Scottish chef Tom lewis demonstrated a few tricks to fuse dishes with single malt whiskey. He chatted with Shrabasti Mallik
When Scottish chef Tom lewis is balancing whiskey with food, there can never be a dull moment. like Indian food, as he fondly says it’s full of contradictions, his way of presentation is equally riveting. His comic timing is like cherry on the cake. lewis was here for a cookout on Scottish food at the Taj Mahal hotel.
The best way to know your whiskey is to keep adding it to different dishes in different proportions, he said with a smile. “You can add a little amount of Glenfiddich to freshly-cut strawberries. It adds a little spice to it. With whiskey there is always a feeling of fullness in the mouth and you can almost feel the warmth,” he explained kicking off the demo.
In Scotland people are very particular about their porridge and instead of sugar they prefer adding salt to it. Their famous Hebridean sea salt has a mild sweetness to it. lewis prepared for us an everyday oats porridge garnished with strawberries earlier sprinkled with whiskey. He shared, “You can use any soft fruit to go with your porridge. Scotland also has some amazing yards which grow soft fruits.”
This year is dedicated to food and drinks in Scotland. He said, “There was a time when we used to enjoy our food and then drifted off to world cuisine. Now we are falling in love with our food again. The country has so much to offer — the best lambs, salmon, fresh seafood and not to forget the whiskey. And when you live in a country with whiskey in abundance, it’s only natural for you to start using it in the recipe rather than having it along with food.”
Tom looked very much the Scot he is in a pleated kilt, a kilt pin and stockings as he kept his audience engaged with interesting facts. like if any dish is rich, heavy and full of fat, whiskey can lighten it considerably. Yet again he used the single malt Glenfiddich to smoke the salmon in his next preparation. He added lime, sherry vinegar, ginger and coriander to balance the fat of the salmon. “Scots love pepper. We practically add it to everything,” he said as he added a sizeable amount of pepper into garnish. Before he took salmons off flame, he added some lime juice to it and explained that lime brings out the aroma of whiskey.
Tom had still more to offer. He demonstrated the correct way to enjoy a glass of fine single malt. The common mistake that people make is that they twirl their glass and try to sip right away which, Tom pointed out, is not the right procedure. “That way you only get the flavour of the spirit, which is why most end up saying that they do not enjoy their whiskey. You twirl it gently and then take in the aroma thrice, giving a gap of a second between each. It gives time for the whiskey to settle and emanate its true flavour and texture,” the chef rounded off.