Since opening in Aberdeen last summer, The Spiritualist on Langstane Place has generated lots of interest with families and fans of good food.
All of its produce comes from Scottish suppliers, and wherever possible, it uses fresh, local produce, and even lists all the local suppliers of meat, fish, vegetables, bakery and dairy on the menus.
Here, the restaurant shares two popular items on the menu.
The first is for gin cured salmon which is the ideal starter for a dinner party as it’s not only a simple recipe that you can prepare in advance, but also looks fantastic.
The orange gin and spices add a unique, delicious flavour to the salmon.
Try serving with a glass of fizz to really get the party started.
Gin cured salmon
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4
- 12 slices of smoked salmon
- 25ml Whitley Neil Blood Orange Gin
- 8 juniper berries, crushed
- 20 coriander seeds, crushed
- 8 black peppercorns, crushed
- 100g of rocket
- 10-12 orange segments
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 80g crowdie cheese
THE METHOD
- Mix the gin, juniper berries, coriander seeds and peppercorns together in a bowl to create the gin cure.
- Brush the gin cure over the salmon and marinade for two to four hours.
- To serve, create a bed of rocket on the serving plate and then add the orange segments, sliced radishes and cherry tomatoes.
- To finish, top with the crumbled crowdie and salmon slices.
If you’re looking to bake a special cake for Mother’s Day, or fancy a sweet chocolate treat yourself, then The Spiritualist’s chocolate and hazelnut cake fits the bill.
It’s quick to make and best made the day before you plan to serve it as this allows the flavours to develop, making it even more delicious.
The fudgy centre gives the cake a rich and decadent texture making it feel like a real treat.
Chocolate and hazelnut cake
INGREDIENTS
MAKES 1 CAKE
- 375g whole hazelnuts, toasted
- 375g dark chocolate, melted
- 375g butter
- 200g soft brown sugar
- 175g caster sugar
- 9 eggs
- 50ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
- To serve:
- Ice cream
- Fresh berries
THE METHOD
- First, preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Blitz the hazelnuts into a breadcrumb consistency in an electric blender.
- Fold the crushed hazelnuts through the melted chocolate.
- Whisk the butter and sugars together until they become light and fluffy.
- This can be done by hand or use an electric mixer if you want to speed up the recipe.
- Add the eggs two at a time, alternating with a spoonful of the hazelnut and chocolate mix.
- Once fully combined, add the Frangelico and mix again to make sure it’s fully incorporated into the mix.
- Grease and line a 26cm cake tin and add the mixture.
- Place in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour.
- The top of the cake will be set but the centre will be a little wet.
- The cake will set overnight, so leave it in the tin and portion the next day.
- Serve the cake with some fresh berries, ice cream or whatever takes your fancy.
Visit www.thespiritualistaberdeen.co.uk or phone 01224 587717.