Everyone has heard of the world famous “Irish Coffee”. But this is not the only recipe that can be made with whiskey. Cooking with wine or beer is well established in today’s kitchen. But adding a dash of whiskey gives another dimension to a dish due to its powerful taste. There are many options, from a simple toast to complete meals and desserts.
Chapters
- Which Whiskey Should I Choose?
- Recipes
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Which Whiskey Should I Choose?
There are many types of whiskey, grain whiskey, malt whiskey, single malt whiskey, blended whiskey, blended malt whiskey, Irish whiskey and bourbon. Every whiskey has its own specific taste. On the internet or at the liquor store you can probably find a flavor map that indicates whether a whiskey tastes smoky, peaty, fruity, spicy, light, rich or refined. It is important to ensure that the whiskey does not predominate (or one should love it). So with a light taste such as fish, do not choose an overly powerful whiskey. The choice of whiskey depends on the recipe and your own taste. In the recipes below I prefer my whiskey, but everyone’s taste is different. So many types of whiskey also give many possibilities for experimentation.
Recipes
Toast with smoked salmon and Talisker
Let’s start with a simple but oh so delicious recipe. Delicious with drinks.
- Toast or fresh baguette,
- Good smoked salmon,
- Talisker 10 year old single malt or whiskey of your choice.
Cover the toast or slices of baguette with a piece of smoked salmon. Put a drop of Talisker on the salmon with a pipette. The best result is obtained by spraying the whiskey with an atomizer. At a good liquor store or cooking store you can buy atomizers for 200 ml bottles.
Pineapple jam with Famous Grouse
Delicious spreads for every day. This recipe can be prepared with any whiskey and there are many combinations in terms of fruit.
- 1 kilo of cleaned pineapple,
- 1 kilo of jam sugar,
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
- 1 cup Famous Grouse,
- 4 clean jam jars.
Cut the pineapple very small or puree it in a blender or food processor. Cook the pineapple with the lemon juice for about 5 minutes on a high heat. Regularly scoop off the foam with a slotted spoon. After these 5 minutes add the jam sugar and the whiskey. Bring it back to the boil while stirring and let it boil for 4 minutes, stirring regularly and skimming off any foam. After 4 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest for a while. Place the jam jars on a coaster or tea towel and spoon in the hot jam. Screw on the lid and put the jars with the lid down and let them cool. Delicious for daily use and can be kept for about a year.
Smoked mackerel pâté.
The combination of the whiskey together with the smoked mackerel give this pâté a characteristic taste. Very easy to make and quick to prepare.
- 1 smoked mackerel of about 500 gr,
- 100 grams of butter,
- 100 grams of cream cheese,
- 150 ml. double cream (can be replaced with a mixture of 50 ml mascarpone and 100 ml whipped cream),
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
- 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce,
- 2 tablespoons of whiskey of your choice,
- salt and pepper
Remove skin and bones from the mackerel. Place all ingredients, except for salt and pepper, in a blender or food processor. mix everything into a homogeneous mass and add salt and pepper to taste. Put the pâté in a buttered dish and place it in the fridge for 3 hours. Serve the pâté with oat crackers or toast.
Pancakes with sauce
A delicious topping for the pancakes. For breakfast or at lunchtime, actually always delicious.
Sauce
- 2 oranges,
- 2 lemons,
- 4-5 tablespoons of marmalade of your choice,
- 2 shot glasses Macallan 12 year old
- 50 gr. butter
pancakes
- 500 gr. flower
- 4 eggs
- 1 liter of milk
- pinch of salt
- oil for frying
Grate the orange and lemon and keep it aside. Squeeze both fruits and put the juice in a bowl. Mix in the whiskey and marmalade. For the pancakes: sieve the flour over a bowl and add the salt. Pour in the milk and beat everything together. Now add the eggs one by one and keep beating. If we have a batter with some lumps in it, the stick blender can come in handy. Now stir the orange and lemon zest into the batter. Put some oil in a frying pan and fry the pancakes one by one. Keep them warm on a plate on top of a pan of boiling water. Now pour the whiskey, orange, lemon juice and marmalade mixture into a saucepan together with the butter. Heat this while stirring until it is thoroughly warm but do not let it boil. Add some sugar to taste if necessary. Serve the pancakes and pour the sauce over it or serve it separately.
Cranachan
Cranachan is a delicious traditional Scottish dessert. Originally based on double cream, but this is not always easy to get here in the Netherlands. It can be replaced with a mixture (1: 2) of mascarpone and whipped cream.
- 500 ml. double cream (can be replaced with a mixture of 150 ml mascarpone and 350 ml whipped cream),
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- 3 tablespoons whiskey to your taste,
- 4 tablespoons yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, let it drain for a while)
- 25 gr. fine oatmeal
- 150 gr. raspberries (preferably fresh, otherwise from the freezer)
Roast the oatmeal in a nonstick frying pan over a small heat until golden brown. Set aside until cool. Put the double cream (or replacement), honey and whiskey in a bowl and beat until it peaks. Now fold in half of the oatmeal and yogurt and put it in the fridge for two hours to cool. Now spoon a layer of the double cream, yogurt, honey and whiskey mixture into a nice glass. Place a layer of raspberries on top and on top of that another layer of the double cream, yogurt, honey and whiskey mixture. Sprinkle the glasses with the remaining toasted oatmeal.
Enjoy your meal