Starter – Smoked Haddock Croquettes by Claire Macdonald

These may be made and cooked the day before if you are going to serve them cold. If to be served hot, they can be shaped and coated, ready for frying at the last minute.

Makes about 30

2 lb/900g smoked haddock fillets
1 pint/570 ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz/56 g butter
2 oz/56g plain flour
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp capers, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
4 eggs, beaten
8 oz/225g fresh white breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

Put the haddock fillets into a large saucepan with milk and seasoning. Cover and cook gently for about 2 minutes, milk barely simmering, until the haddock flakes easily.

Strain the stock from the haddock into a measuring jug and make up to 12 fl oz/340 ml with extra milk if necessary. Remove the skin and bones from the haddock, then flake the flesh.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, and stir in the flour, then gradually stir in the fish stock. Bring to the boil stirring all the time until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the flaked fish, parsley, capers and mayonnaise to the fish sauce and beat well together until smooth. Season. Spoon the smoked haddock mixture on to a plate. Allow to cool, cover with clingfilm, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until well chilled.

Shape the chilled haddock mixture into small balls, about 1 inch/2.5 cm in diameter, with wetted hands. Return the fish balls to the refrigerator to firm up again.

Coat the fish balls with beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then deep fry in hot oil, in batches, for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain well on absorbant paper.

Serve hot or well chilled. These chilled fish balls may be speared on to cocktail sticks, and arranged with other savouries on sticks.

Mains – Invergarry Crab Cakes by Claire Macdonald

I generally prefer eating crab cold, but crab cakes are the exception. They are very good served with either tartare sauce, or with a homemade tomato sauce. Crab cakes freeze well, for up to 3 months. This quantity makes about 6 large cakes, or more small ones. They are very filling!

Serves 4-6

1 lb/450 g crabmeat
3 slices of brown bread, crusts removed and the bread made into crumbs
2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
3 rounded tsp English mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp oil + 2 oz/56 g butter for frying

For the coating:
1 egg, beaten
6 rounded tbsp brown breadcrumbs

Mix together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Shape the mixture into cakes about ¾ inch/2 cm thick. This is easier to do if you dip your hands in flour. If you are going to freeze them, put them on a paper plate, wrap well and freeze them at this stage. Thaw for an hour or two before coating and frying them.

To coat, dip each crab cake in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs, and leave on a tray in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Then heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, and fry the crab cakes for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and serve with a green salad.

Dessert – Frozen Honey and Whisky Creams by Claire Macdonald

This is a real 'Taste of Scotland' recipe, what with the whisky and the honey. It is extremely easy and quick to make. The recipe was given to me by Margaret Clark, in Edinburgh, and the recipe was given to her with brandy as the alcohol content. Whilst browsing through one of John Tovey's books recently I came across the same recipe with the brandy, so I'm sure his was the original source of inspiration. Because of the alcohol in this recipe, the cream never freezes rock hard and so doesn't need to be removed from the deep freeze until just before it is to be served.

Serves 8

½ pint/285 ml double cream
4 tbsp whisky
3-4 tbsp thick honey
4 egg yolks (use the whites to make vanilla ice cream or meringues)

Whip the cream, gradually adding the whisky, until fairly thick. Warm the honey in a saucepan until hot and runny. Put the yolks into a bowl and, using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk them, gradually pouring on the hot honey. Whisk until the mixture is thick and pale. This mixture and the whipped cream and whisky should have about the same consistency. Fold both together, and divide between eight ramekins. Freeze, and when firm on the surface, cover each one with a piece of clingfilm.