Glasgow's 'chefs of the future' reveal perfect Christmas dinner

The Glasgow Times asked Scotland’s chefs of the future to plan their ideal festive dinner, and the result is a tantalising mix of the traditional and the contemporary.

David Brown, Ash Houston and Zoe Wright are all second year students on City of Glasgow College’s HND in professional cookery.

They put their skills and imagination to the test to come up with a dazzling array of dishes for our festive feature. Read their recipes below, as they share their own hopes and dreams for their future in Scotland’s thriving hospitality industry.

STARTER

David Brown, 41, is from Maryhill. He worked in restaurants for a number of years before taking a break to spend time with his children, but his passion for cooking never evaporated. His ideal Christmas Day starter is griddled Scottish langoustine with pickled fennel and bisque sauce.

David's starter is a 'posh prawn cocktail' (Image: City of Glasgow College)

“I wanted to do a posh prawn cocktail,” he grins. “You can get langoustine in supermarkets at this time of year, so it’s a really nice dish, but not out of reach of most people and you don’t need special equipment or techniques to make it.”

David’s route into the City of Glasgow College course was a little different to most, he explains.

“I did things a bit backwards,” he says. “I started as a breakfast chef in Malmaison hotels, about 18 years ago, and then took a break for a few years and then went to college.”

A move to Denmark meant David needed work, and his culinary skills landed him a job in the kitchens of prestigious three-Michelin-starred restaurant Noma. “It was a culture shock,” he admits. “But I learned a lot.”

David Brown (Image: City of Glasgow College)

David, who is open about the fact he has bipolar disorder and the toll that can take on his mental health, knows how difficult it can be to make it in the industry. He is hoping one day to teach, as he is passionate about supporting the next generation of chefs in Scotland.

“I love being a kind of mentor in the class,” he says, with a smile. “We’re all very different, from different backgrounds, but share the same determination. I’m keen to work hard and get the qualifications I need."

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: For the pickle: 1 whole fennel; 1 cucumber; 100ml white wine; 100ml white wine vinegar; 50ml water; 50g sugar; 2 sprigs thyme; 10g salt; 5g mustard seed; 2g black peppercorns; 1 bay leaf.

For the bisque: 1 large onion; 2 celery sticks; 1 whole fennel; 3 cloves garlic; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 star anise; 1 tsp tomato puree; 75ml brandy; 250ml white wine; 250g ripe tomatoes; 1 litre fish stock; 12 langoustines; 10ml vegetable oil.

For the lemon buttermilk: 100ml buttermilk; 1 lemon; 1g salt; 1g cracked black pepper.

For the salad: 2 baby gem lettuce; 1 lemon; 20g melted butter (to glaze the langoustines before plating).

METHOD

Remove and reserve the fennel tops, then thinly slice the bulb using a mandolin. Cut the ends off the cucumber and cut in half, then also thinly slice using a mandolin. Season the fennel and cucumber with salt and leave to sit for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the pickling liquor by combining the white wine, white wine vinegar, sugar, thyme, black peppercorns bay leaf, mustard seeds, and water together in a saucepan.

Bring gently to the boil and, once boiling remove the pan from the heat.              Wash the salt from the fennel and cucumber slices and carefully dry them with a kitchen towel. Place the cucumber and fennel into a jar or container and pour over the warm pickling liquor. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but ideally 12 hours.

To prepare the langoustines, remove the heads from the tails by pulling them apart. (Save the shells for the bisque.) Press firmly on the tail shell to break it open and carefully remove the whole tail. Using tweezers or a small knife, make a small incision at the back of the tail and carefully remove the intestine. Keep the tails in the fridge for later.

To make the bisque sauce, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the langoustine shells into an ovenproof tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and roast for 20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile roughly chop the onion, celery, fennel, and garlic and sweat until softened on a medium heat in a large sauté pan or a saucepan.

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Once softened add the thyme, star anise, and bay leaf. Add the roasted langoustine shells and tomato puree and cook out for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and allow to almost evaporate completely before adding the white wine and roughly chopped tomatoes and simmering for 10 minutes.

Add the fish stock to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for a further 20 minutes then strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pushing as much liquid out with the base of a ladle. Heat the liquid and reduce to a sauce like consistency seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until required then gently reheat adding a small knob of butter to enrich the sauce before serving.

For the buttermilk, mix together the buttermilk and lemon juice until well combined. Season to taste and add more lemon juice if required. Keep refrigerated until required.

To cook the langoustines, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and blanch the langoustine tails for 15 seconds then cool immediately in ice cold water to refresh. Place a griddle pan over a high heat until really hot.    Season the tails with a drizzle of vegetable oil and salt then place backside down onto the griddle pan and char for 1 minute. Remove from the pan onto a kitchen paper lined tray and brush over a little melted butter to give a nice shine.

To make the salad, take a generous amount of the pickled fennel and cucumber and add to a bowl with the finely shredded baby gem lettuce. Add a drizzle of the bisque sauce and gently mix through the salad. Smear a little buttermilk dressing across the plate and drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of the bisque sauce on top.

Arrange a generous helping of the salad across the middle of the plate and top with 3 of the grilled langoustine tails per plate. Garnish with the reserved fennel tops and enjoy.

MAIN COURSE

Ash Houston, 25, is from Ardrossan. His love of baking and cooking began in childhood, but he left school unsure of what career to pursue. His perfect main course for Christmas Day is roast pheasant with creamed cabbage and roasted vegetables.

Ash's main course swaps out turkey for pheasant (Image: City of Glasgow College)

“I wanted to do something different – most people have turkey every year, and it’s huge, and you end up having to use it up for a week especially if you’re just a couple, or a small family,” he explains. “Pheasant is smaller, and it’s a bit of a treat but it is still affordable. The veg is all easy to do, and just a little lighter and more manageable.”

Ash Houston (Image: City of Glasgow College)

Ash admits he was “all over the place” at school, unsure of what he wanted to do.

“I worked in some customer service jobs and knew I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life,” he says. “I was looking through a long list of college courses and this just jumped out. I liked baking anyway, but once I started at college I just fell in love with it. I love being creative, being hands-on – not stuck behind a desk.”

Eventually, he’d like to run his own bakery (or two).

“I know that’s a long way off, but it’s the dream,” he says, smiling. “For now I just want to work hard at college and develop my skills, and get more experience. Being at City of Glasgow has been great, the lecturers are so willing to give you advice and help.”

INGREDIENTS: 4 pheasant breasts, skin on; 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 2 to 4 sprigs thyme; 4-5 fresh sage leaves; ½ tsp salt; 20-25g unsalted butter; 15ml oil.

For the creamed cabbage: Half a Savoy cabbage; 200ml double cream; 1 small shallot, minced; 1 large carrot; pinch of nutmeg; 2 cloves garlic; 20g unsalted butter; 10ml oil; 100g pancetta; salt to taste.

For the pheasant jus: pheasant or chicken bones; 500ml beef or chicken stock; 200ml water; 1 shallot; 10g corn flour or arrowroot to thicken.

For the veg: 8-12 baby carrots; 250g Brussel sprouts, peeled and halved; 10ml oil; 20g unsalted butter; 3 sprigs thyme; salt to taste.

METHOD: Pre heat the oven to 200°C. To make the jus, use a sharp knife to remove the legs and spine from the pheasant, leaving you with the crown. Drizzle the spine and legs lightly with olive oil and roast in a deep tray for 25-30 minutes or until the bones have turned a dark brown colour.

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it in half. Very finely slice the cabbage across to get thin strips.

Mince the garlic and finely dice the shallots. Julienne the carrots by peeling them and cutting them in half across the width. Trim the sides to create a squarer shape as this will make it safer to work with and prevent your knife from slipping as much. Cut thin slices lengthways, lay these flat and slice into matchsticks. Alternatively, you can grate the carrots.

Pat the pheasant crown dry with paper towel and season well with salt and cracked black pepper. Brown the outside of the pheasant in a hot pan with some oil to crisp the skin. Add the butter and herbs and baste the crown for a couple of minutes before transferring to a roasting tin. Remove the bones from the oven and drop the temperature to 180°C. Roast for 20-30 minutes for every 450g of meat and check it is done by making sure any juices run clear.

Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add in the roasted pheasant bones and shallots, top up the stock with enough of the water to cover the bones but don’t add more than 200ml. Use some beef stock to deglaze the roasting tin and add this into the pot as well. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

For the roasted carrots, leave the skin on but scrub them clean. Heat a pan with some oil over medium high heat, add 10g butter the thyme and fry the carrots making sure to get some caramelisation all around. Transfer to a greased roasting tin and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Check them every so often and flip around halfway through the cooking time.

For the cabbage, heat 2tbsp of oil and 20g butter over medium heat. Add the julienne carrots and let them cook for around 5 minutes to soften them. Add the pancetta and shallots and cook for another 5 minutes until the fat begins to render. Add the garlic and nutmeg, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and then add the cabbage. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 10- 15 minutes, stirring often. Finish the cabbage off by adding the cream, cook for a few minutes to allow it to thicken slightly and taste for seasoning.

Using the same pan from the roasted carrots, add a little bit more oil is necessary and fry the sprouts cut side down over medium heat for a few minutes until they get some colour. Add 10g butter and give them a stir to make sure they cook evenly. Add salt to taste.

Once the pheasant is done, remove from the oven and cover it in tin foil for five minutes to rest for five minutes before carving. Finally, strain the sauce through a sieve, return to the pot and bring it back to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and thicken with a corn flour slurry (equal parts water to corn flour), adding 1 tsp at a time until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Plate the creamed cabbage, roasted carrots and pan-fried sprouts. Slice the pheasant breast and place it on the bed of cabbage and pour over a little of the jus, and serve.

DESSERT

Zoe Wright, 31, lives in Clydebank with her children Brendan, six, and four-year-old Ella-Grace. She is a keen baker, and gave up her career in logistics to pursue her passion. Her ideal Christmas Day dessert is panna cotta with mulled wine and pear glaze and a mincemeat doughnut.

Zoe's dessert is a festive twist on a panna cotta (Image: City of Glasgow College)

“I liked the idea of doing something with mincemeat, but elevating it, so I came up with this idea,” she explains.

“Panna cotta is such a simple dessert but it’s so tasty and with a little bit of effort, you can really jazz it up.”

Zoe became a baker almost by accident, she laughs. “I was trying to find one of those rainbow sponge cakes that were all the rage a few years ago, for my son’s first birthday,” she explains. “They were so expensive, I thought – I can just do it myself.”

Zoe Wright (Image: City of Glasgow College)

She adds: “And it went really well. So then I started getting requests from friends and family and it just grew from there. When lockdown hit, it gave me a chance to really work on my skills and it was then I thought – I might have a career in this.”

Leaving behind her job in logistics for a national distribution company, Zoe applied to City of Glasgow College’s professional cookery HND.

“I am so glad I did,” she says. “It is quite daunting, taking the step to change your whole career, and there’s a lot of juggling having two young children. But the opportunities that have come my way through the college have been amazing and it’s those opportunities, and the training and competitions that really motivate me to do my best.”

Zoe recently represented the college in the UK finals of the World Skills competition, and won gold in the confectionery and patisserie contest.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it when I won, it was really emotional – I just burst into tears,” she smiles. “There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears along the way, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.”

INGREDIENTS

For the Panna Cotta: 3 x 11cm sheets gelatine leaves; 500ml double cream; 1 vanilla pod  (or 1tsp vanilla extract); 70g caster sugar.

For the mulled wine and pear glaze: Ingredients:1 cardamon pod; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cloves; 3 juniper berries; 1 star anise; 350g caster sugar; 1 bottle of red wine; ¼ bottle of port; 1 lemon; 1 orange; 2 pears; 1.5cm ginger root.

For the mincemeat doughnut: 270g plain flour; 15g baking powder; 50g caster sugar plus 100g for coating; 50g oil; 100ml milk; ½ egg; pinch of salt. 30g mincemeat. 5g cinnamon powder.

METHOD

Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl and cover with ice cold water, ensuring they are fully submerged. Split the vanilla pod in half carefully with a small knife and remove the seeds from each half by scraping down the pod.               Heat the double cream and vanilla gently without letting the mixture boil.

Drain the gelatine leaves and squeeze out any excess water, place the bowl to the side. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour the cream mixture over the gelatine, set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, set aside to continue cooling stirring occasionally to stop a skin from forming. Once the mixture is starting to thicken slightly and semi-setting, pour into glasses and set in the fridge.

Make the glaze by crushing the juniper berries and add to a large pan, zest the lemon and orange then juice both and add to the pan. Peel and thinly slice the ginger and add to the pan. Peel core and dice the pears into 1cm cubes, cover and set aside for later.

Place all ingredients minus the pears into the pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and further infuse. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a clean pan and bring back to the boil. Once boiling add the diced pear and turn the heat down to low. Allow the pears to cook until tender, then transfer the mix to a bowl to cool.

For the doughnut, start by sieving the plain flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil and caster sugar, then add the egg, milk and salt. Whisk well to combine fully. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix to a smooth dough. Add some flour to a clean work surface and roll out to half a centimetre thick. Use a 2 inch round cutter and cut as many rounds as possible, recombine the dough and repeat until you have used all the dough.

In the centre of the circle of dough, add a teaspoon of the mincemeat and very lightly brush around the edges with water fold over and press with your fingers to stick and seal. Deep fry at 190°C until puffed up and golden in colour.            Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Mix together the cinnamon powder and sugar then coat all doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and set aside for serving.

To serve, remove the panna cotta from the fridge and spoon a few tablespoons of the mulled wine and pear mixture on top and place the glass on a plate ready for serving. Add the mincemeat doughnut to one side, serve and enjoy.

If you want to add a festive touch, use a cocktail stick to place some gold leaf round the centre of the panna cotta.