FAST making a name for himself as an up-and-coming young chef is the 26-year-old Chef de Partie, at a Hotel in Coupar Angus.
Jordan McDonald, 26, who is from Coupar Angus, has been at the Red House Hotel for the past five years working under Head Chef Nigel Liston
When the Hotel re-opened at the end of April, Jordan was working in collaboration with two other Red House chefs to create several new dishes for the Hotel’s all day food menu.
Mr McDonald who just completed an HND in Cookery at Perth UCI. said: “I also have my own ice cream maker which I’m using to make a delicious elderflower sorbet, served with a lemon tart and blueberry curd.
“I also make a delicious strawberry ice cream from local berries, served with passion fruit panacotta.
“Both of these desserts are ideal for the summer months.
“The gastronomy course was absolutely brilliant and has proved particularly useful for creating showstopper deserts!”
“It’s great to be back working again in the kitchen, doing the job I love.
“I’ve really enjoyed this challenge of coming up with new dishes – we have all contributed so it’s been a really collaborative process.
“As a team we have gone over every dish to make sure that everyone, from the kitchen team to front of house, know the ingredients in each dish, how it’s been prepared, and how it should look on the plate.
“The skill for any young chef is to make sure that standards are always consistent with every dish going out the kitchen looking as good as the very first one prepared.”
As was the case for many young people over the lockdowns, Jordan said that it had been difficult to get to grips with online learning.
“We normally do a lot of practical work on the course, so obviously that was not possible, but myself, and the others on my course, did our very best to learn remotely,” commented Jordan.
“Perth UCI has been fantastic. Luckily, we were back open again at the Hotel by the time we had to complete two final practical assessments to complete the course.
“We’re certainly making up for it all now that the Hotel is so busy, which is great to see.”
“I can’t thank everyone at Red House Hotel enough – Alan and his family, plus the rest of the team, have all been so supportive.”
“I look forward to flexing my culinary muscles all summer long and hope that guests old and new enjoy all the new dishes on the menu. We want them to rediscover the joys of eating out!”
Other new dishes on the Red House Hotel menu include Salmon Tagliatelle with basil cream sauce, green pea and spring onion risotto, and a Stornoway black pudding and sausage salad starter featuring sausage from the local butcher in Burrelton, served with a poached egg.
