A Table – Whisky from Glass to Plate

Martine Nouet was born in Normandy and from a very early age remembers the joy of her mother’s summons to the table, “À table, les enfants!” Not surprising therefore that she chose to become a food and drink writer. What is more surprising is the transition from France to Scotland. In 1990, working as a journalist in the food and drink industry, she visited the Isle of Islay, famous for its single malt whiskies. The moment that she stepped out of the plane, she was smitten with the purity of the sea-salted air. It was not just the island, Islay’s malt whiskies also captivated her heart. Since that first visit, Martine has made her home in Islay and has become an acclaimed whisky and food writer. She hosts dinners world-wide where she introduces her public to the sensory delight of pairing a particular whisky with a food counterpart that enhances its true essence. Anyone who has attended a session with Martine comes away enthused and has long been demanding that she should produce a cook book.

This is the book! It carries with it the experience over twenty years. There are sixty recipes, divided into three sections, starters, main, and cheese/dessert courses. In addition each recipe suggests particular malt whiskies that make the perfect accompaniment to each dish. Every recipe has a facing page photograph by John Paul that has been cooked and presented by Eric Obry, chef at Le Petit Gourmand in Speyside. The images are quite mouth-watering and the recipes themselves are a delight to read. There’s always a tell-tale sign that this book could only have been written by a French woman. Who else would write, “Pain perdu is not only a dessert, it can be cooked as a savoury dish. It is the epitome of Cuisine Grand-mère, when all is used and nothing is wasted.”

There is a fine introductory chapter which describes the art of pairing whisky with food in such a way that follows the seasons and creates the perfect harmony. In his foreword to the book, Charles MacLean, well-known whisky writer and expert, says: “Both a practical guide and an appetising armchair read, authoritative yet friendly, À Table is a delight, and I commend it to you whole-heartedly.”