this helps the pie achieve a good crust.

Put the pie on a tray and bake at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes, until very golden brown. Servewith cinnamon ice-cream.

• Tom Kitchin is chef/proprietor of The Kitchin, 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh. His book, From Nature To Plate: A Seasonal Journey, is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson at £30. To order a copy for £27 (including UK mainland p&p), go to theguardian.com/bookshop

Victoria Moore's drinks recommendations

Vodka is better than wine with the cured salmon, and since we are combining Scottish salmon with a Scandinavian-style preparation, what better than an icy, straight-from-the-freezer shot of Blackwood's Nordic Vodka (£13.99, Wadebridge Wines, email info@wadebridgewines.co.uk; £18.28, thedrinkshop.com, £18.28; 40% abv), made from wheat and triple-distilled in the Shetlands.

As for the coq au vin, when cooking with wine I like to drink one similar to that used in the recipe. I'd probably put a light red – a cheap bourgogne rouge or gamay, the beaujolais grape – in the pot and then upgrade myself for dinner with Maçon Rouge 2007 (£6.99, Marks & Spencer; 13% abv), which is made entirely from gamay and could be served slightly chilled.