A Taste of Kirkcudbright and the flavour of Umami

 

Yvette and I stayed for a couple of nights at the Selkirk Arms Hotel Kirkcudbright, which for us was a great mini break. Yvette had been thoughtful enough to buy me a birthday present of a mornings cooking lesson in 'Thai Cuisine', at The Station House Cooking School, Kirkcudbright. Obvs I'm somewhat incredulous as can do that doh. But I'm thrilled really.

Thing is, we've driven through this lovely town and admired it as we passed through muttering, 'we need to stop and explore this place', whilst on route to The Isle of Whithorn, though we would pause and gasp at the gentle pale blue skies that span the sky over the estuary and sands at Dhoon beach.

Pic; Samuel John Peploe 'Kirkcudbright'. 

The historic town of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway, South West Scotland is renowned for it's fishing but more so for it's light that thrilled artists such as Poploe, Oppenheimer and more notably Hornel, so much so that it is known as ' The Artists Town'.

Still a thriving centre for art and artists Kirkcudbright boasts a major art gallery, a great museum, 'Stewarty, and the Tollbooth art, museum and visitor centre. The town's gallery has major works of art celebrating famous Kirkcudbright artists and also has exhibitions on it's upper floors.

The towns pretty streets of Georgian and Victorian townhouses belies it's 'old' wealth whilst it's numerous specialist art trades including print makers and modern galleries behold the narrative to Kirkcudbrights future.

I though was here to cook at the cooking skool, and typically rebellious arrived two minutes late, Proprietor Chef Nick was already explaining about what we were to do in what was the former railway station, he covered knife skills, chopping stuff and then the more interesting part; about building flavours. pointing to a chart we discussed spicy, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. 

This savoury flavour 'umami' known as 'the taste of deliciousness' in Japanese is what we cooks look for.

So amongst the ten or so of us that morning I was partnered with Mark who had great cooking skills, so when I suggested that we find out what the stock should taste like before we added fish sauce or soy, having made it, Nick understood that we needed to understand the building of umami. 

So what is it?

It's this, it is the savoury flavour that sits on your tongue for as long as possible. If it's fleeting it's not umami. You have to be able to taste the stock or sauce and it must stay in your gob for the longest time. Maybe as much as two minutes, You see you add the smallest amounts of flavour - salt, fish sauce, soy, tamarind, vinegar. And you taste again, and again.

This is what I took away from the lesson:-

Umami

I do use vinegar or lemon juice in just about every savoury dish, they are you're umami friend but now I'm watching for much much more.
Taste, check, taste a bit more, check. Repeat. 

Thanks to you Nick at the The Station House Cooking School, Kirkcudbright. 

I think we all had a great time.

Andrew

See more about the Kirkcudbright at

 kirkcudbrightgalleries.org.uk

Stewarty Museum 

Tonight a fleet sails to fish from the harbour on the Dee.