Recipes that pack a punch

This week, Garry Watson, chef proprietor of Gordon’s Restaurant in Inverkeilor, reveals some gin-teresting dishes

Agood bolognese sauce is lost without it; it forms a base of any good gravy; and we even put it over pudding at Christmas. Cooking with alcohol is nothing new but what about gin?

Gin is often everyone’s favourite aperitif but, for some reason, people are very wary about cooking with it.

Alcohol is added to dishes to enhance or add new flavours. The alcoholic element is usually burned away in the cooking process and what you’re left with – and what we want – is the essence of the liquor.

For me, gin works wonders and its pronounced flavour of juniper, lemon, coriander and angelica botanicals makes it perfect for a marinade – especially game.

For example, gin-poached then roasted venison, served with blackberry and juniper sauce, or a warm wood pigeon salad of pear, hazelnut and gin vinaigrette are hard to beat.

Gin is also great with seafood. Try a starter of gin-cured salmon with cucumber and wasabi, or a canape of scallops with gin and honey butter – even better when served with an icecold G&T in hand.

There was a trend when pasta dishes were cooked using vodka but the problem with that is, the good-quality stuff is made to be tasteless, which is why it’s great for mixed drinks.

It makes better sense to use gin that has flavour – and the herbal tastes go so well with tomato and cheese-based sauces.

It’s also great in desserts, such as a simple, yet highly refreshing gin and tonic granita – the perfect way to end (or start) an evening.

Using gin in recipes is a great way of intensifying flavours. Below: chef Garry Watson.