Tom Tsappis, Chef Patron of Killiecrankie House © Alex Baxter
“Dripping fried porridge is an interesting dish. It is a block of porridge cooked with slow-cooked meat (we have used both oxtail and confit duck legs) and a rich stock, which is then sliced and fried in fat. The whole thing is topped with pickled walnuts, or umeboshi, and Isle of Mull Cheddar—a play on a Scottish story that guests may or may not be familiar with about Scots in more frugal times setting slabs of porridge in drawers to slice and eat for lunch. Whether people know the story of the porridge drawer or not, they can relate to the preparation. American guests associate it with cheeseburgers and meatloaf, Scots with haggis and brown sauce, and Europeans with terrines and pâtés. All of these things are comforting and bring back fond memories,” says Tom Tsappis, Chef Patron of Killiecrankie House.
For the Confit Duck Legs
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 100g salt
- 20g sugar
- 4 tbsp duck fat
Method
- Mix the salt and sugar together and massage them into the duck legs. Set aside for 2 hours.
- Rinse off the cure and dry the legs with kitchen paper.
- Add the duck legs to a vacuum bag with the duck fat, seal and cook in a water bath for 36 hours at 68°C.
- Remove duck legs from the vacuum bag carefully (they will be very fragile), and allow to cool slightly before separating the meat from the bones and skin.
- Strain the duck fat left in the bag through a muslin cloth, and reserve for later.
For the Porridge
Ingredients
- 120g rolled oats
- 240g confit duck meat
- 360g duck stock
Method
- Line a 1L container with greaseproof paper.
- Add the porridge oats, duck stock and leg meat to a pan, and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture thickens enough that it pulls away from the sides of the pan in a homogeneous mass, then tip it into the prepared container.
- Place a sheet of greaseproof on top of the mix and weigh it down with something heavy and flat in the fridge overnight until set into a solid block
For the Pickled Walnut Purée
Ingredients
- 1 jar of pickled walnuts
Method
- Take a jar of pickled walnuts, and add just the fruit to a food processor. Gradually add the pickling liquor, whilst blending, until it has achieved the consistency of a thick, smooth purée.
- Pass through a fine mesh sieve and set aside in a squeeze bottle.
To Assemble
Ingredients
- prepared porridge
- reserved duck fat
- pickled walnut purée
- Isle of Mull cheddar
Method
- Slice the porridge into 2 x ½ inch pieces.
- Heat the reserved duck fat in a pan until almost smoking. Add the slices of porridge and gently turn to achieve a crisp exterior and deep brown colour.
- Remove the porridge from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- Squeeze one line of the pickled walnut purée along the top of each piece of porridge and grate Isle of Mull cheddar liberally over the top.
Interior of Killiecrankie House © Alex Baxter
Killiecrankie House
Pitlochry
PH16 5LG
Online Bookings: exploretock.com/killiecrankiehouse
Tel: 07828 106673
Email: hello@killiecrankiehouse.com
Instagram: @killiecrankiehouse | @ttsappis | @matildatsappis