Four of Courier Country’s top chefs were all set to prepare a delicious five-course gala dinner for last week’s Menu Awards. Although they were unable to showcase their exceptional culinary skills on this occasion, we asked each of them to tell us about their favourite foods, their top tips and why Scotland’s produce is globally renowned.
As head chef at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa, Graham Paulley cooks with some of Courier Country’s best seasonal ingredients, and is a particular fan of shellfish.
“I love cooking with langoustines, lobsters, clams and mussels when the time is right,” he says. “It’s important to me to use seasonal produce, especially from a sustainable point of view and to avoid racking up needless air miles.”
Ask Graham what his favourite ingredients are and he replies: “Working in hotels all my life, I’m pretty flexible.
“Bit if I’m lucky enough to have a lemon sole, a nice bit of flat fish, I love that.
“I’m not a fan of foie gras – I think it’s a dated product and the whole way it’s produced is a bit medieval.
“I am fortunate to have worked for some great chefs who still inspire me to try and be better every day. Spending time in the kitchen with Martin Hollis is special to me as I have learned so much from him over the years.
Graham’s top tips include being confident in the kitchen, keeping things simple and always tasting your food before serving.
Praveen Kumar of Tabla Indian Restaurant and Authentic Indian Cuisine came to Scotland via the Sandals resort in Jamaica. Praveen fell in love with the country, gaining further experience at Turnberry in Ayrshire before moving to Gleneagles in Perthshire.
“Once in Perthshire, I knew I would always stay,” smiles Praveen, who was awarded our Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for his business Authentic Indian Cuisine.
Never settling for anything less than the best local, seasonal ingredients, Praveen says: “Having lived and studied on three continents, I can honestly say that Scotland’s larder is fantastic.”
Paul Newman – chef owner of Thyme at Errichel near Aberfeldy – and his team, won Restaurant of the Year at last year’s inaugural awards.
Paul started his career at an early age, making cakes in his grandma’s kitchen, which soon expanded to making wedding and celebration cakes for neighbours and friends.
“At school I was one of very few boys who took home economics classes,” Paul recalls.
“I knew then that I loved food and wanted to work in the food industry. I applied for a chef apprenticeship at Lloyds of London, never looking back.”
Firmly believing that good cooking starts with the best local, seasonal produce, he says: “Every season brings us something to celebrate and our food and drink industry is vibrant and exciting, with lots of fantastic small enterprises bringing us outstanding quality products.”
Martin Hollis is no stranger to Courier readers – he writes a monthly column in The Menu supplement. What’s more he has just been awarded our Chef of the Year accolade.
For Martin, the secret of good cooking is “to buy the best seasonal ingredients you can afford, treating them with the respect they deserve, not over-complicating the dish and elevating them to the centre of it.
“We are in a fortunate position where our produce is looked upon to be among the best in the world – especially shellfish and seafood, beef, pork, fruit, berries and vegetables – because of its quality and consistency year on year,” he continues.
“During my career the industry itself has changed so much and the raw ingredients available locally have never been better in quality and availability.
“There are more chefs who understand flavour techniques and our customers now – and quite rightly – only expect the best as well.”
