The Pepper Dulse Martini
A beautiful infused martini made with a rare but addictive seaweed Continue reading The Pepper Dulse Martini
A beautiful infused martini made with a rare but addictive seaweed Continue reading The Pepper Dulse Martini
This is the yin and the yang of healthy seaweed with (ahem) a slightly less healthy martini. Kelp is a super food, and very tasty. If you can (sustainably) forage it nearby, this is an easy way to enjoy it with a drink. The steps I don’t season mine. It has enough salt and iodine flavouring already. However, if you want to season it, I … Continue reading A Martini with Kelp Chips / Crisps
This is a delicious, sharp but creamy cheese that goes really nicely with a martini. The Hebrides are a beautiful – if wet – constellation of islands located off the west coast of Scotland. One of these islands is the Isle of Mull, which like many places in this part of the world, has a wealth of culinary produce. Much of this produce goes exceedingly … Continue reading Hebridean Blue Cheese
There is something deeply tantalising about the way a spicy martini whets your appetite. I think it goes especially well if the martini is to be followed by seafood, especially shellfish. You can make a spicy martini with all sorts of hot sauces, including Tabasco or Sriracha, but I cannot think of a more perfect hot sauce to use for a pre-seafood aperitif than this … Continue reading A Spicy Martini with Seaweed Hot Sauce
This is a beautiful Highland gin with a lovely taste profile and wonderful branding, evocative of the distinctive geography of north-west Scotland. Continue reading A Martini with Seven Crofts Gin
If you live somewhere around the UK coast, you may have access to gutweed (Ulva intestinalis), which you can harvest, wash and roast into a highly tasty snack. If the sea in your area is clean, head to a rocky beach and seek out rockpools, and/or areas where fresh water runs into the sea. Here you may find bright green, but somewhat unappetisingly named ‘gutweed’. … Continue reading A Roasted Seaweed Snack
On the day that one of the worst things ever associated with the Hebrides is inaugurated as president of the United States of America, I thought I would highlight one of the loveliest things to arise from this part of the world. Harris Gin is so easy for me to blog about. Introduced to me by my generous cousin from Stornoway, it’s exceptional in many … Continue reading A Harris Gin Martini
If you’re wondering about what snacks to serve with a martini, you will find endless inspiration in the world of Izakaya. Izakaya can be roughly described as relaxed and usually low-cost Japanese gastro-pubs. I have written about them quite a bit before, mainly because of their warm atmosphere and inspiring array of tasty menu items that go very well with a martini. Quite a lot … Continue reading Even more Izakaya food
These sound fancy but they were quite easy to put together and can be made in advance, so they’re easy to serve if you’re having a party. Get about one scallop per guest (or two if you want to make it a more substantial dish than just a canapé). I love scallops. My dad was a scallop diver so they’ve never been far away from … Continue reading Chilled scallop canapés with smoked paprika, seaweed-butter and lime
I recently enjoyed a discovery taster menu at the beautiful Michelin-starred Greenhouse restaurant in London’s Mayfair area. I didn’t have any martinis as I didn’t want to spoil my palette before the dining extravaganza but the setting was beautiful, the food utterly inspiring and the service convivial and professional; in-depth but relaxed. What a treat! It certainly set my martini-obsessed brain into overload thinking of … Continue reading Fusion Food: Seaweed Butter for Martini Canapés