A meal to remember

Starter up

With all the excitement of the main course, starters can sometimes fall by the wayside. Make sure you begin with a bang with something special like our delicate Scottish smoked salmon souffles with triangles of brown toast. Upgrade the toast by spreading it with herby butter made in advance – beat chopped fresh dill into softened unsalted butter, roll up in greaseproof paper and chill before use.

Three ways with smoked salmon:

On rye bread: Mix a small pot of soft cheese with ½ deseeded and finely chopped cucumber, one tbsp grated lemon zest and a handful of finely chopped dill, to taste. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto slices of rye or rustic bread, and top with the salmon. Garnish with long, thin strips of cucumber and lemon zest.

In a salad:
Peel and slice two clementines, and finely slice ½ fennel bulb. For the dressing, juice two more clementines and whisk together with two tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper. Combine the sliced clementines, fennel, and two large handfuls watercress or other salad leaves, and toss with the dressing. Arrange on a plate with slices of smoked salmon.

On a skewer:
Thread slices of Scottish oak and applewood smoked salmon and cooked new or salad potatoes onto skewers. In a small bowl, mix one tbsp each Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, white wine vinegar and caster sugar. Add six tbsp olive oil and whisk together, then stir through chopped dill. Season the skewers with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with the dipping sauce.