Kinnaird Estate’s revived smokehouse inspires new menu

To celebrate the revival of its traditional smokehouse, Kinnaird Hotel, Restaurant & Sporting Estate in Perthshire has prepared an innovative new Smoked Tasting Menu, to offer guests a truly distinctive cuisine.

Diners can whet their palates with dishes such as:-
• smoked duck terrine
• cullen skink
• smoked salmon and caviar pancakes
• fillet of Scotch beef with smoked potato puree
• smoked farmhouse cheeses
• lightly smoked apple tarte tatin

The brainchild of Head Chef, Jean Baptiste-Bady, the new Smoked Tasting Menu includes six courses and incorporates many of the ingredients which can be found on the estate. Jean Baptiste comments: “I am passionate about food and indeed the fantastic Scottish produce we have available. Even in our own walled garden, we can choose from a wide selection of seasonal vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.

“We are finding that guests are more experimental with their choices and therefore I am continually looking for fresh ideas to bring to the table. I‘m delighted that we now have the capabilities to offer guests a distinguishing dining experience by smoking all kinds of ingredients ourselves. The Smoked Tasting Menu is simply the start of great things to come at Kinnaird.”

Jean-Baptiste has put his passion for all aspects of cuisine into this timely redevelopment of the smokehouse. Using traditional cold smoking methods of blends of wood from whisky barrels, oak and hickory means staples like haddock and salmon can be smoked alongside more unusual foods such as butter, nuts, cheese and apples. Jean-Baptiste has an intimate knowledge of flavours and an ability to think outside the “culinary box”.

Guests can relax in Kinnaird’s opulent surroundings before enjoying the very best in home-smoked cuisine in the three AA Rosette restaurant. This menu is served from 6.30pm to 9.30pm every evening and costs £65 per person.

Further more, between 1 October and 23 December 2008, guests staying a minimum of two nights, midweek, can enjoy the new Smokehouse Tasting Menu complimentary. This cost of a two night, midweek stay is £495 for two people sharing a room and includes dinner and full Scottish breakfast.

Kinnaird is an exclusive Scottish retreat, dating back to the 17th century, which has nine bedrooms in the mansion house and two Courtyard Cottages. Guests can also enjoy a range of traditional country pursuits including fishing, clay pigeon shooting, organised pheasant and partridge shoots and deer stalking – depending on the season.

For further information or to make a reservation, log on to kinnairdestate.com.