Whisky Focus - Glen Moray Fried Courgette Flowers, Goats Cheese and Honey

Glen Moray has teamed up with award winning chef Ben Tish to present ‘Cask Stories’ which dives into the world of wood to explore the importance of cask flavour and character of their Glen Moray single malt whisky range.

Ben has created some top restaurant quality Glen Moray influenced food dishes and to wash them down Ben’s long standing head sommelier Julien Hennebelle has collaborated with him to create four long, refreshing Glen Moray cocktails.

Ben says:
"I'm a big sherry fan- particularly dry sherry and have travelled the length and breadth of Jerez picking and tasting – usually accompanied by tapas. When I tasted the sherry cask whisky, I was very excited- it’s a joy to drink with the sherry notes coming through and it matches this dish brilliantly. I thought long and hard about my matching dish- crisp fried courgette flowers with a rich, salty cheese and sweet honey- the salty sweet combination works well with the sherry's notes.

"I've been cooking variations of this dish for many years- fried squash or courgette flowers are very popular around the Mediterranean but less so in the UK- a shame as they are delicious and a wonderful vessel for stuffing. The rowdy tapas bars of Spain will always feature a fried flower in the summer months- and pair with a fino or Oloroso sherry to wash it down with before moving onto the next bar and doing it again with a different delicious tapa. I love this culture, this social way of eating and drinking, trying many different flavours as you go."
 

• 8 courgette flowers stalks in tact
• 100g-semi firm goats cheese such as Monte Enebro or chevre cut into 8 pieces
• Runny blossom honey for drizzling
• 2l of vegetable oil for frying
   
• Batter
• 150g plain flour (sifted)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 450ml sparkling water
   

• Firstly make the batter. Tip the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk in the water and ensure everything is incorporated well. Leave to rest.
   
• Pour the vegetable oil into a deep-sided pan or deep fat fryer. Slowly heat up to 180oc or when a little bit of the batter is dropped in and it fizzles and browns immediately. Keep the oil at a steady temperature.
   
• Carefully peel down the petals of the flowers and remove the stamen. This can be bitter.
   
• Mould a piece of cheese and then stuff it into the flower and twist the leaves back up to form a tight seal. Be careful with the petals they are very delicate and will tear easily. Cut a small slit in the bottom of the courgette stalks. This will help speed up the cooking process of the courgette in the fryer.
   
• Carefully dip the flowers, in batches-two or three at a time- into the batter and then place in the fryer. Cook the flowers until they are golden brown on both sides. You will need to turn the flowers during this process to cook both sides. When ready, remove the flowers from the oil and drain well and keep warm. Continue cooking the other flowers in the same fashion. When the flowers are all ready and drained of excess oil, transfer to serving plates and drizzle with honey.

• 50 ml Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish
   
• 25 ml Sherry Vermouth (we used Lustau from Jerez)
   
• 100 ml San Pellegrino San Bitter Red

• Fill a tall glass full of ice.
   
• Add the whisky, then the vermouth.
   
• Top up with the San Pellegrino and serve with a slice of orange.

If you fancy creating any of the food dishes or drinks you will find all the Glen Moray whiskies you will need available from specialist online whisky retailers such as The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and Master of Malt
 

Glen Moray Port Cask Finish Food & Drink Recipes

• Mussels with cinnamon, lemon, marjoram, bay and migas.
  Lightly steamed mussels with fresh, spicy and citrusy flavours to complement the Port Cask whisky’s notes – topped with crispy ‘migas’ breadcrumbs which are a Portuguese staple.
   
• The Lossimonatta
  A light, refreshing blend of Port Cask Finish, the juice of red berries, cherry liqueur and lemonade, served over ice and inspired by the River Lossie running next to the Glen Moray Distillery.
   

Glen Moray Fired Oak 10 Year Old Food & Drink Recipes

• Cumin rubbed grilled pork pinchos with almond alioli
  A sweet, smoky barbecued street food that works with the deep charred flavours of Fired Oak whisky
   
• The Elgin Fizz
  A refreshing summer combination of smoky Glen Moray Fired Oak, spicy ginger liqueur and sweet sparkling apple juice, served over ice.
   

Glen Moray Madeira Cask Project Food & Drink Recipes

• Roasted peaches with orange flower honey, mascarpone, pistachios.
  Madeira has the most wonderful peach varieties, and the sweet caramelised peach juices and aromatic honey are a great match for the Madeira cask’s flavours.
   
• The Whisky Rose Julep
  An exotic, full-flavoured combination of Madeira matured whisky, rose syrup and fresh mint, served over ice.

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