What to drink with haggis

The tipplers among the food fans have proved beyond doubt that whisky is a great companion for almost every national cuisine, including French, Italian and even Japanese. There was a lingering question, though: Does Scotch whisky go with Scottish food.
The InterContinental Bangkok’s executive chef, Leslie Stronach, demonstrated last month that it was indeed a no-brainer, to everyone’s relief and pleasure. An event called “A Taste of Scotland by Johnnie Walker” paired seven of the walking man’s finest blends with salmon, pudding and, yes, haggis as well.
“This is the first time I’ve ever cooked Scottish food in a hotel restaurant,” laughed Stronach, a Scot who’s been cooking since he toiled weekends in a hometown hotel at age 13.
He’s significantly older now with a string of accolades won with various techniques and cuisine types. “I really wish the hotel would allow me to keep some of these dishes on the regular menu!”
He disappeared into the kitchen, only to reappear with each of the seven beautiful courses, starting with Smoked Salmon Scotch Egg and Ginger-spiced Curry Cream. Thai palates would find it a bit bland, though aromatic, a good match for a Johnnie Walker Red Label cocktail with tea, cinnamon and ginger ale.
A savoury and truly addictive Pan-roasted Scallop and Black Pudding Ravioli followed, served with Black Label slightly cut with water and topped with a shot of Double Black for extra smokiness.
Then creamy and irresistible Prawns, Cheddar Cream and Vanilla Sabayon found a new friend in Green Label on the rocks. The “rocks” in this case were a sizeable Gibraltar of ice that cooled the liquor without melting too fast.
Haggis – Scotland’s national dish – came with neeps and tatties, meaning mashed turnip and potato. The sheep’s pluck (heart, lungs and liver) cooked inside its stomach skin is famously a dish to be reckoned with, but diners quickly discovered that it all went down nicely if pushed together in a forkful of mash.
Johnnie Walker rose to the haggis challenge with Gold Label served sub-zero with a slice of sweet-sour Valencia orange, which accentuated the whisky’s own fruity and aromatic notes and added considerable dimension.
A creamy, sweet Red Bull smoothie served with Johnnie Walker Platinum bobbing with “platinum ice” – frozen aluminium cubes – served as a palate cleanser before the evening’s highlight arrived. The Pan-roasted Lamb Loin with Rosemary Whisky Sauce was scented and succulent, the accompanying Blue Label headily divine.
The talk was getting giddy by the time Stronach delivered his sinfully sweet and indulgent Chocolate Pudding and Honeycomb Ice Cream, and yet still there was a thirst for the luxurious Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George that tagged along. Bold, slightly honeyed and with a lingering finish, this suave elixir found a perfect match in the earthy chocolate and rounded out the fragrant sweetness of the ice cream. It was the true star of the night.