Delicious recipes from top chefs to mark Edinburgh Food Festival

For all the latest foodie news, see www.edfoodfest.com.

Caesar salad by Carina Contini

For more information on Continis, see www.contini.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cos lettuce, washed

2 chicken breasts, skin on or off

8 marinated anchovies

Squeeze of lemon

100g Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved

1 tbsp

of extra virgin olive oil

Salt

2 sprigs of rosemary

150g homemade mayonnaise

1 small clove of garlic

50ml double cream

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze of lemon

Salt

For the croutons

2 slices of crusty sourdough, cut into cubes

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp

salt

1 tsp

dried oregano

1 clove of garlic, roughly crushed

Method

1.Start by pre-heating the oven to 200°C. Place the chicken on a baking sheet with the oil, a squeeze of lemon, a sprig of rosemary, salt and black pepper.

Roast for 20 to 25 mins until the chicken is cooked. If you are cooking it with the skin on it should be lovely and crispy.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow the chicken to cool.

2.Next make the croutons by frying the bread with garlic, herbs and salt in a pan until golden and crispy. Transfer to a sheet of clean kitchen roll to cool.

3.Make the dressing by crushing the garlic into the mayonnaise, adding the cream, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Mix well.

4.Combine the leaves with the mayonnaise dressing and arrange on two plates.

5.Slice the chicken and arrange one breast on each plate.

6.Scatter the marinated anchovies and croutons on top and finish with shavings of the Parmigiano.

.

Carpaccio of Venison with British tomatoes, radish, pea, fennel and capers with smoked garlic toast

By Barry Bryson of Cater Edinburgh

See www.cateredinedinburgh.com

Serves 4 as a hearty starter or light main

Ingredients:

250g of trimmed venison or roe deer loin

Rock salt

Black pepper

8 medium sized British tomatoes

2 cloves smoked or super fresh British garlic

1 packet crunchy British radishes

1 bag fresh British garden peas in their pods

200ml good quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the marinade and garlic toast

1 unwaxed lemon

60g small capers

2 stalks fresh thyme

1 fennel (you just need the lovely herby flower at the top that looks like dill, not the bulb, you can keep that for something else)

75ml Scottish honey

1 half-baked baguette or ciabatta

Method:

1.First,place your piece of venison onto a clean chopping board and with a sharp knife carefully remove any small pieces of sinew that the butcher may have left, you should now have a large glistening dark red steak.

Cut the venison lengthways in half so you have two thick pieces.

2. Next make the marinade. Strip the thyme flowers from the stalks and finely chop them, Add two or three pinches of rock salt and cracked black pepper to the thyme, a good glug of olive oil and honey and mix well. Coat the venison steaks with the mixture.

3. Next, heat a non stick frying pan until it is smoking hot, and very quickly, seal the venison steaks. It should only take a couple of seconds per side.

4.Once sealed, put to one side to cool and then tightly roll in cling film to make a tube shape. Secure each end with some string. Once rolled, put the steaks into a freezer for an hour or two to firm up.

5. Whilst the venison is chilling, begin to prep your vegetables. Cut the tomatoes into chunky pieces and lightly salt them. Finley slice the radishes on a mandolin and place in cold water. Squeeze the excess vinegar from the capers. Trim the fennel herbs and put to one side for the garnish. Remove the peas from the pods.

6. Next, move on to make the dressing. Zest the lemon and reserve for later. Juice the lemon and gradually whisk in the olive oil until you have a combined emulsion, then add the honey.

7. Next, preheat your oven to 180°C. Then cut the baguette or ciabatta into very thin slices and brush with some olive oil. Finley chop the garlic, sprinkle over the bread and bake in the oven for around seven to eight minutes until golden brown.

8. Remove the venison from the freezer and with a sharp knife cut into thin slices, removing any cling film as you go. Once you have some slices, get two pieces of baking paper, place the slices between the paper and using a rolling pin, flattening each slice evenly and carefully until very thin.

9. Finally, you can begin to plate. Cover the plate with the slices of thin venison carpaccio, then distribute the tomatoes over the top with the peas, capers, radish slices and lemon zest, fishing by drizzling the dressing over the top and delicately placing the fennel herbs. Finish with the garlic toast and enjoy!

Chanterelle Mushrooms with Beef Tartar and Mushroom Ketchup

by Scott Smith of Fhior

See www.fhior.com/

Serves 2

Ingredients:

200g chanterelle

mushrooms,

whole

25g butter

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

For the mushroom ketchup:

1 shallot, finely chopped

25g butter

100g button mushrooms, chopped

150g chanterelle mushrooms, chopped

300ml apple balsamic vinegar

100g sugar

Oil, for cooking

For the beef tartar:

120g skirt steak

25ml hazelnut oil

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

To serve:

20g toasted hazelnuts

10g wood sorrel

Method:

1.First make the mushroom ketchup. Sweat the shallots in a pan with a little oil and butter on a low heat until they turn translucent and soft, this should take around 15 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and turn the heat up to full.

Cook until the mushrooms are lightly caramelised. Add the vinegar and sugar and turn down the heat to medium

Continue to cook the mixture until the liquid has reduced by half. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then blend in an electric food processor and until smooth.

2.Next, make the beef tartar. Carefully chop the steak finely and then mix with the hazelnut oil and season to taste.

3.Next, sauté the chanterelles in a hot pan with the butter and season with salt and pepper.

4. To finish, spoon the ketchup in the middle of the plate and top with the tartar. Arrange the chanterelles on top of the tartar

Garnish with the toasted hazelnuts and wood sorrel and serve.

Chocolate Torte by Thinking Chocolate

www.thinkingchocolate.com

Serves 16

Ingredients

300g Amoretti biscuits, broken into crumbs

150g golden caster sugar

200g butter

Pinch of sea salt

750g dark chocolate (at least 60%)

600g whipping cream

50g cassis

25g hazelnuts

12 blackberries

Method

1. Put the sugar, biscuit crumbs and 150g of butter onto a microwavable bowl. Heat on full power in 30 second blasts until butter is melted. Stir well and transfer mixture into a round 10" silicon mould or spring form tin.

2. Press firmly to make the base. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

3.In a clean bowl add the cream, chocolate and remaining butter. Heat in the microwave until completely melted, stirring regularly.

4. Allow to cool and add the cassis, stirring carefully so you don't add any air to the mixture.

5. Pour this straight onto the base. Tap the sides of the mould or tin to level out the mixture and release any trapped air. Bubbles that rise to the surface can be popped with a pin.

6.Decorate with the hazelnuts and blackberries and leave in the fridge to set for two to three hours.

The Ponzu Bowl by Mana Poke, Edinburgh

See Facebook page: @manapokebowls

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 ½ cups short grain sushi rice

600g sushi - grade ahi tuna or salmon

4 tbsp tamari

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 tsp garlic, minced

3 spring onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

3 blood oranges, juiced

3 limes, juiced

For the slaw:

4 carrots, grated

½ red cabbage, sliced

2 tbsp coriander, chopped

2 tbsp mint, chopped

2tbsp basil, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp fish sauce

1inch piece of ginger, grated

For the pickles:

300g radish

2 cucumbers

3 tbsp rice vinegar

Handful of coriander

1 tbsp caster sugar

Salt, to taste

To garnish

2 large, ripe avocados

Black and white sesame seeds

Coriander, chopped

Tamari

Method:

1. Start by rinsing the rice in a fine mesh strainer. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions or in a rice cooker.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the ahi tuna or salmon into one inch cubes.

3.In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, blood orange and limes to taste. Add the ahi and green onions and stir gently to combine. This can be done up to one hour in advance. Keep chilled.

4.For the pickles slice the radish and cucumber and lightly pickle with rice vinegar, sugar and salt until you are ready to serve.

5.For the Asian style slaw, add the carrot and cabbage to a bowl and add the fish sauce, honey, coriander, mint, basil and ginger. Mix together.

6.Just before serving, pit and slice the avocados.

7. Arrange your poke bowl with a generous scoop of rice, ahi tuna or salmon, avocado, slaw and pickled cucumber and radish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve with coriander and more tamari on the side.

The FacePlant Reuben Grilled Cheeze Sandwich

by FacePlant Foods

www.faceplantfoods.com

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 slices of thick white bread

Vegan cheese

Vegan pastrami or other meat alternative

Sauerkraut

Sliced pickles

Yellow mustard

Plant-based margarine

Method:

1. Heat a large pan on a low to medium heat. While the pan is heating up, butter both slices of bread on only one side.

2. Place one slice of the bread butter-side down onto the hot pan. It should make a nice sizzle and produce some, but not too much, smoke. It should turn a nice golden brown colour but be careful not to burn the bread. If there is a lot of smoke, turn the

heat down.

3. Place your vegan cheese on the bread in the pan, followed by pastrami, sliced pickles, sauerkraut and a little yellow mustard and leave for a couple minutes while the bread crisps up

4. Place the second slice of bread butter-side up on top of the sandwich and carefully flip the whole sandwich over. The bottom slice of bread should have turned a nice golden brown colour. Leave for a few minutes to heat through and turn the second slice

of bread golden brown.

5. Flip once more to make sure the golden brown colour is achieved and then remove from heat. Slice it in half, stack on top of each other and place the sandwich face down in the pan moving it around to seal and melt the inside of the sandwich.

6. Once sealed and melted, serve and enjoy!