This week
we again come to the highlight of rural life in Scotland as the premier
agricultural show – The Royal Highland Show – is held at Ingilston,
Edinburgh. The 2006 show runs from Thursday 22 June to Sunday 25 June
and is Scotland’s top summer outdoor attraction. It has something for
all the family which is probably why on average 150,000 people regularly
attend the four-day event. Last year some 155,000 flocked to Ingilston
to enjoy the wide range of attractions, trade stands and the showcasing
of some 4,000 of the very best cattle, sheep, horses and goats in the
country. The annual show is organised by The Royal Highland and
Agricultural Society of Scotland and has grown quite dramatically since
the first show was held in Edinburgh in 1822. Thankfully the show has
never departed from its strong rural roots and full details are
available at
www.royalhighlandshow.org
for the perfect day out.
The Royal
highland Show features the very best of Scottish Beef and with the
lifting of the export ban on this fine product, Scottish Beef is once
again available on the world’s menu. We celebrate this fact with this
week’s delicious recipe -
Beef with Chanterelle Mushrooms
Ingredients: 115g/4oz chanterelle mushrooms; 2 rump
steaks, 175g/6oz each, cut into strips; 45mls/3 tbsp olive oil;
1 garlic clove; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 60ml/4 tbsp dry
white wine; 60ml/4 tbsp double cream; 25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter;
salt and ground black pepper
Method: Clean the mushrooms, cut them in half through the
stalk and cap.
Dry the beef thoroughly on kitchen paper. Heat a large frying pan
over a high heat then add 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil. Working in
batches, put the meat in the pan and quickly brown on all sides.
Remove the meat, which still should be very rare, from the pan, set
aside and keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and
reduce the heat. Stir in the garlic and shallot and cook,
stirring, for about 1 minute. Then increase the heat and add the
mushrooms. Season and cook until the mushrooms just start to
soften. Add the wine, bring to the boil and add the cream.
As the liquid thickens, return the beef to the pan and heat through.
Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter without mixing
fully. Serve on warmed plates, garnished with chopped fresh
parsley.
Serves 4
