By Sharon Wilson
Seafood can be a bit of a faff, and many people are scared of preparing it. Claws, shells, tentacles and eyes can put people off, luckily, we have great chefs, even during Lockdown to make things easy for us.
Enter The White Horse Seafood Feast - a luxurious chilled box of ready-to-heat fish and seafood.
I pick mine up from the restaurant, believed to be the oldest Inn on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, est. 1742, which is now a shrine to the city's gastronomic seafood heritage.
The box costs £95 and easily feeds four - we are two, so it lasts the weekend and includes branded, high-quality place-mats, napkins, and lobster picks plus printed menu and instructions.
Grilled Lobster, Bearnaise Butter
Monkfish Satay, Toasted Peanuts
Dressed Crab, Brown Crab Mayo
Hand Dived Scallops, Nduja Butter
Salt & Vinegar Fries
Seaweed 'Slaw, Octo Dressing & Toasted Peanuts
We start with mouthwatering dressed crab for Saturday lunch. The thick brown meat mayo makes it indulgent albeit balanced with a garnish of iodine-rich seaweed ribbons from Mara seaweed. An Asian touch adorns many of The White Horse's signature dishes.
For dinner, I put the fries in the oven and at intervals add king scallops, lobster claws and tails. The White Horse source their scallops from The Ethical Shellfish Company. Giant meaty bivalves in Aphrodite shells are complemented by Italian sausage that sizzles into a hot spicy puddle. Lobster meat is sweet; the tenderest is in the claws, the cold waters of Fife produce excellent crustaceans. Copious amounts of Bearnaise butter help coat, cook and flavour. Colourful crunchy 'slaw comprises cabbage, carrot and seaweed.
We keep save the monkfish kebabs with satay sauce and vibrant broccolini for a late Sunday lunch. The kebabs are dinky and the sauce thick, sweet, fiery and moreish.
I can heartily recommend the Seafood Feast and hope the restaurant will continue it post Lockdown.
Pop a cork and enjoy.