World Whisky Day - May 17

World Whisky Day was on Saturday and while I can't stand whisky, I thought I'd cook up a whisky themed dinner for my husband. I don't mind the general honey, smokey flavour of whisky, but I don't like that alcoholic burn you get when having it neat. In fact, I don't really like any spirits neat. Give me a good wine any day!

I wanted to create a meal that really complemented the flavours of the whisky. In the end I used two different sorts. The Talisker 47 degrees North from the Isle of Skye was more smokey and peaty and matched perfectly with the lamb marinade and the chocolate dessert. The Amrut Indian single malt whisky had more honey and molasses characters and went with the mushrooms. I was surprised by how well the flavours turned out.

The sweetness and honey characters really came through into the meat and the alcohol was burnt off in the cooking. Because of the sugar in the marinade, it caramelised nicely on the lamb and gave a beautiful charred flavour. Make sure your pan isn't too hot when you cook it or the marinade will burn before the lamb is cooked through.

Even though the chocolate creams weren't cooked, the dark chocolate was rich enough that it masked the alcoholic taste. You could always add the whisky to the boiling water to remove the alcohol, before you added it to the melted chocolate. This was a seriously rich dessert, so a small serve was more than enough. The roasted hazelnuts and sesame snaps gave a beautiful texture to it.

My husband gave this dinner a big thumbs up, so I suppose a World Whisky Day dinner is going to become an annual event in our house. Now to find the next alcoholic beverage theme day to have a go at!

Honey And Whisky Lamb With Braised Spinach, Buttery Whisky Mushrooms And Mash

400g lamb fillet, cut into two pieces

1Tbs whisky

1Tbs honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine whisky and honey in a dish. Season to taste.

Add lamb and allow to marinate for a couple of hours.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Remove lamb from the marinade and drain slightly. Fry for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Rest for a couple of minutes.
Drain any meat juices from resting into the reserved marinade and bring to the boil. Simmer for a minute until thickened.

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 Tbs butter

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Cook until soft, then drain.
Return potatoes to the saucepan and mash with the butter. Add the milk and stir to combine. Season to taste.

1Tbs butter

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1Tbs whisky

A handful each of parsley, oregano and thyme, finely chopped

Heat a frypan on medium heat and add butter until starting to foam.

Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and releasing their juices. Continue cooking until slightly browned. 

Season to taste, add whisky and allow the alcohol to cook off.

At the last minute, stir through the chopped herbs.


Half a bunch of fresh spinach, trimmed and chopped
A drizzle of olive oil

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
When hot, add the spinach and toss to coat in the oil and allow it to soften and wilt. Season to taste.


To serve, place spinach on the plate and top with a piece of lamb. Spoon over the remaining marinade sauce. Place a spoonful of mushrooms over the top of the lamb. Serve the mash to the side.

Enjoy!

Whisky And Chocolate Creams

100g dark chocolate, chopped

30ml boiling water

15ml whisky

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Sesame snaps and roasted hazelnuts, to serve

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring each time so that it doesn't burn.
When melted, slowly add the boiling water, stirring constantly to make a smooth mixture.
Add the whisky, sugar, vanilla and milk and stir gently to combine. It should be nice and smooth.
Spoon carefully into small glasses or pots and set in the fridge for 4 hours.

To serve, place the glasses on plates, put a handful of chopped roasted hazelnuts on top and a couple of sesame snaps on the side for dipping.

Enjoy this decadent dessert!

And To Drink....

Even though whisky was the theme of this dinner, there was no way I was going to be drinking whisky with it!

To go with the sweetness of the marinade on the lamb, I wanted a big red with lots of red and black fruit and complexity.  The 2007 ACJ from Pirramimma in McLaren Vale ticked all the boxes. Made with Shiraz, Petit Verdot and Cabernet there was plenty of ripe fruit, plum and cherry and a smooth richness, which was delicious. A bit of lingering spice and vanilla from the French oak made it a perfect match.

It complemented the sweet, charred lamb and the buttery mushrooms perfectly. The last few sips also went wonderfully with the rich chocolate dessert. Red wine and dark chocolate really are a match made in heaven!

Pirramimma was founded in 1892 and has been a family run winery since. Located in the beautiful McLaren Vale, just south of Adelaide in South Australia, it has a mediterranean climate. They produce some wonderful reds and whites, from quaffers to special drops. The ACJ, only made in exceptional years, was one of their special wines.