March 27 | Scotland

International Whisk(e)y day influenced this edition of Around the World in Quarantine. As whiskey lovers, we decided to choose one of five whisk(e)y producing countries. Since we’ve already explored the U.S. and Japan, that left Canada, Ireland and Scotland. After researching and seeing the unique cuisine of Scotland, we had to try it.

Color Scheme: Mint and Gray

Tablescape

---

Menu

First Course: Scottish Smoked Salmon

Second Course: Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink is similar to chowder with smoked haddock and potatoes. Since smoked haddock was impossible to find, I used haddock with a bit of liquid smoke instead. Another substitution I made was using Fairlife milk instead of regular milk so my hubby could eat it. I was very nervous about substituting milk. I’ve made macaroni and cheese with soy milk, and it was not good. So, I was thrilled this turned out as good as it did.

Third Course: Mince and Tatties

Delicious! This dish was so so good. For the mince, I used Morningstar veggie grillers instead of beef. Their grillers have always been a great substitute and worked really well. This recipe reminded me of the bobotie from South Africa. The main difference being bobotie has an egg custard topping. Nonetheless, the mince with the tatties (potatoes) was delicious.

Fourth Course: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Similar to another South African recipe, malva pudding, sticky toffee pudding is delectable. I believe the main difference between the two is this recipe has dates in it and malva pudding has apricot jam. The interesting thing about this recipe is that its name is deceiving. This is not like a pudding at all is. It’s a moist cake made in a bundt pan with a toffee sauce poured on top. I (because you know which one of us has the sweet tooth) would highly recommend!

Beverages: Macallan 12Y and Drambuie

Since today was International Whisk(e)y Day, I had to have a whisk(e)y as my signature drink. I chose Macallan 12 year and Drambuie. We tried the Drambuie first on the rocks and really enjoyed the sweetness and the flavor. Next, we had the Macallan 12 year with a tad bit of water. I’ve never been a scotch drinker, but in doing my research, I learned there is a big debate about whether to use water or ice in your scotch. I opted for the former and thought it was just fine. Donnell wasn’t really a fan. I’m glad I bought the small bottle!

Final Reflection:

Scotland impressed me. Though this was one of my simpler days and my options were limited, it was still a good choice.