Great British Menu | Nick Nairn
Over the past number of weeks, two top chefs from a culinary region have been going head to head for five consecutive shows, trying to secure their dishes a place on the menu for the Queen's 80th birthday dinner.
Sourcing the best ingredients from their local area, competing chefs each created a starter, a fish course, a meat course and a dessert that they believe epitomises all that's best about their beloved region. Each day one of the two chefs was judged on their recipe and, at the end of each week, one of their menus went through to the national final, vying for a place on the Great British Menu 2006.
At the end of a glorious seven-week culinary tour around the country - from Penzance to Pontypool, Liverpool to Skye, Ballyboy to Brick Lane – the BBC asked the nation to vote on the dishes they wanted to see on the definitive Great British Menu. The winning menu was served at a spectacular dinner to celebrate the Queens' 80th birthday.
Representing his native Scotland, chef Nick Nairn was chosen to prepare the main course. His ‘Loin of roe venison with rosti, celeriac, cabbage, carrot and game gravy’ was a splendid example of Scotland’s finest ingredients. The meal being so good that The Queen returned an empty plate!
The BBC website caught up with Nick after his Roe venison won the Great British Menu main course, and put a few questions to him about the show and the prospect of cooking for the Queen.
Read Nick’s interview
Read about Nick’s recipe for Loin of roe venison with rosti, celeriac, cabbage, carrot and game gravy
Nick Nairn’s love of Arran
Nick, a self-taught chef, became the youngest chef to win a Michelin star in Scotland. Here, he tells us a little about his discovery of Arran – the little island that has become a haven for food lovers.
I first visited Arran a few years ago, in 1997. Despite having heard the 'Scotland in miniature' claims, I was a little sceptical. You see, I hail from the Trossachs - rolling hills and stunning scenery surround me every day, so what could this little island have that I haven't seen already? I ate my hat for lunch on the first day - I was blown away by the concentration of quality food producers on this little Isle - lest forgetting the abundance of views, walks, nature, history and heritage on offer. With a week to spend on the Island, researching my favourite subject - food, (of course) - I found myself in a little Scottish paradise.
So how did this little Island become a haven for food lovers?
Historically, Arran, or Scotland for that matter, has never been viewed as a culinary destination. Unlike our continental neighbours there is no real tradition of gastronomy and still suffer a bit of a hangover from the days when food was seen simply as fuel to get us through the day. Certainly most of the culinary heritage has been bound from necessity, even poverty rather than an indulgence. However this poverty driven cooking wasn't all gruel and oats. The abundance of fish and wild game on Arran meant that in the eighteenth century modern luxuries, such as wild salmon, oysters and game birds, were often found on the tables of peasants. Preservation of food without refrigeration has also made its mark on the culinary map with the various processes of smoking, salting and curing leaving a legacy in the form of smoked salmon, kippers, salt herring and haddock.
Today, Arran produces a myriad of great produce, much of which uses traditional techniques and methods. I'm a well documented fan of Scottish beef, and Arran has some of the finest on offer. Lamb on Arran is mostly blackface and hill reared - their meat has a wonderful sweetness and is tender beyond belief. There are a number of butchers on the island, selling the Island's fine beef and lamb, and each has it's own speciality, whether it be pies, sausages, haggis or black pudding - all from recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.
I love walking, which is another huge attraction of the Island, and I can usually bribe my wife to join me on longer walks if we can incorporate a few interesting pits stops. Trails around Arran have led to discovering great dairies, producing superb artisan cheeses. Zingy Goat's cheese, a rich Arran Dunlop, lovely stinky Blue cheeses and a vast array of sharp cheddars are produced. To compliment these, there are local oatcakes, tasty pickles, mustards and preserves. If you're anything like me, the words "impromptu picnic" will be on your mind.
After a day of clean fresh air and breathtaking scenery, I am of course ready to feast again - perhaps time to enjoy the fruits of the seas surrounding Arran. Lively langoustine, lobster and hand dived scallops and a vast array of white fish are landed at nearby Tarbert and Campbelltown and almost every restaurant on the island takes advantage of this spanking fresh produce with wonderful results. Keen cooks will also find a good selection of fish and shellfish in some of the island's farm shops alongside organic herbs, salads and vegetables all grown on the island. Not to mention a tempting array of home-made chocolates.
So there we have it, a comprehensive larder of Scotland's prime produce, all crammed onto an island of views and vistas. Scotland in miniature? Sounds just about right to me.
Do you fancy learning to cook the Nick Nairn way?
The Nick Nairn Cook School offers a number of superb cookery classes at a fantastic location, hidden away in the foothills of the Trossachs. The cook school is less than an hour away from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports and is well worth a visit. Through his cook school, Nick has created a truly fantastic venue where there’s something for absolutely everyone who loves food.
Visit: http://www.nicknairncookschool.com
Call: 01877 389 900
Contact by e-mail: e-mail Nick Nairn's cookery school
Visiting Ayshire & Arran
If you would be interested in visiting Ayrshire and Arran, you can request a brochure by clicking http://www.ayrshire-arran.com