A Scott-themed Menu + a Toast to Sir Walter

Summary of the Event:

The event was held online as a creative substitute for the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club’s annual dinner, cancelled due to the pandemic. Members were invited to order a specially designed Walter Scott-inspired meal from the acclaimed Wedgwood restaurant in Edinburgh. The evening featured a recorded Q&A with head chef Paul Wedgwood, who discussed the creation of the menu, his research into Scott’s literary references to food, and the culinary influences drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor, Rob Roy, and Meg Dods’ Cookery Book.

Following the Q&A, members chatted informally about the food, historical dishes, and Scott’s gastronomic details. The event concluded with a thoughtful toast to Sir Walter Scott by Ian Torrance, reflecting on Scott’s legacy, moral complexity, and contemporary relevance, with reference to St Augustine's concept of the secular and the Royal Mint's 250th anniversary coin.

Interesting Points:

• Paul Wedgwood’s Enthusiasm: The chef was excited by the challenge, noting how it expanded his culinary repertoire and reignited interest in Scott’s works—he even planned to read Rob Roy during his holiday.
• Historical Research: Wedgwood used a detailed online database of food references in Scott's novels and Meg Dods’ Cookery Book (based on Scott’s character Meg Dods) as key sources.
• Featured Dishes Inspired by Scott:
• Nettle soup – inspired by Rob Roy (Andrew Fairservice's gardener raised nettles under glass).
• Trifle – based on a passage from The Bride of Lammermoor describing a “fairy feast” of creams and jellies.
• Stoved Howtowdie (chicken dish) – adapted from traditional Scottish cuisine and given a modern twist.
• Leek porridge with Dunlop cheese and black pudding – likely to remain on the restaurant's future menu.
• Old Techniques, New Interpretations: Wedgwood noted that techniques like slow-cooking and using all parts of the animal—common today—mirror practices found in Scott’s time.
• Dishes That Didn’t Make It: He regretted omitting dishes like Scotch eggs and traditional stews due to space or practicality.
• Engaging Anecdotes:
• A delightful tale about researching “Burgess’s Sauce” from Saint Ronan’s Well led to a real-life contact with the still-existing company, who were thrilled by the 19th-century reference.
• Members debated historical dishes like “crappit heids” (fish-head croquettes) and “dropped eggs” (likely poached or baked eggs in a sauce).
• Ian Torrance’s Toast: A heartfelt tribute connecting Scott’s portrayal of religious sectarianism with St Augustine’s idea of “shared overlap” as a remedy to division. He praised Scott’s moderate characters, often dismissed as bland, as embodying essential virtues for our time. He closed with the inscription from the 2021 commemorative £2 coin: "The will to do, the soul to dare."