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13 WALLACE’S ARTHOUSE SCOTLAND

SOME RESTAURANTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE ARTHOUSE PLUS SOME RECIPES GIVEN TO ME AND YOU BY THEIR CHEFS

FISHER’S is a seafood restaurant which has been in Leith for over twenty years. You can check the internet for their menu. Their telephone number is 0131 554 5666 and the address is 1 Shore, Edinburgh EH6. Fisher’s Bistro is in a historic building which was a signal tower originating from 1685 but the battlements were added in the Napoleonic Wars as a lookout. - see the engraving below.I like to eat a bowl of mussels with a cool glass of Viognier white wine but also the King Scallops or the Tuna are delicious.

A recipe from the chef follows - FISHER’S FAMOUS FISH CAKES

1 lb fresh skinned salmon1 lb broken smoked haddock (undyed )Fish stock for poaching1 kg Maris Piper potatoes - mashedFreshly chopped dill, chervil, parsley and chivesplain flour2 beaten eggsSalt and pepper to tastea Squeeze of lemon juice

Poach the salmon and haddock in fish stock, then drain in a colander till cool.Mix the poached fish with equal quantities of mashed potatoes, fresh herbs (to taste) and season with salt and pepper. add a squeeze of lemon juice.Roll in flour, eggwash and then roll in breadcrumbs and deep fry until golden brown.Serve with lemon and chive mayonnaise. (mayonnaise,lemon juice, chopped chives and salt and pepper ).

However, don’t imagine that here is only a simple list of dishes. Indeed there are those but also, conjured up in an incredibly small kitchen are amazingly sophisticated combinations to stimulate even the most jaded palate.Fishers is an extremely well known and popular place for locals to eat so it is not always too easy to find a table. You are advised to book a day or two ahead - especially if you want a table in the restaurant area. There are also high tables and seats in the bar as well as a few stools at the bar. There are tables and chairs outside which are great to sit and muse over a glass ( or bottle ) from their excellent wine list. However they do not serve food outdoors.

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13 WALLACE’S ARTHOUSE SCOTLANDDiner 7 is another style of eating place. It has a relaxed atmosphere and is conveniently situated on Commercial Street close to the bridge over the Water of Leith. Here you will find fresh diner style food - burgers, chargrilled steaks, fresh fish and a selection of desserts. It also boasts a hearty brunch menu.In addition, it has occasional exhibitions of paintings on its walls.To the left is a photo from former times and the building where Diner 7 is today is on the left of the old street - here busy with trams as it will be again soon ! Call 0131 553 0624

THAI BEEF SALAD from DINER 7’s chef/owner.75gm per person - rump steak or skirt steakAny three or more of - beansprouts / any type cabbage / pak choi / spring onion - all cut into thin strips. carrot / courgette / mulli (japanese horseradish) - all ribboned with a potato peeler.Dressing - 2 tbsp. soy sauce (preferably light) 1 tbsp. fish sauce level tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp. cold water juice of 1 lemon or lime finely chopped chilli grated gingerGarnish - Sprinkle with toasted chopped nuts chopped corianderPlace all ingredients for the dressing into a container and mix well.Cut or beat out the beef to be about 1cm thick then brush both sides with the dressing.In a very hot wok or frying pan, sear both sides for a short time to keep it nice and pink. Remove the meat from the wok and keep to one side.In the same hot pan throw in your selection of vegetables and toss for not more than about 2 minutes.Add some dressing to the pan and toss again and empty onto a plate.Slice the beef and place on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle on more dressing with the nuts and coriander.

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13 WALLACE’S ARTHOUSE SCOTLAND

TAPA is a trip to Spain. it is only six minutes walk by foot from the Arthouse but light years away from Scottish cooking ! One can enjoy here the various foods of Spain - and the delicious wines and dangerous (!) liquors and digestifs. On some evenings one may also listen and rhythmically clap to the guitar music of SpainIt is situated in an old dry goods warehouse which was known as Wishart’s Warehouse and was saved relatively recently from demolition by a man with kindness and craziness in his heart !! He paid one pound for it but then many thousands more for its restoration. He fought to save it from the ravages of time and children’s arson efforts and to rebuild it. This warehouse was built about the same time as the Assembly rooms - two centuries ago. My contact for this info also told me that Leith was famous for its oysters and supplied Edinburgh with oysters as a staple food ! This building’s foundations rest on a bed of white grit which was originally zillions of oyster shells ! The waterside in those days came right up close to the Tapa building and the dry goods were offloaded and stored in this building which seems nowadays so far back from the Water of Leith !!.Recipe from the chef -Ingredients1 chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs - cut into 16-18 pieces of roughly equal size, rinsed, patted dry and trimmed of all fat.Have the butcher help you out. If you do not have a butcher, substitute 2 1/2 lbs of boneless chicken thighs. Kosher Sea SaltOlive Oil, for frying. 14 whole unpeeled medium size garlic cloves, lightly smashed, and 10 large garlic cloves sliced.1/2 small red chile, such as Arboi, crumbled. 2/3 dry white wine1/3 cup chicken stock or broth. 2 tsp. best quality red wine vinegar - or more to taste.3 tbsp. minced fresh flat leaf or Italian parsley 1 tsp turmeric.

1. Place the chicken in a bowl and rub generously with salt. Let it stand 30 minutes. 2. Pour olive oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a heavy oven proof 12” skillet and heat it over medium high heat

until almost smoking.3. Lightly dust the chicken pieces with turmeric.4. Add the 12 whole garlic cloves to the skillet and stir to coat with the oil, 1 minute.5. Working in two batches, cook the chicken, until somewhat crisp and richly browned all over. 8-10

minutes per batch, adjusting the heat so that the oil doesn’t burn.6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned chicken pieces to a 12 inch earthenware cazuela or a

baking dish of similar size.7. Discard the whole garlic cloves. If the oil doesn’t seem clean enough, pour it off, wipe the skillet and

add 2/3 tbsp fresh olive oil. If the smoking oil seems fine, pour off all but 3 tbsp of it.8. Heat the skillet over a low heat, add the sliced garlic cloves and cook until very fragrant and just

beginning to colour - about 2 minutes.9. Add the chile and stir for a few seconds. Add 1 tsp turmeric and stir for about 15 seconds. Add wine

and chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt to taste and pour it over the chicken.10.Bake the chicken until it is cooked through, about 15 minutes,11.Stir in the vinegar and parsley, coating the chicken evenly with the sauce and serve.