Smoked Scottish Pollack Salad with Ayrshire New Potatoes

Hot smoked pollack salad with new potatoes

Pollack is a member of the cod family, very similar in taste to its more illustrious cousin. It is considered a more sustainable alternative to cod. This particular pollack was rod and line caught from a boat on Loch Fyne on the West Coast of Scotland.

Hot smoked pollack fillet

Pollack can be cooked in many different ways, including shallow or deep fried, baked or even grilled. Cod recipes can even be made to read as pollack recipes. In this instance, though, the fillets were brined and hot smoked to create something just that little bit different from the norm and not too unlike the fabulous Arbroath Smokies (which could easily be substituted for the pollack to create a very similar dish). They were then left to cool before being incorporated in this recipe.

Homegrown tomatoes

Ingredients per Person

Ayrshire new potatoes, quantity as desired
1 large lettuce leaf
2 slices from half a peeled red onion
2 cherry tomatoes
1 yellow banana leg tomato
Splash of Scottish rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
4 ounces or as desired of smoked pollack flakes
Bit of butter
1/2 teaspoon dried mint

Prepared salad vegetables

Directions

Wash the potatoes and if they are a little bit on the large side cut them in half before adding them to the cooking pot. Pour in plenty of cold water and season with salt. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water begins to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around twenty-five minutes or until the potatoes are just softened.

While the potatoes are cooking, wash the salad ingredients and gently pat dry with kitchen paper. Roll and shred the lettuce leaf and add to a large bowl along with the onion slices separated in to strands. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and cut the banana leg tomato in to chunks before also adding to the bowl. Drizzle with the rapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Carefully stir fold to combine.

Pollack flakes are added to prepared salad

The flesh should be plucked from the cooled smoked pollack fillet in large flakes before being added to the combined salad in the bowl.

Pollack salad is ready to serve

Give the salad a further careful stir fold to evenly distribute the pollack flesh.

Butter and mint are added to potatoes

Drain the potatoes through a colander and allow them to steam off for a few minutes before returning them to the empty pot. Add some butter, some dried mint and gently swirl the pot for a minute or two to melt the butter and evenly coat all the potatoes. Plate the potatoes alongside the salad for service.

Scottish Ostrich and Root Vegetables Stew

Scottish ostrich and various root vegetables stew

The idea of ostrich being included in an authentic Scottish recipe would have been entirely laughable just a few short years ago. The reason this has changed is not only due to the everyday capacity for deep freezing, modern vacuum packing techniques for food items and faster transport, it is due to ostriches actually being farmed right here in Scotland before their home reared meat is sold on to food production companies or directly to consumers at places such as farmers' markets. This recipe simply features ostrich instead of the beef in what would otherwise be a very authentic Scottish stew.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

3/4 pound (325g) diced ostrich meat
2 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
1/2 medium sized white onion
2 medium carrots
1 medium parsnip
1/2 medium sized Swede turnip (rutabaga)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 pint (568ml) fresh beef stock

Sliced onion is added to browned ostrich meat

Instructions

Pour the vegetable oil in to a large saucepan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the diced ostrich meat and saute for a couple of minutes, just until all the pieces are evenly sealed. Peel the onion and half down through the centre before laying one half flat and slicing moderately thinly across the way. The other onion half will easily keep in the fridge for a couple of days. The onion slices should be added to the pot and stirred for a couple of minutes just until they start to soften and glisten.

Carrots, turnip and parsnip

The lean ostrich meat will require long, slow cooking in comparison to beef so it is important to chop the vegetables large enough that they will hold their shape. The parsnip and Swede should be peeled but the carrots (provided the skin is not too damaged) can simply be washed, topped and tailed.

Vegetables and seasonings are added to ostrich and onion

Put the chopped vegetables in to the pot and season well with salt, pepper and the dried thyme.

Stew is brought to a gentle simmer

Pour the beef stock in to the saucepan and give everything a thorough stir. Bring the stock to a boil, cover and simmer as gently as possible for two hours or until the ostrich meat is tender. Stir occasionally and monitor the liquid level, adding a little boiling water if necessary to prevent drying out.