Few can realise what they want to be at a very early stage of their life and Chef Gary Maclean definitely belongs to that rare category. At the tender age of 11, he could see himself wearing the chef’s hat after his attempts at cooking were condoned by his home science teacher in school. Since then, discovering the myriad facets of Scottish flavours and palates have earned him global renown and accolades including BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals (2016) title. As if all this wasn’t enough, Maclean also has earned the distinction of being Scotland’s first National Chef.
Gary has relentlessly worked towards acquainting people world over with Scottish produce and the country’s cooking tradition that he loves to reinvigorate with his own approach and innovations.
“I think all over the world, including India, chefs are looking at their country’s history and past and bringing back the dishes of their grandparents but giving it their own twist too. Traditionally in Scotland, we have some of the finest ingredients like venison, grouse, lobster, langoustines, fish, shellfish, salmon, since we have more coast than France and Spain combined. Also, we grow great greens like kale, parsley, spinach, cabbage and berries. Since we get lots of daylight during the summer, berries grow really well there since it’s not too hot yet there’s lots of light. New ingredients and cuisine culture fascinate me and I love using cumin seeds a lot,” he says.
During his recent visit to Kolkata, the feted chef collaborated with the executive chef of Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences, Vikram Jaiswal, for PanchPhoran Scotch Jugalbandi 2.0 -- a three-day pop-up showcasing some traditionally popular dishes from Scotland, and also a few with an interesting Indian twist.
The gourmand affair (supported by IIHM), had a few iconic Scottish dishes including one made with the most well-known Scottish item haggis – the lip smacking Lamb Haggis Croquettes -- and Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs on toast, made just the way the Scots prefer them.
Celebrated for his innovative approach to traditional Scottish cuisine, Chef MacLean's commitment to sustainability and local produce aligns was also evident in the pop-up menu that promoted responsible sourcing.
Apart from the haggis croquettes, The two renditions -- from the Scottish Dishes with Bengali twist section of the menu, smartly done by Chef Jaiswal -- that tickled our tastebuds to no end, were Panchphoran spiced water biscuit and crab tart, and Corned lamb brisket sourdough sandwich. The flavourful mashed crab was encircled by a thin cracker infused with the Bengali spice mix. Served with Kasundi-mayo sauce and some greens, the yummy delicacy is most suitable for your afternoon teas. The succulent piece of meat cooked in Bengali style held between sourdough bread was also another dish that we relished with delight.
COCK-A-LEEKIE
Chef Gary shared this simple yet timeless recipe for a comfort Cock-A-Leekie refined and clear broth from his popular cookbook The Scottish Kitchen. “When I was a young chef, cock-a-leekie was always a bit of a puzzle for me -- the only time I ever saw it was at our Hogmanay or Burns Night banquets. The reason it was a puzzle was that I couldn’t understand why we would add prunes to a perfectly nice chicken broth,” he says in the book. “This broth has been made in Scotland for hundreds of years. It probably originated in France and changed to fit with what was available in Scotland. This recipe has rice, but you could use barley or oats,” Maclean mentions.
(Makes ten portions)
Ingredients:
1 small chicken | 4 medium white onions, chopped | 1 medium leek, chopped | 2 celery sticks, chopped | 4 sprigs of thyme | 1 bay leaf| 2 tablespoons (25ml) good oil | Generous 1/3 cup (85g) long grain rice, cooked | 10 dried prunes, cut into strips | 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, shredded | Salt and black pepper
METHOD
To do this, you need a very good stock. First, take your chicken and pop it into a large pot. Next, add half of your chopped onions, a handful of chopped leek, the chopped celery, thyme and bay leaf.
Cover with cold water and put onto the stovetop, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 90 minutes, making sure you skim the broth and remove any scum that might come to the top.
Next remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables, but keep the stock.
Next, in a clean pot add your oil, the rest of the leeks and the remainder of your onion, and slowly cook until the onions soften.
Meanwhile, your chicken should have cooled enough that you can carefully remove the meat. Once done, you can chop it into smaller pieces.
When your onions are soft, stir in your chicken stock, the chopped chicken, cooked rice and the cut prunes.
Finish with the shredded parsley, and season with salt and a few good turns of black pepper.
Chef’s advice: This recipe can be easily made vegan if you use a good quality vegetable stock and replace the chicken with a meat-free alternative; it also speeds up the process as you won't have to cook it for so long.