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By Ellen Gray, photographs Roy Summers |
After the success of A Room in Town and A Room in the West End, Edinburgh entrepreneurs John Tindal and Peter Knight are now serving up a third helping – A Room in Leith. The new restaurant, under head chef David Hand, is housed in a contemporary conservatory looking out on to the water at the foot of Dock Place, decorated with murals by Leith artist William Mazur.
The lunch menu changes daily and the dinner menu every six weeks, and, as with the other Rooms, you can bring your own wine if you wish. In addition to the restaurant, there is also a bar called Teuchter’s Landing, housed in the building that was originally the old waiting room for the Leith to Aberdeen steamboat ferry.
Specialising in malt whisky, wine and draught beer, it is open untill 1am every night and has an outside seating area on the water’s edge for up to 100 people: perfect for a warm evening. The pair have also taken over and renovated the adjoining, legendary Skippers Seafood Bistro, started back in 1978 when there was nothing else in the dock area.
David Hand’s recipes here – ideal for summer dining with friends and family – are typical of the casual but delicious fare served up at A Room in Leith.
Seared king scallops with red onion tart and a warm pea and Ayrshire bacon dressing
12 king scallops
1 large red onion (sliced)
1tsp caster sugar
100g puff pastry
100g peas
6 rashers Ayrshire middle bacon (diced)
extra virgin olive oil
Method: Fry the onions in a little cooking oil until softened, add sugar and increase the heat. Cook until caramelised then leave to cool. Roll out puff pastry to 1cm thickness, and, using a round cutter, cut into discs approx. 10cm in diameter. Place red onions onto pastry leaving a 1cm edge.
Bake at 200oc/gas mark 6 for 8-10 mins. Fry the scallops in a hot pan. Once cooked, put on a plate and keep warm. In the same pan, fry bacon and peas for 2 mins. Place onion tart on a plate, arrange scallops around tart and spoon over the peas and bacon. Drizzle with oil.
Chargrilled tuna steak on creamy cullen skink with roasted cherry tomatoes
(serves 4)
4 tuna steaks (175g each)
16 cherry tomatoes
1 large fillet of undyed smoked haddock (diced)
1 onion (diced)
1 leek (diced)
1 medium sized potato (diced)
500ml vegetable stock
200ml double cream
Method; Fry onions in a little oil until they start to colour. Add leeks and potatoes and cook until starting to soften. Pour in stock and boil for 10 mins. Pour in double cream, boil for a further 5 mins then add smoked haddock. Turn down heat and simmer gently.
Place cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and roast in a hot oven. Brush tuna steaks with some oil and season with salt and pepper. Chargrill quickly on each side. Divide cullen skink between 4 bowls. Place tuna on top with the cherry tomatoes.
Baked dark chocolate and pecan cheesecake with maple syrup
(makes one 24cm spring form tin)
500g cream cheese
5 eggs
250g caster sugar
200g dark chocolate
300g digestive biscuits
125g butter (melted)
100g pecans
200ml double cream
150g dark chocolate
maple syrup
Method: Blitz digestives with the butter. Fold in chopped pecans. Spoon mix into spring form tin. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add eggs one by one. Fold in the melted chocolate. Pour mix into spring form tin and bake at 200oC/gas mark 6 for approx. 30 minutes or until set.
Allow cheesecake to cool. Place cream in saucepan and bring to boiling point. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour over hot cream. Whisk well until completely combined. Pour chocolate mix on top of cheesecake and chill for at least 3 hours. Portion with a warm knife and drizzle with maple syrup just before serving.
Numbers of red kites in Scotland are rising slowly - have you ever seen one of these birds flying wild in Scotland?
