Review of 2011
By CATHY FEENY
Food Theatre and Producers’ Market
As every cook knows, a lot of elements need to come together to make a great meal, and this year’s Shetland Food Festival certainly provided a recipe for success. First and foremost you need fantastic raw materials, which was exactly what the chefs were presented with, during the ever popular Ready Steady Shetland sessions, which took place over the weekend at the Food Theatre and Producers’ Market at Clickimin.
Engagingly compered by Eunice Henderson, who many will know from the radio programme Shetland’s Larder, the competition welcomed to the isles Scottish Chef of the Year Neil Forbes. A passionate advocate of regional produce, Neil told Eunice that he was greatly enjoying being in Shetland: “The food is good, the people are lovely!”
On Saturday Neil was paired with Ronnie Gair, who first got into cooking when he was a boy, his signature dish at that time being Bright Green Tatties, which owed their colour to the fact that they were “smashed with peas”. Perhaps for this reason, Ronnie was consigned by his wife to the role of washer-up, until a cookery class that he took led to them sharing the stove. Now Ronnie particularly likes preparing fish. “It’s brilliant,” he said. “You can use it in so many different ways.”
It was no surprise, therefore, that local seafood featured in Ronnie’s bag, which included catfish, hake landed the previous day, and squid. Along with these Ronnie had brought cabbage, pancetta, coconut milk, shallots, lemongrass, chillies, spring onions, ginger, mango and raspberries. Plus some Imodium, “just in case”.
Apart from the Imodium, Neil was impressed by the contents of Ronnie’s bag, especially the squid, which be believes is underrated and should be used more. “It’s very inspiring, and it’s great that it’s local,” he said.
The other chef competing in Saturday’s Ready Steady Shetland needed no introduction to the audience. Glynn Wright currently lectures at Shetland College, using over 40 years’ experience in the catering industry to help bring on a new generation of chefs from the isles.
Glynn was partnered with Ronnie’s brother Mark, who is a dab hand when it comes to combining meat and fire. “I like to think of myself as a barbecue king,” he said. “I’m a beef man, but it has to be mature Shetland beef.” There was no beef in Mark’s bag, however, though meat did appear in the form of pork fillet, along with crab claws, monkfish cheeks, more pancetta, tagliatelle, mushrooms, chillies and leeks. There was also a selection of exotic fruits. The monkfish cheeks in particular met with Glynn’s approval. “They are a really tender part of the fish,” he said. Accordingly, they received the very lightest of treatments. Using Shetland beer, Glynn made a tempura batter, and served the cheeks with a sweet chilli sauce as a finger food first course.“How good is that!” exclaimed Mark when he tasted them.
There was also a Ready, Steady Shetland Twin Special cook-off involving Billy and Ian Morrison and Susan Thompson and Alison Moar.
Fantastic ideas for starters were also on offer from some of those showcasing their food in the Producers’ Market.
Seafood fans could buy bags of Shetland Mussels from North Atlantic Shellfish Ltd, who ship these beauties, fresh from the water, to locations throughout the UK on a daily basis. Leaflets provided useful tips on how to prepare the mussels, as well as tempting recipes such as Mussels Steamed with Cider and Bacon. Or how about some Shetland smoked salmon? Folk thronged around the Shetland Products Ltd stand in order to taste samples of their award-winning WildWaters range, which were served on crunchy oatcakes. The only problem was deciding which of the stunning flavours was your favourite. Some went for the classic plain smoked salmon, while others were greatly taken with varieties with unusual seasonings, such as the mildly spiced Pastrami. “What is important about them all is that we let the quality of the salmon shine through,” said a spokesman. “The fish is the main focus, and we are very proud of it.”
The Ready Steady chefs also gave the ingredients pride of place, and let them dictate how they were handled. The result was some truly outstanding main courses and vegetables, and lots of mouthwatering aromas. “I’m going to get a nice crisp, brown skin on the hake, and serve it with the cabbage and pancetta,” said Neil. “Hake is a lovely fish, and creamed cabbage and salty pancetta work well with its meaty texture. “The trick is not to mess around with it. Let the pan do the work, add butter and baste, baste, baste. It is just great and so simple.” With the squid, too, it was a question of less is more. “Squid needs to be very last-minute,” Neil explained. “I’m scoring it, then frying it quickly and tossing it in coriander. Really fresh and clean.”
The robust nature of catfish led him to create a highly spiced and fragrant Thai coconut sauce for it, which went down extremely well with Ronnie. “You can’t beat a good fish curry,” he declared.
Glynn’s mains too received a definite thumbs up. “That pork in a sweet sauce with cherries is just gorgeous,” cooed Eunice, who had somehow got involved in the tasting. “Well of course. It’s Shetland pork,” said Glynn.
Ingredients for main courses were also going down well in the Producers’ Market, where there was an abundance of items to choose from.
Beef from Shorthorn, Hereford and Angus cattle, produced by the Cromarty family in Northmavine, for instance. At least 18 months old, and matured on the bone, it has the intense and complex flavour, and the extreme tenderness, that is only encountered in the very best of its kind. Or the wonderful Shetland breed brisket from Ronnie Eunson’s farm in Scalloway, which was available from the Scoop Wholefoods stand. “I don’t need to tell Shetland folk how good our lamb is, but when people from outside the isles try it, they inform me they can’t get lamb that tastes like that where they come from,” said Richard Briggs, who runs Briggs’ Shetland Lamb. “My pure bred flocks are slow-grown and that’s what makes for the meat’s quality and texture. They eat natural plants and grasses and have evolved to flourish in this meagre climate.”
Ronnie Obern of J K Mainland Butcher and Farmshop was similarly proud of the Shetland mutton which goes into his extremely addictive pies. “It’s got loads more flavour because it’s aged and lived longer,” he said. “Slow cooking makes the meat very tender. These are the best pies you have ever heard of.” Ronnie also offered tastings of chicken and herb sausages, and mini chicken roasts, though he refused to be drawn on what herbs went into the sausages, or how he keeps the roasts so moist: “It’s a secret mixture, and I’m a very good cook.”
New to this year’s festival, and one of its biggest successes, was Piggyback Pork, whose roast pork, apple sauce and stuffing-filled bannocks and butter muffins went down a storm. Their meat comes from Large Black pigs raised by Barbara Lines in the Westside, who said that Large Blacks nearly became extinct in the 1960s, having gone into decline after World War II, when farmers began to select varieties more suited to indoor settings. Happily, Large Blacks are now seeing a revival, due to an increased interest in traditional breeds. There are, nevertheless, still under 2,000 of them in the world, so when Barbara’s sow recently gave birth to seven piglets, it was something to be very pleased about.
Another newcomer providing piggy delights was Callieu’s Handmade, whose delectable pork pies come encrusted in a crumbly pastry which melts on the tongue.
And the perfect accompaniment to any meat was Scoop’s selection of fresh vegetables, which included swedes and cabbages, Shetland Black tatties from Bigton and multi-coloured carrots from South Nesting.
But you definitely needed to be sure to save some room for the sweet course. Ready Steady chef Neil Forbes went for the wow factor with his caramelised mango with chilli, and a Cranachan made with raspberries, oatmeal and whipped cream, with a slug of brandy in place of the traditional whisky. Glynn Wright also went for a spectacular finale, with fruit flamed in brandy.
Those on the lookout for a sugar fix in the Producers’ Market were equally well served. The virtuous could opt for fruity yogurts produced by Shetland Farm Dairies Ltd. But how to resist Artisan Island Cheese’s ginger, lemon, strawberry and blackcurrant cheesecakes? Another major success of this year’s festival was Craafit ice creams. Made in Fetlar by Marie Hallam, using only natural ingredients, and many of the Garden of Shetland’s flowers and herbs, their imaginative flavours, such as Malted Milk and Tayberry, had folk raving.
For Marie the festival was a marketing exercise, designed to see whether she should look to setting up in business. Judging from the response, Ben & Jerry had better watch their backs!
Shetlanders love cakes, jams and sweeties, and many mouthwatering treats were available in those departments. Chocolate Fudge Cake and Border Tart featured among Liz’s Homebakes and Preserves, along with her most popular item, freshly made scones. Most in demand at Fowlie’s Handmade stall was Sheila Fowlie’s creamy, own-recipe Strawberry and Banana Curd.
Nearly – but not quite – too pretty to eat were the cakes and cupcakes sold by Emma-Louise and Simply Sweet, whose Christmassy stands reminded one that the festive season is just around the corner. Cupcakes in a dizzying range of flavours, from Vanilla to Chocolate Courgette, rubbed shoulders with gingerbread houses, candy canes and reindeer on Emma-Louise’s table. Christmas cakes were available from Simply Sweet, whose stand was festooned with confections made to look like baubles.
For folk who prefer a cheese course to pudding – or perhaps like to indulge in both – an all-local Shetland cheeseboard is a real option this Christmas. Most especially for those who attended the cheese making workshops run during the festival by Jay Hawkins at Shetland Cheese Ltd in Skeld. Participants produced their own cheese truckles, which are currently being matured at the Skeld Creamery, and will be ready for the big day. Demand for Jay’s workshops was massive, and he was delighted with how enthusiastically they were received. “We got some very good feedback,” he said. “Customers who know our cheeses already were interested to find out what goes into them, and to see all the stages they go through.” Those who don’t know Jay’s cheeses yet are missing out on a world-class experience, from the slightly fruity Sandstinger to the soft brie-like Wedgee, and a Provolone-style cheese, which starts out creamy but becomes very hard as it matures, and develops a taste similar to a Parmesan.
Artisan Island’s cheeses also offer a range of textures, from fresh and creamy to mature, and their exciting flavours include Shetland herbs and black pepper. To accompany your cheeses you could buy the famous Oceanic Oatcakes from Skibhoul Bakery or Callieu’s gorgeous selection of breads. All you would need to make the perfect Ploughman’s would be a good dollop of Sheila Fowlie’s pumpkin, or squash and ginger, chutney on the side.
Conclude the meal with one of the rich, dark coffees, made with beans from all around the world, by The Café Consulate, and nibble a piece of Scottish tablet from The Shetland Fudge Company Ltd.
As Eunice Henderson said at the end of Saturday’s Ready Steady Shetland, “See what can be done with skill and excellent produce”. The audience were then asked to hold up a green card or a pink one, in order to vote for the chef who they thought had done the best job with the ingredients they had been given.
The result, most fittingly, was a draw. Shetland produce is second to none, and everybody who works so hard to bring it to our tables is a winner.
Congratulations and a big round of applause to all of you.
Eating Out
It is hard to think of a better place to showcase Shetland produce than the Pierhead at Voe, which was one of the many cafés and restaurants that took part in this year’s Shetland Food Festival.
Situated in a beautiful location close to the water, the Pierhead Restaurant and Bar was once a shop dealing in a variety of goods, including cured fish brought back to Voe from Faroe, Rockall and Iceland. Johnson & Wood Bakery next door is now a separate business, but was originally part of the same enterprise. Set up as the Voe bakery during World War I in order to supply the Navy, today Johnson & Wood supplies the Pierhead and its other customers with an impressive range of breads and some particularly good oatcakes. All just “too tempting”, according to Denise Anderson, who has been at the Pierhead’s helm since 1997.
I met up with Denise in the Pierhead’s very welcoming bar, in order to discuss what Shetland produce means to her. In keeping with the building’s past, the bar’s décor has a distinctly nautical theme, with lots of maps on the wall, and a poster proclaiming that daggers and swords must be handed to the innkeeper. My cutlass duly surrendered, Denise rhapsodised about the excellence of her local suppliers.
“It’s great to be able to access Shetland produce,” she said. “Blueshell Mussels are only a little way up the road from us, so we can easily nip along and get a bag. Mussels are very popular. We serve them steamed with wine, onion and garlic. For a main course we add cream. On our Christmas menu they will be cooked in cider.”
Other seafood is delivered to the kitchen courtesy of Blydoit Fish Ltd. “Blydoit are amazing, and so reliable,” said Denise who, like many chefs, particularly enjoys working with fish. “You don’t need to do a lot with it when you have such a high quality product,” she told me. “And seafood is so quick to cook that we are always willing to prepare it according to request. We usually serve our scallops with mushrooms, garlic and cream, but if people prefer we can just pan fry them.”
The same is true of the lobsters and crabs caught by Denise’s husband Billy, which sometimes appear on the menu. “We can make a mornay, but customers mainly like their lobsters simply grilled with garlic butter, and served with a salad and lemon wedges. Recently we were asked to do dressed crabs, and we were happy to oblige.”
When it comes to meat, Denise is particularly full of praise for Shetland lamb, which often features on the menu in the form of a traditional roast, but will be used in a tagine over the Christmas period.
Denise is also experimenting with Shetland cheeses, and is excited about having new local products to work with. “I have been trying them crumbed and deep fried, and the results are really good,” she told me. “It’s lovely to use all the stuff that’s made here. We are so very lucky.”
Make Your Own Tammie Norrie Snowman
There is no doubt about it, Shetland bairns are into cooking.
Two edible snowman-making workshops were scheduled to take place on the first day of this year’s food festival, but so many bairns signed up for them that a third had to be added, and even then there was a waiting list.
On arrival, Gillian Ramsay of the Shetland Fudge Company, who was running the workshop, helped the participants to don aprons. Then everybody watched as she made the Puffin Poo mixture, which was to form the snowmen’s bodies.
“This Belgian chocolate is the best in the world,” she said, as she folded rice crispies and marshmallows into melted white chocolate. “We use 100 kilos of it a week, which is the weight of several children.” Dollops of the mixture were then covered with desiccated coconut and rolled into balls.
That wasn’t as simple as it sounds. “It’s like holding a baby bird,” said Gillian, illustrating how to form a perfect snowball by applying just the right amount of pressure. Initial efforts to do likewise met with varied success.
One snowball wouldn’t hold together because some of the coconut got into the middle. “It’s a peerie bit of a disaster,” said the young chef’s mother. “This is the point at which you can easily squidge them apart,” explained Gillian. “It’s tricky the first time you do it.” Nevertheless, with Gillian’s help and encouragement, and mums and helpers enthusiastically lending a hand, everybody eventually made three snowballs.
By this time things were getting rather sticky, and one lass even had Puffin Poo in her hair. There had also been some quality control checks, and not just by the bairns. “Tasty!” pronounced a mother.
The really messy bit was yet to come, however. Watched by a rapt audience, Gillian demonstrated how to make the snowman’s hat and scarf. “You need to mush food colouring and icing together,” she said. “You can make them all one colour or streaky, it’s up to you. It’s like using playdough.” The icing was moulded into a tam-o’-shanter, and rolled into a sausage shape and pushed flat to make a scarf, then decorative pompoms, fringes and dots were added.
After that, it was up to the bairns to make their own designs. Soon the room was full of natty snowman fashions, and there were lots of blue fingers and smiling faces.
Next, Gillian showed how to construct the snowman’s carrot nose. “Don’t make it too long,” she advised. “A long carrot can go bendy.”
Finally it was time to put it all together. A good wodge of icing in a paper cup gave the snowman a firm base to stand on. More icing was used to glue the snowballs to each other to make his body, and to stick on his nose and milk chocolate eyes, after which he was carefully dressed in his scarf and hat.
The results were splendid. Great to look at and even better to eat. Shetland Food Festival 2011 was certainly off to a sweet start!
By CATHY FEENY
Food Theatre and Producers’ Market
As every cook knows, a lot of elements need to come together to make a great meal, and this year’s Shetland Food Festival certainly provided a recipe for success. First and foremost you need fantastic raw materials, which was exactly what the chefs were presented with, during the ever popular Ready Steady Shetland sessions, which took place over the weekend at the Food Theatre and Producers’ Market at Clickimin.
Engagingly compered by Eunice Henderson, who many will know from the radio programme Shetland’s Larder, the competition welcomed to the isles Scottish Chef of the Year Neil Forbes. A passionate advocate of regional produce, Neil told Eunice that he was greatly enjoying being in Shetland: “The food is good, the people are lovely!”
On Saturday Neil was paired with Ronnie Gair, who first got into cooking when he was a boy, his signature dish at that time being Bright Green Tatties, which owed their colour to the fact that they were “smashed with peas”. Perhaps for this reason, Ronnie was consigned by his wife to the role of washer-up, until a cookery class that he took led to them sharing the stove. Now Ronnie particularly likes preparing fish. “It’s brilliant,” he said. “You can use it in so many different ways.”
It was no surprise, therefore, that local seafood featured in Ronnie’s bag, which included catfish, hake landed the previous day, and squid. Along with these Ronnie had brought cabbage, pancetta, coconut milk, shallots, lemongrass, chillies, spring onions, ginger, mango and raspberries. Plus some Imodium, “just in case”.
Apart from the Imodium, Neil was impressed by the contents of Ronnie’s bag, especially the squid, which be believes is underrated and should be used more. “It’s very inspiring, and it’s great that it’s local,” he said.
The other chef competing in Saturday’s Ready Steady Shetland needed no introduction to the audience. Glynn Wright currently lectures at Shetland College, using over 40 years’ experience in the catering industry to help bring on a new generation of chefs from the isles.
Glynn was partnered with Ronnie’s brother Mark, who is a dab hand when it comes to combining meat and fire. “I like to think of myself as a barbecue king,” he said. “I’m a beef man, but it has to be mature Shetland beef.” There was no beef in Mark’s bag, however, though meat did appear in the form of pork fillet, along with crab claws, monkfish cheeks, more pancetta, tagliatelle, mushrooms, chillies and leeks. There was also a selection of exotic fruits. The monkfish cheeks in particular met with Glynn’s approval. “They are a really tender part of the fish,” he said. Accordingly, they received the very lightest of treatments. Using Shetland beer, Glynn made a tempura batter, and served the cheeks with a sweet chilli sauce as a finger food first course.“How good is that!” exclaimed Mark when he tasted them.
There was also a Ready, Steady Shetland Twin Special cook-off involving Billy and Ian Morrison and Susan Thompson and Alison Moar.
Fantastic ideas for starters were also on offer from some of those showcasing their food in the Producers’ Market.
Seafood fans could buy bags of Shetland Mussels from North Atlantic Shellfish Ltd, who ship these beauties, fresh from the water, to locations throughout the UK on a daily basis. Leaflets provided useful tips on how to prepare the mussels, as well as tempting recipes such as Mussels Steamed with Cider and Bacon. Or how about some Shetland smoked salmon? Folk thronged around the Shetland Products Ltd stand in order to taste samples of their award-winning WildWaters range, which were served on crunchy oatcakes. The only problem was deciding which of the stunning flavours was your favourite. Some went for the classic plain smoked salmon, while others were greatly taken with varieties with unusual seasonings, such as the mildly spiced Pastrami. “What is important about them all is that we let the quality of the salmon shine through,” said a spokesman. “The fish is the main focus, and we are very proud of it.”
The Ready Steady chefs also gave the ingredients pride of place, and let them dictate how they were handled. The result was some truly outstanding main courses and vegetables, and lots of mouthwatering aromas. “I’m going to get a nice crisp, brown skin on the hake, and serve it with the cabbage and pancetta,” said Neil. “Hake is a lovely fish, and creamed cabbage and salty pancetta work well with its meaty texture. “The trick is not to mess around with it. Let the pan do the work, add butter and baste, baste, baste. It is just great and so simple.” With the squid, too, it was a question of less is more. “Squid needs to be very last-minute,” Neil explained. “I’m scoring it, then frying it quickly and tossing it in coriander. Really fresh and clean.”
The robust nature of catfish led him to create a highly spiced and fragrant Thai coconut sauce for it, which went down extremely well with Ronnie. “You can’t beat a good fish curry,” he declared.
Glynn’s mains too received a definite thumbs up. “That pork in a sweet sauce with cherries is just gorgeous,” cooed Eunice, who had somehow got involved in the tasting. “Well of course. It’s Shetland pork,” said Glynn.
Ingredients for main courses were also going down well in the Producers’ Market, where there was an abundance of items to choose from.
Beef from Shorthorn, Hereford and Angus cattle, produced by the Cromarty family in Northmavine, for instance. At least 18 months old, and matured on the bone, it has the intense and complex flavour, and the extreme tenderness, that is only encountered in the very best of its kind. Or the wonderful Shetland breed brisket from Ronnie Eunson’s farm in Scalloway, which was available from the Scoop Wholefoods stand. “I don’t need to tell Shetland folk how good our lamb is, but when people from outside the isles try it, they inform me they can’t get lamb that tastes like that where they come from,” said Richard Briggs, who runs Briggs’ Shetland Lamb. “My pure bred flocks are slow-grown and that’s what makes for the meat’s quality and texture. They eat natural plants and grasses and have evolved to flourish in this meagre climate.”
Ronnie Obern of J K Mainland Butcher and Farmshop was similarly proud of the Shetland mutton which goes into his extremely addictive pies. “It’s got loads more flavour because it’s aged and lived longer,” he said. “Slow cooking makes the meat very tender. These are the best pies you have ever heard of.” Ronnie also offered tastings of chicken and herb sausages, and mini chicken roasts, though he refused to be drawn on what herbs went into the sausages, or how he keeps the roasts so moist: “It’s a secret mixture, and I’m a very good cook.”
New to this year’s festival, and one of its biggest successes, was Piggyback Pork, whose roast pork, apple sauce and stuffing-filled bannocks and butter muffins went down a storm. Their meat comes from Large Black pigs raised by Barbara Lines in the Westside, who said that Large Blacks nearly became extinct in the 1960s, having gone into decline after World War II, when farmers began to select varieties more suited to indoor settings. Happily, Large Blacks are now seeing a revival, due to an increased interest in traditional breeds. There are, nevertheless, still under 2,000 of them in the world, so when Barbara’s sow recently gave birth to seven piglets, it was something to be very pleased about.
Another newcomer providing piggy delights was Callieu’s Handmade, whose delectable pork pies come encrusted in a crumbly pastry which melts on the tongue.
And the perfect accompaniment to any meat was Scoop’s selection of fresh vegetables, which included swedes and cabbages, Shetland Black tatties from Bigton and multi-coloured carrots from South Nesting.
But you definitely needed to be sure to save some room for the sweet course. Ready Steady chef Neil Forbes went for the wow factor with his caramelised mango with chilli, and a Cranachan made with raspberries, oatmeal and whipped cream, with a slug of brandy in place of the traditional whisky. Glynn Wright also went for a spectacular finale, with fruit flamed in brandy.
Those on the lookout for a sugar fix in the Producers’ Market were equally well served. The virtuous could opt for fruity yogurts produced by Shetland Farm Dairies Ltd. But how to resist Artisan Island Cheese’s ginger, lemon, strawberry and blackcurrant cheesecakes? Another major success of this year’s festival was Craafit ice creams. Made in Fetlar by Marie Hallam, using only natural ingredients, and many of the Garden of Shetland’s flowers and herbs, their imaginative flavours, such as Malted Milk and Tayberry, had folk raving.
For Marie the festival was a marketing exercise, designed to see whether she should look to setting up in business. Judging from the response, Ben & Jerry had better watch their backs!
Shetlanders love cakes, jams and sweeties, and many mouthwatering treats were available in those departments. Chocolate Fudge Cake and Border Tart featured among Liz’s Homebakes and Preserves, along with her most popular item, freshly made scones. Most in demand at Fowlie’s Handmade stall was Sheila Fowlie’s creamy, own-recipe Strawberry and Banana Curd.
Nearly – but not quite – too pretty to eat were the cakes and cupcakes sold by Emma-Louise and Simply Sweet, whose Christmassy stands reminded one that the festive season is just around the corner. Cupcakes in a dizzying range of flavours, from Vanilla to Chocolate Courgette, rubbed shoulders with gingerbread houses, candy canes and reindeer on Emma-Louise’s table. Christmas cakes were available from Simply Sweet, whose stand was festooned with confections made to look like baubles.
For folk who prefer a cheese course to pudding – or perhaps like to indulge in both – an all-local Shetland cheeseboard is a real option this Christmas. Most especially for those who attended the cheese making workshops run during the festival by Jay Hawkins at Shetland Cheese Ltd in Skeld. Participants produced their own cheese truckles, which are currently being matured at the Skeld Creamery, and will be ready for the big day. Demand for Jay’s workshops was massive, and he was delighted with how enthusiastically they were received. “We got some very good feedback,” he said. “Customers who know our cheeses already were interested to find out what goes into them, and to see all the stages they go through.” Those who don’t know Jay’s cheeses yet are missing out on a world-class experience, from the slightly fruity Sandstinger to the soft brie-like Wedgee, and a Provolone-style cheese, which starts out creamy but becomes very hard as it matures, and develops a taste similar to a Parmesan.
Artisan Island’s cheeses also offer a range of textures, from fresh and creamy to mature, and their exciting flavours include Shetland herbs and black pepper. To accompany your cheeses you could buy the famous Oceanic Oatcakes from Skibhoul Bakery or Callieu’s gorgeous selection of breads. All you would need to make the perfect Ploughman’s would be a good dollop of Sheila Fowlie’s pumpkin, or squash and ginger, chutney on the side.
Conclude the meal with one of the rich, dark coffees, made with beans from all around the world, by The Café Consulate, and nibble a piece of Scottish tablet from The Shetland Fudge Company Ltd.
As Eunice Henderson said at the end of Saturday’s Ready Steady Shetland, “See what can be done with skill and excellent produce”. The audience were then asked to hold up a green card or a pink one, in order to vote for the chef who they thought had done the best job with the ingredients they had been given.
The result, most fittingly, was a draw. Shetland produce is second to none, and everybody who works so hard to bring it to our tables is a winner.
Congratulations and a big round of applause to all of you.
Eating Out
It is hard to think of a better place to showcase Shetland produce than the Pierhead at Voe, which was one of the many cafés and restaurants that took part in this year’s Shetland Food Festival.
Situated in a beautiful location close to the water, the Pierhead Restaurant and Bar was once a shop dealing in a variety of goods, including cured fish brought back to Voe from Faroe, Rockall and Iceland. Johnson & Wood Bakery next door is now a separate business, but was originally part of the same enterprise. Set up as the Voe bakery during World War I in order to supply the Navy, today Johnson & Wood supplies the Pierhead and its other customers with an impressive range of breads and some particularly good oatcakes. All just “too tempting”, according to Denise Anderson, who has been at the Pierhead’s helm since 1997.
I met up with Denise in the Pierhead’s very welcoming bar, in order to discuss what Shetland produce means to her. In keeping with the building’s past, the bar’s décor has a distinctly nautical theme, with lots of maps on the wall, and a poster proclaiming that daggers and swords must be handed to the innkeeper. My cutlass duly surrendered, Denise rhapsodised about the excellence of her local suppliers.
“It’s great to be able to access Shetland produce,” she said. “Blueshell Mussels are only a little way up the road from us, so we can easily nip along and get a bag. Mussels are very popular. We serve them steamed with wine, onion and garlic. For a main course we add cream. On our Christmas menu they will be cooked in cider.”
Other seafood is delivered to the kitchen courtesy of Blydoit Fish Ltd. “Blydoit are amazing, and so reliable,” said Denise who, like many chefs, particularly enjoys working with fish. “You don’t need to do a lot with it when you have such a high quality product,” she told me. “And seafood is so quick to cook that we are always willing to prepare it according to request. We usually serve our scallops with mushrooms, garlic and cream, but if people prefer we can just pan fry them.”
The same is true of the lobsters and crabs caught by Denise’s husband Billy, which sometimes appear on the menu. “We can make a mornay, but customers mainly like their lobsters simply grilled with garlic butter, and served with a salad and lemon wedges. Recently we were asked to do dressed crabs, and we were happy to oblige.”
When it comes to meat, Denise is particularly full of praise for Shetland lamb, which often features on the menu in the form of a traditional roast, but will be used in a tagine over the Christmas period.
Denise is also experimenting with Shetland cheeses, and is excited about having new local products to work with. “I have been trying them crumbed and deep fried, and the results are really good,” she told me. “It’s lovely to use all the stuff that’s made here. We are so very lucky.”
Make Your Own Tammie Norrie Snowman
There is no doubt about it, Shetland bairns are into cooking.
Two edible snowman-making workshops were scheduled to take place on the first day of this year’s food festival, but so many bairns signed up for them that a third had to be added, and even then there was a waiting list.
On arrival, Gillian Ramsay of the Shetland Fudge Company, who was running the workshop, helped the participants to don aprons. Then everybody watched as she made the Puffin Poo mixture, which was to form the snowmen’s bodies.
“This Belgian chocolate is the best in the world,” she said, as she folded rice crispies and marshmallows into melted white chocolate. “We use 100 kilos of it a week, which is the weight of several children.” Dollops of the mixture were then covered with desiccated coconut and rolled into balls.
That wasn’t as simple as it sounds. “It’s like holding a baby bird,” said Gillian, illustrating how to form a perfect snowball by applying just the right amount of pressure. Initial efforts to do likewise met with varied success.
One snowball wouldn’t hold together because some of the coconut got into the middle. “It’s a peerie bit of a disaster,” said the young chef’s mother. “This is the point at which you can easily squidge them apart,” explained Gillian. “It’s tricky the first time you do it.” Nevertheless, with Gillian’s help and encouragement, and mums and helpers enthusiastically lending a hand, everybody eventually made three snowballs.
By this time things were getting rather sticky, and one lass even had Puffin Poo in her hair. There had also been some quality control checks, and not just by the bairns. “Tasty!” pronounced a mother.
The really messy bit was yet to come, however. Watched by a rapt audience, Gillian demonstrated how to make the snowman’s hat and scarf. “You need to mush food colouring and icing together,” she said. “You can make them all one colour or streaky, it’s up to you. It’s like using playdough.” The icing was moulded into a tam-o’-shanter, and rolled into a sausage shape and pushed flat to make a scarf, then decorative pompoms, fringes and dots were added.
After that, it was up to the bairns to make their own designs. Soon the room was full of natty snowman fashions, and there were lots of blue fingers and smiling faces.
Next, Gillian showed how to construct the snowman’s carrot nose. “Don’t make it too long,” she advised. “A long carrot can go bendy.”
Finally it was time to put it all together. A good wodge of icing in a paper cup gave the snowman a firm base to stand on. More icing was used to glue the snowballs to each other to make his body, and to stick on his nose and milk chocolate eyes, after which he was carefully dressed in his scarf and hat.
The results were splendid. Great to look at and even better to eat. Shetland Food Festival 2011 was certainly off to a sweet start!