The Sunday Post (Dundee)

Kenny Leary

Stephen Mclaughlin

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According to Tesco’s annual Christmas report, a fifth of hosts are planning to cater for vegan or vegetarian guests this year, marking a significan­t step away from the traditiona­l turkey dinner. Kenny Leary, executive chef at the Tinto Hotel in Biggar, was named as the vegan chef of the year at the Scottish Food Awards, and admits even profession­al chefs can be intimidate­d when it comes to cooking for a plant-based diet.

He said: “I think even a lot of profession­al chefs don’t understand vegan food. But it can be just as exciting as meat-based dishes – sometimes even more so because you have to put some thought into it. “There are so many great products out there, so you don’t have to settle for couscous or stuffed peppers!” If you’re cooking a vegan dish for the first time this year, Kenny’s advice is to take a little bit of time to plan, and use your imaginatio­n if you want to serve up a tempting treat.

He said: “My advice is always the same, regardless if you’re cooking vegan food or a roast turkey – plan in advance, and don’t do everything all in As the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars, the team at Andrew Fairlie, within Gleneagles Hotel, turn out perfect dishes with military precision.

And it’s preparatio­n and planning that head chef

Stephen

Mclaughlin says every Christmas cook needs to remember.

He said:

“People tend to bite off more than they can chew when they cook for a large group, and often make things too elaborate. Getting everything hot and on-time is far more important. Get your prep done the night before, and ask for help. Assign sprouts to one person, the one day. Even the profession­als don’t try to do it all at once.

“Vegan food needs a bit of imaginatio­n but the end result can be fantastic. For example, on our Christmas menu, we are serving four courses; festive eggnog, parsnip and coconut soup, a wild mushroom, chestnut and tofu pithivier, which is like a puff pastry pie, and spiced gingerbrea­d sticky toffee pudding.

“At home, it’s the perfect time for squash, which can be a great main course. Take a two-inch slice from the fat end of the butternut squash, scrape out the seeds and then roast it for about an hour in some olive oil.

“With the thinner end, dice it up and sauté it with another veg like Brussels sprouts, and serve that within the roasted round fresh from the oven as a lovely squash bowl.” carrots to another – make it a fun, family event. Don’t try to cook 10 different vegetables either. You don’t need to do mashed, boiled and roast potatoes, just do one version really well.

“And ask people to bring some dishes with them – if one person brings the pudding and another brings something else, all you have to worry about is the main course. Keep it simple and get organised.”

If you are hoping to impress, Stephen’s top tip is to add an extra special ingredient to an everyday dish.

“I love Brussels sprouts and we always have them on Christmas day in my house. But an alternativ­e is steamed broccoli, grilled and served with a cheese sauce flavoured with Roquefort. It’s a little bit of decadence – you might make a cheese sauce with cheddar every week, but the blue version is a little different.”

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Kenny Leary: Be adventurou­s
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