Gordon Howe has been Chef aboard both Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan this year, creating culinary delights for guests throughout the season.  He uses the freshest of local ingredients and cites Jackson Bros Merchant Butchers in Oban and Tobermory Shellfish Company as regular suppliers.  Inverlussa Mussel Farm's succulent mussels also feature in his menus as do guests requests to cook their caught mackerel or trout.

Gordon has picked his four favourite dishes from this season from starters and main courses to desserts.

Four Starters  

Venison Terrine and pork pate served with a forage of salad leaves, a potato up filled with spiced apple and plum chutney served with artisan crackers

Duck and pork Terrine served with ice lettuce, fresh Scottish tomato pesto and butternut squash spaghetti

Tobermory oysters and scallops ~ Raw oyster served with a drizzle of Glayva and a droplet of Tobasco sauce. Another oyster grilled with mushroom, mozzarella and smoked sea salt. Two scallops simply pan seared served with fresh leaves and a lemon wedge

Oban Haddock and scallops with a Mumbai curry sauce served in the scallops shell with rice and a poppadom inspired potato cup filled with spiced onion

4 Main Courses

Rack of Argyll lamb with fresh mint, baby roast potato, green bean medley, root vegetable stack, a star of butternut squash and micro herbs

Na Mara (of the sea) ~ Lobster, langoustine, razor clam, Inverlussa mussels, blackberry heart tossed in lemon truffle oil with delicate micro herbs

Fillet of 28 day hung Argyll beef cooked to order with Le Dauphin blue potatoes, roasted root vegetables and a veal and fresh thyme jus

Wild venison stew very slow cooked with Merlot, garlic, fresh rosemary, carrot diamonds in its on juices to thicken served with braised red cabbage tossed in honey and port 

4 Desserts

Red velvet cake with fresh Scottish berries and Sita beans, honey clotted cream and vanilla Balsamic buttons

Scottish raspberry sorbet with Scottish Macaroon and Tablet drizzled with Glayva syrup

Scotch Mist ~ Scottish take on Eton Mess with meringue crumb, Scottish sea salt, smoked sea weed, Scottish berries tossed in heather honey and Drambuie and toasted Scottish oats and crystallised mint 

School yard lolly and ice cream cone ~ Listening to guests reminiscing about their childhood inspired this dish. Days when as a kid you dropped both on the ground. Gourmet lolli pop on chocolate and lemon grass to resemble the grass at the park. Ice cream cone with raspberry dropped on the plate as you did on the ground