Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/646914
98 / the tasting panel / march 2016 COMPETITIONS lighter 12 Year, the flavors do not pull through as much, but with the 21 Year and sparkling water [Leslie says Topo Chico Mineral Water is ideal due to its larger bubbles], it just cuts through the alcohol and lets the flavors really shine." The second course is another traditional British dish, a black pud- ding—sausage typically made of pork or beef and blood—that's been wrapped in phyllo dough and deep-fried, placed on a bed of diced apple with sherry vinaigrette. The dish, which Chef Richard describes as "unctuous and fatty," is paired with a neat serve of the Glenfiddich 15 Year. "The 15 Year becomes a totally different whisky after you try the dish," Ross enthuses. "The minerality and acid of the dish com- pletely change the flavors, adding notes of smoky heather honey and baking spice, which is a pleasant surprise." The last course is a personal favorite of Ross's, as well as Allardice's: a "lardy cake," a traditional English bread cake made with pork fat. "Leslie is obsessed with lardy cake," laughs Chef Richard. "So I had to incorporate it into our serve." And this lardy cake is a doozy. Dotted with candied citrus peel, raisins, currants and apricots, the lardy cake is served with rendered pork fat on top that is quickly flambéed so it's soft and melty. "It's both a sweet and savory dish," Ross says, "but also a very rich one!" The confection is served with what Allardice refers to as an "astounding" Lyle's golden syrup, a favorite brand in the U.K. The syrup was enhanced by chopping up a used Scotch cask, and then sous-videing the cask parts with the syrup. "The sous-vide extracts the whisky and oak tannins from the staves," Ross explains. "Then you have this but- tery, smoky syrup that tastes like whisky, which you pour over the lardy cake." It also serves as the base for the accompa- nying cocktail, an Old Fashioned made with bitters, orange peel and Glenfiddich 18 Year. According to Allardice, "It's serves like this that make Ross one of the most creative people in the bar industry. She's not creative just for the sake of being creative; she and Chef Richard put so much thought into these serves that, while unusual, they make perfect sense. Plus, at only $27 for the three course serve, it's an amazing deal!" The first course of the serve is a play on fish and chips—snapper tartare with American- style chips, served with a Glenfiddich 21 Year Highball. Black pudding wrapped in phyllo dough and deep-fried, served with Glenfiddich 15 Year, neat. A fruit-studded lardy cake served with flambéed rendered pork fat and a golden syrup, which is made from sous-videing Lyle's golden syrup with Scotch cask staves. Served with an Old Fashioned made with the Lyle's golden syrup, bitters, orange peel and Glenfiddich 18 Year.