The final summer hurrah!

You don’t need to go very far to be somewhere else.

That’s what we’ve learnt this year – the tiniest of movements can make a world of difference.

We’ve seen the back garden anew, travelled through the pages of a good book, and felt Aberdeenshire become Argentina in the clink of ice in a glass on a hot day.

As we move towards the end of this staycation summer, and ready ourselves for winter – fruits like brambles, and the flavours of cardamom and coffee – we wanted to create a dish that celebrated this unprecedented summer.

A summer of bright days and flash storms spent mostly at home, where we often found ourselves thinking about beaches elsewhere, cocktails and heady spices. But when we were in our wellies, walking the paths around Pitfour Lake again, watching signets soar across the water, we were utterly content to be where we were then, and now.

September’s dish of Hilton of Culsh lamb, confit tomato, hasselback potato and chimichurri is, we think, a bit like the final party of the summer. Bright, sharp tomatoes, baked potatoes, local lamb, and a silky sauce of garlic, parsley and chilli is the food of family barbeques, buckets of ice and beer, children with scrapped knees and grannies kissing them better.

The sort of last-dash party you have when the Harvest is over, the days are warm but the nights are drawing in. It’s a hurrah for the soul and the tastebuds – somewhere we would normally say ‘we’ve made it’, but this year will say ‘we’ve won’.

We source our lamb from a small, local farm a few miles away from the hotel gate. We’ve worked with Willie Brown since we opened the hotel in 2015, and ensuring the continued quality and provenance of our meat is extremely important us.

Lamb loves red wine, and for this dish, we’ve matched two of our favourite bottles from the cellar:

Belezos Rioja Crianza, Bodegas Zugober 2016

A medium bodied, fruity red with a wee touch of acidity which works with the flavours of the lamb. Its fresh and herbaceous notes will complement the chimichurri – this Rioja, blended in the traditional method, delivers lots of dark cherry and rich plum with warming spices and ripe tannins.

Pomerol, Ets J-P Moueix 2015

A classic Bordeaux is often the ‘go to’ for lamb and this pairing will not disappoint!  This Merlot dominant blend from one of the most celebrated Bordeaux sub-regions is plump and juicy, almost exotic with flavours of ripe cherries and berries.  A great balance of minerality and savoury undertones with just the right level of acidity for this summer dish.

Perhaps then we wouldn’t have chosen this summer any other way, for we have been reminded that the best things are already here.

On our doorstep, in our fields, and growing in the hedgerow.

In our families’ smiles and in sitting on a park bench talking with a friend.

On our plates: the place where it’s always possible to find something worth celebrating.

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This dish and wines will be available on our menu throughout September.