Hotel du Vin’s One Devonshire Gardens will be packed to the gunnels with fashionistas, models and designers next month when the hotel, a 5pm member, will act as the official style suites for the Scottish Fashion Awards on Sunday 20 June.
Of course, it is a terrible lie that people in the fashion industry never eat anything more fattening than Marlboro Lights. However, I can’t help but feel that the cooking of Paul Tamburrini, the head chef at HdV’s One Dev, might not be fully appreciated by some of the more size-conscious models.
Many of his peers reckon that Tamburrini’s talents in the kitchens deserve to be more widely recognised. Since I still drool over a meal I ate there four years ago, I can only agree with them while wiping my chin.
The Bistro at HdV is currently promoting the fact that their menus stick closely to the seasons. Tamburrini has given 5pm a recipe for a dish which is on the current menu. The recipe looks long but it’s all fairly simple. Alternatively, just book a table and see how the pros do it.
The recipe is for black olive oil poached Dornoch lamb, creamed polenta, aubergine crisps and Ras-el-Hanout sauce. It serves four and this is how it’s done:
For the lamb:
4 x 150g loins of Dornoch lamb
50g good quality olive oil
50g dried black olives
For the crisps:
1 small aubergine
For the sauce:
2 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
5g ras-el-hanout (moroccan spice, available at most supermarkets)
200g chicken stock
200g double cream
For the polenta:
55g good quality polenta
200ml full fat milk
100ml double cream
45g aged parmesan, finely grated
Sea salt and pepper
For the lamb:
- Blend the olive oil and olives in a food processor until smooth.
- Brush the paste evenly over the lamb, and wrap tightly in cling film to shape into parcels. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest.
- Poach in a large saucepan of barely simmering water (around 53C) for 12 minutes.
- Remove the cling film and saute in a hot pan until caramelised. Let rest for 5-6 minutes.
For the crisps:
- Pre heat the oven to 160C
- Thinly slice the aubergines lengthways.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil, and lay the aubergine slices neatly.
- Place another lightly greased baking sheet on top and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden
- Remove from the baking sheet immediately to prevent sticking.
For the sauce:
- Saute the mushrooms, garlic and shallot together in a touch of olive oil.
- Add the ras-el-hanout and cook out slowly, without colouring the vegetables.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce by half
- Then add the double cream, again reducing by half. Season with salt flakes to your taste.
For the polenta:
1. Bring cream and milk to the boil, and add the polenta. Stir for 2-3 minutes on a high heat. Reduce the heat to a minimum, then continue to cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the parmesan, some sea salt and pepper and pass through a sieve if needed. Keep warm.
To assemble:
Carefully spoon some polenta onto a warm serving plate, followed by the sliced lamb. Place the crisps around the lamb and drizzle the sauce onto the plate accordingly.