New Chef on the Menu at Forest Hills

Renowned chef, James McCulloch Thomson, is joining Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa in Aberfoyle as executive head chef.

Article Source: The BIG Partnership
Last Updated: 6 July 2017 17:11

Macdonald Hotels has announced that renowned chef, James McCulloch Thomson, is joining Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa in Aberfoyle as executive head chef. James will head up the luxury hotel’s AA Rosette awarded Garden Restaurant and Rafters Bar & Bistro.

The four-star hotel, which has a spectacular setting with majestic views of Loch Ard, has just completed a full redesign and refurbishment and boasts 55 luxurious bedrooms, as well as 65 self-catering lodges. James, who describes his cooking as classical and simple using the finest local ingredients and with a ‘quirky twist’, will work with the established team to develop new restaurant menus based on seasonality and locality as well as indulgent afternoon teas.

With over 30 years’ experience as a chef, Glasgow-born James has honed his culinary skills across the globe including in Melbourne, Australia where he lived with his wife and two young children for seven years. Since returning to Scotland in 2013, James has continued to climb the gastronomic ladder and has held executive chef positions in several establishments, including Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club in Edinburgh. He has also previously worked at Macdonald Pittodrie House in Aberdeenshire.

James McCulloch Thomson said: “Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa has an iconic Scottish setting and it is a true honour to be appointed as executive head chef. It’s an exciting time in the hotel’s history, with the property just completing a major transformation and this role was just too good an opportunity to miss.”

On his cookery style James continued; “My style of food offers a simple and lighter way to eat, yet with multi-layered flavour and texture combinations and the odd bit of quirkiness. For me basing the menus around Scotland’s larder is key. It’s by far and away the best there is and I’ll be focusing on seasonality and using the best suppliers and producers, from the fishermen and farmers to gamekeepers.

“My inspiration comes in so many ways on a daily basis, from seeing something for myself to someone showing me something which evolves from an idea into a dish. My favourite ingredients by far are langoustines and scallops, simply grilled with butter and served with fresh lemon. Simplicity at its best!”

James also enjoys passing on his culinary knowledge and experience to enthusiastic young people starting out in their careers. He said: “The thing I get most pleasure out of is teaching and watching young chefs grow and progress within the industry. It gives me a great sense of pride to see them follow their own paths and the best advice I can give is to come in to the trade with the right attitude and the desire to learn and then adapt and dream big.”

Andrew Deighan, general manager at Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa said: “James is an outstanding chef and we are very excited to have him join our team. We are looking forward to welcoming our regular guests as well as new customers to experience his fantastic dishes. James will be working closely with the teams here and our suppliers to develop new menus and fresh ideas for our restaurants.”

The news follows the announcement that the hotel has undergone a £3.5m redesign and refurbishment.

Macdonald Hotels Ltd celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016 and operates over 45 hotels across the UK and ten resorts in the UK, Spain and Portugal.

Three course menu

Scallop and Sea Bass Ceviche

Ingredients
280g scallops without roe, very thinly sliced
220g Sea Bass or other firm-fleshed white fish, very thinly sliced
180ml lime juice
1 long green chilli, seeded, very thinly sliced
1/2 small Spanish onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup baby coriander leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, very thinly sliced lengthways
2 radishes, very thinly sliced
125ml extra virgin olive oil
Sourdough baguette, toasted, to serve

Method
Place scallops, kingfish and lime juice in a large bowl, then toss gently to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Drain the seafood through a sieve and discard the marinade. Place the seafood in a bowl and add chilli, onion, coriander, cucumber and radishes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Divide the ceviche among plates, then drizzle with a little oil. Serve with toasted sourdough.

One Pot Braised Pork Belly, Black Pudding & Apple

Ingredients
12 pieces of cooked pork belly (approx. 50g each)
12 slices of black pudding (approx. 20g each) dusted in plain flour
50g duck fat
3 granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 12 wedges
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml cider
50g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flat parsley, finely chopped
Salt
Cracked black pepper

Method
Place the pork belly in a hot skillet or heavy based pan at least 12inches in diameter over a medium heat and cook briefly on all sides until golden. Take care to avoid being burnt from the spitting pork fat and place a piece of tin foil loosely over the top of the pan. Remove the pork and drain well on absorbent paper. Keep the pan hot and return the drained pork to the pan. Add the well-dusted black pudding, cook for 1-2minutes over a high heat, turning the black pudding half way through and adding the duck fat as required. Add the apple to the black pudding and continue to pan roast over a high heat. Add the onion and garlic and carefully stir, taking care not to break up the black pudding. Add the cider, bring to the boil then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the butter and parsley and toss and season well with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes and a dressed green salad.

Warm Citrus Puddings with Yoghurt and Blueberries

Ingredients
50g unsalted butter
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
115g caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
40g plain flour, sifted
300ml full fat milk
Tblspn lemon juice
Tblspn orange juice
To serve:
Plain greek yoghurt
250g blueberries
Icing sugar (dusting)
Serves 4

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the butter, lemon and orange zest and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Fold through the flour then gradually add the milk in a steady stream, whisking lightly to combine. Add the lemon juice and mix to combine. The mixture will look slightly curdled. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry stainless steel bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Using a large metal spoon, fold lightly through the pudding batter. Pour the batter into four 250ml buttered oven proof ramekins and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15mins, or until lightly browned. Place a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and blueberries on top of the warm puddings and then dust with icing sugar.

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