The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

Having hailed from the United Kingdom, I am perhaps more aware than many of Robbie Burns Day, celebrated in honor of the famous Scottish poet, whose birthday is celebrated in January. As inspired by the poems of the man himself, the tone of the traditional Robbie Burns supper is one of remembering and reflecting on the old year just past, and resolving to think in refreshed and more mature terms in the new year just begun. The idea is to express gratefulness for the experiences of the past year as well as for the friendships of those who have stuck by us. This attitude is perpetuated from the first moment of such a supper with the reciting of The Selkirk Grace:

Some have meat and cannot eat,
And some would eat that want for it;
But we have meat, and we can eat,
So let the Lord be thanked for it.

The most famous aspect of the Robbie Burns supper is the haggis - a traditional pudding of organ meats stuffed into the stomach of a sheep and boiled. This would follow the soup course, such as Potato Soup or Cock –a-Leekie. The main course is, of course, the haggis, and is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed neeps (turnips). A dessert may be something like cranachan (a mixture of whipped cream, whiskey, honey, and fresh raspberries topped with toasted oatmeal).
Many toasts and speeches tend to follow including toasts to those who cooked the meal and a toast to the health of the monarch or the leader of the country. After the toasts, poetry by Burns is often read. Such a poem may be To A Mouse which seems a particularly appropriate reading for this new year with a new American president where we are in the midst of a global economic crisis. It is about a farmer who, during his plowing, inadvertently destroys the winter’s nest of a mouse. In doing so he ponders the unpredictability of life; the challenge of enjoying the present while bad events of the past remind him of the necessity of preparing for the future; and the fact that fear of the future prevents him from enjoying the present. Following are a few recipes for your Robbie Burns supper. I’ve taken the liberty of replacing the traditional Scottish recipes with ones that may be more pleasing to you.

“Time to break out the old kilt again, Your Majesty…”

Lamb Stew
Copyright 2009, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
¼ cup grapeseed oil
4 pounds cubed lamb
2 white onions, roughly diced
4 clove garlic, chopped
4 carrots (washed, but not peeled), roughly diced
1 bunch celery, roughly diced
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, left whole
1 bottle red wine
¼ cup tomato paste
1 quart vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
6 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and roughly diced
¼ cup stick butter

Method:
In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to glisten. Stir in the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and fresh rosemary, and cook until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Add the lamb and stir until all sides of the meat are seared. Stir in the wine and tomato paste and allow to cook down for about 10 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock, and season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer until fork tender, about 2 hours, periodically checking to make sure the liquid doesn’t dissipate, and adding water if needed. When the meat is beginning to become tender, add the potatoes and cover the pot. When the meat is very tender (the flavor should be intense and very tasty), adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remove the rosemary sprigs, and whisk in the butter just before serving to make the sauce a little richer.

Potato Leek Soup
Copyright 2009, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
8 leeks, whites only, soaked in salt water to remove grit
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
To a large pot add potatoes, 4 of the leeks (reserving the rest), celery, onion, bay leaf and chicken stock. Let boil until the potatoes are soft. Chop the remaining 4 leeks. In a small saucepot melt the butter over medium heat and gradually whisk in the flour to make a roux. Add the roux, remaining leeks, cream, fresh thyme, and salt and pepper to the large pot. Blend the soup with an immersion blender making sure to keep the blades immersed to prevent splashing. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Fruit Yogurt Parfait
Copyright 2009, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
¾ cup granola
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 eight-ounce container plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup seedless red grapes, halved
⅔ cup seedless white grapes, halved
⅔ cup blueberries
2 bananas
1 lime
⅔ cup raspberries
¾ cup Nutella (hazelnut & chocolate paste)
6 sprigs fresh mint

Method:
Spoon even amounts of granola into the bottom of 6 parfait glasses. Whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form, and set aside briefly. In another bowl, use an electric mixer to whip together the yogurt, honey, and cream cheese. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese yogurt mixture. Divide the cream mixture in half (reserving the balance) and spoon even amounts of half of the cream mixture on top of the granola in each glass. In another bowl, combine, red and white grapes, and blueberries. Slice in the bananas and squeeze lime juice on top to prevent oxidation. Gently fold in the raspberries. Divide the fruit mixture in half (reserving the balance), and spoon even amounts of half of the fruit mixture over the cream in each glass. Then repeat with a layer of the reserved cream followed by a layer of the reserved fruit. Spoon ⅛ cup Nutella into each glass as the top layer and garnish with mint sprigs.