Valentines Day Strawberry Cranachan

Photographer: Kate
Serves 4

If it’s love you are looking for this Valentines Day there is nothing not to love about this beautiful Scottish dessert. Even if haggis isn’t your thing this wee lass is sure to hit the spot. Dunedin, our hometown, is the Edinburgh of the south. We do indeed share many similarities with our older sibling in Scotland. Our Scottish heritage is alive and well. Here in Dunedin all the streets are named after the streets of Edinburgh, we have a statue of Robert Burns in the town center, and there are plenty of days where the mists cling to the hills, a picture so reminiscent of Scotland. If you ever get a chance to wander through the streets of Dunedin, you will also notice the Gothic stone buildings – the Scottish Edwardian and Victorian architecture that appeared when the Scottish settlers first arrived. Although the streets of Dunedin are indeed both beautiful interesting I have to say my favorite way of celebrating our Scottish heritage is by spending an evening out at our fabulous Scottish restaurant, Scotia. Here you can enjoy Scottish inspired cuisine at it’s best all washed down with a wee dram of any of several hundred whiskies. Scotia was the first place I ever tried Cranachan, it followed a beautiful meal of Haggis (and yes it was actually quite delicious) and Cullen Skink and despite the whole evening being exceptionally good it was the Cranachan in which I found true love.

INGREDIENTS


100g quick cook oats
300mL water
100g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g strawberries, hulled and halved.
300 mL cream
1 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp Drambuie
3 tbsp medium sherry
Fresh mint leaf to garnish

METHOD


1. Toast the oats in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Transfer the oats into a dish and set aside to cool.
2. Place the sugar, vanilla and water in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the strawberries to the poaching liquid and return to simmer then immediately remove from the heat.
4. Set the strawberries and the poaching liquid aside to cool completely.
5. Whisk the cream, sugar and Drambuie until lightly whipped, fold in the toasted oatmeal, cover and chill until required.
6. Once cold, strain the strawberries and return the liquid to the heat to reduce by half (it will become quite syrupy) then add the sherry.
7. Divide half of the strawberries between six serving glasses. Spoon a little of the sherry syrup on top of each.
8. Using a piping bag with a large plain nozzle pipe in the cream and oat mixture, then top with remaining strawberries and syrup.
9. Garnish with a mint leaf.