We celebrated Burns Night last night with our neighbours. Ten of us tucked into a Scottish feast cooked by Angel: cullen skink and soda bread followed by haggis with tatties and neeps. I was asked to make the Marmalade Pudding with Drambuie custard in a tribute to our recent visit to the Three Chimney’s on Skye. Angel did the Cranachan with Ian Mellis Scottish Cheeses to follow.
No Scottish wine but a beautiful Spanish Bursao Seleccion, Campo de Borja 2009 and a Vina Alarde Grand Reserva 2005 from the estimable York Wine Club. And of course tots of single malt with every course.
We followed the format more or less. Angel made the welcome speech. Scottish Liz said grace: “Some hae meat and canna eat …. ” . And Whitby John addressed the haggis: “Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face…“. A toast was proposed to the haggis and to absent friends and we tucked in.
Our neighbours are an international bunch: Dhaval and Shivani from India, Jesus from Spain and his wife Ola from Poland, who all took part gamely, though what on earth they made of it all is anyone’s guess. We even made them cross arms and sing Auld Lang Syne before we allowed them to stumble home.
I would urge you to make the Marmalade Pudding, it is a winner. No wonder it has been on the menu at The Three Chimneys from day one.