Edinburgh born Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin has joined forces with award winning Orkney Cheddar to create a mouth-watering range of recipes and canapés.
Following a recent trip to Orkney, Tom was set the culinary challenge of creating some classic dishes with a contemporary twist using one of the Islands’ most famous exports – Orkney Cheddar.
No stranger to the island, Tom’s restaurant, The Kitchin in Edinburgh already features many ingredients sourced from Orkney, from the wild hares, to the beautifully hand-dived Scallops. He’s also a big fan of the strong and creamy Orkney Cheddar.
One of Tom’s mouth-watering creations is ‘Orkney Cheddar Cheese Soufflé with Smoked Salmon’ – a modern take on a traditional dish using some of the best ingredients available. Or for a hearty, warming meal, there’s ‘Venison Stew with Orange, Thyme and Orkney Cheddar Dumplings’ – perfect for the chilly autumn/winter nights.
Speaking of his visit to Orkney Tom said: “Orkney is filled with extraordinary people, places and, of course produce. It has a warmth that extends from its people to its landscapes and through its heart. A place where craftsmanship forms the basis of everyday life. Today Orkney remains relatively unchanged from long ago and traditional methods, crafts and skills live on. It is this unique heritage that makes Orkney special.
“It was an extraordinary tour to a truly unique place and one that will live with me for a long while. I used my tour as the inspiration for my traditional recipes and canapés complete with a little contemporary twist.â€
Orkney Cheddar has a tradition dating back centuries when crofters’ wives would supplement their meagre income by selling excess handmade cheese.
Nowadays a co-operative of 20 farmers at the Orkney Cheddar Creamery oversee the entire production process – from the rearing of the dairy cows right through to the finished product. The milk is subjected to a ‘dry-stir method’ – a unique approach that differentiates Orkney Cheddar from all other cheeses and ensures consistency of texture and taste when used in cooking.
Orkney Cheddar is available in all major supermarkets throughout Scotland. There are three products in the range – White Mature, Coloured Mature and Medium Coloured.
The exclusive set of ten Tom Kitchin recipes is available to download from the Orkney Cheddar website