By Jill Blair
I’m getting quite used to ordering food during the lockdown. Last weekend we had wine and ice cream delivered while we were watching a film and felt very cosmopolitan! We really are missing restaurants, though, especially as a treat for a special
occasion.
As far as restaurants in Edinburgh go, there is no denying that Michelin-starred The Kitchin is an institution. Renowned for superb quality ingredients, creative cooking, and attention to
the finest of details, it’s wonderful for a treat. Chris Turnbull is the head pastry chef there. If you have been fortunate enough to taste his desserts, you’ll be all too aware that Chris really ticks all of those boxes. His desserts are sublime and sophisticated.
Recently Chris has launched an ‘at home’ dessert kit so you can have a go at making his dishes in your own kitchen. We ordered a kit for two people this weekend: dark chocolate tart, honeycomb, and vanilla creme chantilly. The bag arrived full of little pots of correctly
weighed and measured ingredients. There was a recipe card and another showing what the dessert could look like, but with words of encouragement to let your own creativity flow. It was like a grown-up chemistry set, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
The kits at the moment contain a lot of single-use plastic tubs. However, they are still developing the service and changing to more eco-friendly packaging is something that Chris is planning to do in the future.
Although I enjoy baking and cooking at home, I hadn’t attempted anything quite so delicate before so this did push me out of my comfort zone, but in the best way. I really enjoyed
making the honeycomb and will definitely do that again. The chocolate filling was so delicious and rich I could imagine making a bowl of it and just dipping fruit. I was determined to attempt my own little twist, so I sliced ripe nectarine and cooked it in a pan with some brown sugar, honey, and a few knobs of butter. I was really chuffed with my finished dish!
Chris has expanded the delivery area for the kits, and they are proving very popular. Keep an eye on his Facebook page for details of the next one. (Jill Blair)