The Edinburgh Reporter September 2022

17
Culinary delights in the capital with Juliet Lawrence Wilson
Comes with the territory
Juliet enjoys the friendly west coast without leaving town
I was tempted to go to Finnieston, but
Finnieston came to me. Where is this far flung
exotic place you ask? East end of Glasgow,
once somewhere you’d avoid but now a close
friend to drinkers of craft beer and Guardian
readers who buy their music on vinyl. For the
month of August Six by Nico brought their
Glasgow eaterie Chateau X to their Edinburgh
restaurant every Tuesday. £35 for a
chateaubriand fillet for two with sauces at £2
and sides £5-7.50. What a bargain it was. The
steak was meltingly tender (we ordered it
blue) and the sauces and sides so damned
tasty. Portions were generous and the service
outstandingly friendly, as they’d brought some
West Coast staff with them. Could this have
been an experiment to see if the concept
works in Edinburgh? I really hope so. In the
meantime, if you fancy a trip west definitely
check it out. Worry not about the
gentrification, Finnieston is still full of
Glaswegians so it is impossible for it to
become as insufferable as, say, Stockbridge.
(disclaimer: I’m half Weegie)
To find out more, visit
www.Chateaux-restaurant.co.uk
Slow cooker tips It’s good Karma
WITH AUTUMN upon us
and energy bills soaring we’re
turning off lightbulbs and
de-mothballing blankets at
Lawrence-Wilson Manor. I’m
lucky enough to live in a
double glazed energy
efficient new-build but we
can all economise, and there’s
no way better than to invest
in a slow cooker. They are
definitely the most
economical way of cooking
and allow you to use cheaper
cuts of meat such as ham or
lamb shanks without burning
up the gas or oven for hours.
It’s a myth that the longer you
cook tougher cuts of meat,
the better they are, so either
invest in a slow cooker with a
timer or add a timer plug to
your outlet. If you’ve a large
family to feed how about
some piping hot Porridge
ready for setting your brood
up in the morning? For four
people a large cup of rolled
oats to four parts liquid is a
general rule. This can be dairy
or plant-based milk or even
just water. Dried fruit can be
added and the porridge
further sweetened with
honey or syrup in the
morning. I like a combination
of one part each coconut and
dairy milk with a handful of
chopped dried apricots and a
couple of whole cardamom
pods. Cook for 6-8 hours on
the slow setting and wake up
to something really special.
There may be a slight crust on
top and at the sides but this
just makes the porridge a bit
more interesting. I top this
with a dollop of Greek
yoghurt and a drizzle of
honey. Get your oats without
resorting to Tinder.
WE’RE NOT short of dining rooms with a
view in Edinburgh but simply seeking
something more serene I recently spent
a couple of nights with my daughter at
Karma, Lake of Menteith. We were
treated to a vast and luxurious room, but
the cherry on the cake was their fabulous
conservatory dining room where we
enjoyed delicious, hearty dinners and a
superbly cooked breakfast. Gazing out to
the lake and rolling hills was exactly the
relaxation we needed. The building was a
church manse at one point, which made
me wonder whose cassock a reverend
had to starch to get that gig?
You can read my full report on the website:
theedinburghreporter.co.uk