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How to make Teacake’s confit duck and poppy seed pancakes

Pancake Tuesday has crêped up on us again, so we’ve been in touch with Teacake owner Bob Miller who has shared his favourite pancake recipe.

Get in the kitchen and give it a go – let us know how you do! This recipe does involve marinating the duck so we recommended reading all the way through and preparing some time before you plan to eat.

bob3-edited-scaled How to make Teacake’s confit duck and poppy seed pancakes

Pancakes ingredients

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 2 medium eggs
  • ½ teaspoon of poppy seeds
  • Splash of milk
  • Small knob of butter

Start by mixing the sugar, flour, eggs and poppy seeds. Next, gradually add the milk and whisk until you have a thick pouring consistency.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and grease with a small amount of butter. Add a ladle of the mixture and tilt the pan to cover until the mixture reaches the edges. Leave to cook for around one minute or until you start to see bubbles forming. Then flip and cook on the opposite side for around 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and repeat until all of the mixture is used. Set the pancakes aside under a clean tea towel to keep them warm.

Confit duck ingredients

  • 3-4 duck legs
  • Tablespoon of mixed spice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon crushed pink pepper corns
  • 500ml – 700ml duck fat
  • Drizzle of rapeseed oil

Begin by taking the duck fat and massaging into the duck legs – you want them to be covered as much as possible. Place on a plate and cover with cling film before leaving in the fridge for around eight to twelve hours.

Next, remove the duck from the fridge and use a paper towel to remove any excess fat from the legs. Place in a slow cooker and drizzle with a little rapeseed oil before cooking for around four hours on a low heat. Once ready, the meat should bull away from the bone with a fork.

Sweet chilli & soya reduction

  • 250ml soya sauce
  • 100ml sweet chilli
  • Zest of one lemon /juice of ½ lemon
  • Zest of one orange/ juice of ½ orange

Place all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Once you’re ready to eat, take a pancake and add the duck mixture. Top with a drizzle of the reduction. You may also want to add some garnish, such as spring onion and cucumber or a few sesame seeds. Enjoy!


Cocktails to Enjoy Right Here in Chapelton

We have worked together with our friends at Aberdeen’s Orchid to put on a fantastic cocktail event right here in Chapelton.

The fun shouldn’t stop there though, why not shake things up the next time you have friends over and show off some mixology skills of your own?

This recipe from Orchid will be sure to wow guests and make staying in that little bit more special.

Chai Highball

Ingredients:
– 40ml Glasshouse Whisky
– 15ml chai vanilla tea syrup
– Ginger Ale

Method:
First of all you’ll need to make the chai vanilla tea syrup. Boil the kettle then mix 150ml of water in a bowl with 150g of sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Next, put one tea bag of chai vanilla into the sugar water and leave to brew for 10 minutes. After the tea has brewed, remove the tea bag and put the mix in the fridge to chill.

Once your syrup has chilled, take a tall glass and fill it with ice. Pour the Glasshouse Whisky and your chai vanilla tea syrup into the glass and top up with ginger ale. Give your drink a quick stir, serve and enjoy.


Celebrate Autumn in Chapelton

As the long days and light nights of summer draw to a close it’s time to swap sunglasses and picnics for cosy jumpers and crisp autumn walks as we embrace the new season.

To help you get into the spirit, we’ve launched an exciting new calendar of events giving residents and visitors to the town the chance to get involved in a range of themed celebrations, workshops and markets. 

Take a look below at the exciting events we have going on in Chapelton throughout Autumn.

September Farmers Market

Following on from the success of our first ever farmer’s market, we will be hosting a second event on Sunday the 22nd of September, welcoming back some fantastic local suppliers and  producers to the town to showcase their offerings.

Selling a range of delicious food, this family friendly event has something for everyone. The last market went down a storm with many of the producers selling out in just a few hours, so make sure to get down early to avoid disappointment. 

For more information on the event take a look here.

Autumn Ranger Walk and Storytelling

This autumn ranger walk is set to be a hit with young ones. Led by Kincardine Mearns Countryside Ranger Helen Young, this wild walk will take you on a walk around Chapelton looking out for crunchy leaves, muddy puddles and all of the beautiful autumnal colours surrounding the town.

After the walk, enjoy hot chocolate and an interactive storytelling session with Grampian Association of Storytellers – the perfect Sunday afternoon activity.

The event starts at 2pm at Hume Square on Sunday the 6th of October and finishes at 4pm, with tickets available on EventBrite here.

Nature Trails, Teacake and the Cairnhill Community Allotments

With so many fantastic events on offer, we’ve got something for everyone throughout autumn, however if you’re looking for other things to do in the town remember there’s still plenty going on outside of our calendar of scheduled events.

There’s a range of nature trails around Chapelton that you can follow, so why not get wrapped up in your favourite cosy jumper and head out to see what wildlife you can spot? Alternatively, you can take a walk around the Cairnhill Community Allotments and enjoy looking at some of the fantastic seasonal veg growing there.

If you’re in need of a refreshment after a crisp autumn walk, head along to Teacake to enjoy a delicious selection of hot drinks, cakes and savoury treats. After all, the fun of the walk is the rewards when you’ve finished.

So, whether you decide to join us at one of our events or you simply want to take in the town’s sights in your own time, we hope you enjoy celebrating the season in Chapelton.


The Chapelton Farmers Market

This Sunday, Chapelton will host its very first farmers market bringing a wide variety of Scottish producers to the town to showcase their offerings.

From delicious food to bespoke Scottish gifts and skincare products, there will be something for everyone at Sunday’s market. To give you an idea of what you can expect to see on the day we’ve provided a rundown of each of the stalls attending and what they will have on offer.

The Principled Pig

Serving up mouth-wateringly delicious pork, the Principled Pig a small-scale, family run smallholding will be catering to the needs of hungry passers-by. Only producing low-volumes of meat from a small number of animals, the Principled Pig ensure they deliver the highest standard of animal welfare which they believe contributes to the incredible flavour and tenderness of the pork.

After working up an appetite wandering round the many stalls you can rest assured your savoury cravings will be sorted out by the Principled Pig.

The Bread Guy Bakery

Offering freshly baked breads made from only the finest ingredients, The Bread Guy Bakery will be on hand to provide a wide selection of breads, pastries and Paninis.

Sourcing all ingredients locally in the North East of Scotland, the talented master baker behind The Bread Guy Bakery puts techniques long forgotten in the current bakery market to good use, mixing ancient techniques with modern flair to produce expertly hand crafted, mouth-watering breads.

Devenick Dairy

Cheese lovers take note, the Devenick Dairy stall will host a flavoursome array of homemade cheeses from the family farm just south of Aberdeen.

The Groat family who run the Devenick Dairy have always been cheese lovers, with a history of cheesemaking in the family. When they decided to take on a new adventure, cheesemaking seemed like the obvious choice for them so in 20016 the Devenick Dairy was born.

As well as their unique collection of cheeses, they will also be bringing cheesecake, oatcakes, pork and veal.

Haydn’s Woodfired Pizza

With over 15 years’ experience of catering and the pizza industry, Haydn’s Woodfired Pizza will be coming along to grab a slice of the action on Sunday.

The family run mobile pizza kitchen with free standing pizza oven will be serving up exceptional, hand crafted woodfired pizzas in a range of different styles.

Head along and choose your toppings for the ultimate comfort treat!

Bannerman Butcher

No stranger to the Chapelton website is Bannerman Butcher, who have worked with us to provide a number of different recipes including Haggis Lasagne and perfect Barbequed Steaks.

Local butcher Bannerman Butcher from Inverbervie is home to some of the finest steaks, sausages and pies as well as a whole range of locally sourced produce which they will be bringing along with them on Sunday.

Head along to their stall to sample some of their delicious offerings or pick up something for your Sunday dinner.

Cove Honey Bees

For something a little sweeter, look out for Cove Honey Bees’ stall, a small family run business from Cove that produce a range of products using honey from their family-run bee colonies.

Set up in 2013 with just one mini hive, the team at Cove Honey Bees have now expanded to 18 strong working colonies spread through Cove, Banchory Devonick, Drumoak, Kirkton of Skene and as far north as Ellon.

Follow the buzz to their stall where you can buy a whole host of exciting products including honey, honey breads, chutneys and sauces.

All about Lemons

If zest is what you’re after, All About Lemons, lemon curd is guaranteed to satisfy any cravings you might have.

The Aberdeen-based family business run by Joyce Scott produces delicious and fresh artisan food produce and gifts using 100% fresh ingredients with no additives or preservatives.

They will be selling their popular lemon curd alongside lemon fudge and a selection of cakes and biscuits including their coveted lemon Empire biscuits.

From Bakery Lane

If the above wasn’t enough to please even the sweetest tooth, small catering company From Bakery Lane will be there on Sunday with a selection of gluten free and regular granola, jams, chutneys and marmalades all using local ingredients.

Baked by Alice whose love for baking inspired her to move back to Scotland from London to open her own bakery, the offerings From Bakery Lane use fresh local eggs to make amazing bakes that support local producers.  

Sillyflatt Fare, Flowers and Gatherings

Once you’ve had your fill from the many delicious snacks available at the farmers market, take a wander to Sillyflatt Fare, Flowers and Gatherings’

stall where you can pick up some beautiful flowers.

Perfect as a centrepiece in your living room or gift for a loved one, the flowers grown by Sillyflatt Fair are both traditional and unusual, grown on a family farm in the coastal North East of Scotland.

Sealscrook Farmcrafted Skin Care

Selling their amazing and luxurious artisan scrubs, lip balms and goat’s milk soaps, Sealscrook Farmcrafted Skin Care’s stall will be packed full of lovely gifts for friends or treats for yourself.

Produced out on their farm in Turriff, all of the products from Sealscrook Farmcrafted Skin Care are completely natural and will leave your skin looking and feeling amazing.

Wrapr

If you’re looking to be a little more eco-friendly this summer, Wrapr have a fantastic solution for all of your wrapping needs.

Helping you to ditch plastic in the form of things like carrier bags and cling film, these eco-friendly cloth clings are perfect for wrapping up sandwiches, fruit and other lunchbox items. They come in a range of beautiful colours and patterns too so make sure you look out for them.

Solstice Nurseries

If you’re looking for something decorative on Sunday, Solstice Nurseries will be bringing along a selection of locally grown ornamental plants.

Based in Banchory Devenick, Solstice is a ‘not for profit’ social firm that provides work experience, training and qualifications for people recovering from mental health issues.

Teacake

With all of the new producers coming to the town, our faithful Teacake will be on site too delivering the caffeine hit needed for a full day of exploring the many exciting stalls.


Foodie Quine’s Banana Strawberry and Honey Muffins

Leading food and drink blogger Foodie Quine shares another of her favourite recipes for the muffins she provided at the refreshment table of this year’s Chapelton 10K.

One of my favourite things about the Chapelton 10k in 2018 (apart from the fab medal) was the fantastic selection of homebakes available after the race for the runners. Having signed up to take part again in 2019 (I’d clearly forgotten about THE HILL) I wanted to contribute something for the refreshment table so whipped up a couple of batches of Banana, Strawberry and Honey Muffins the night before the race.

Alas by the time I’d plodded my way around the course they were all gone! I’m going to have to run faster next year. (To put it into perspective Robbie Simpson won in 32:25. I reached 5k at 33.20)

Love Food Hate Waste – This recipe is ideal for using up bananas – the blacker the better. Did you know that you can freeze over ripe bananas to use in baking (or smoothies) at a later date?

Banana, Strawberry and Honey Muffins

Ingredients for 10 muffins

280g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 large well ripened bananas

75g honey

1 free range egg, beaten

60ml milk

90ml sunflower oil

150g strawberries, finely chopped

Method

  1. Prepare muffin tins with 10 paper cases and preheat oven to 200c
    In a large bowl sieve together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt
  2. In a separate bowl mash the bananas, add the honey, egg, milk, oil and mix well. 
  3. Pour all wet ingredients into dry and stir until combined.
  4. Gently fold in three quarters of the finely chopped strawberries.
  5. Spoon into 10 muffin cases.
  6. Top with the remaining strawberries and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are lightly browned and springy.


Chapelton’s First Drinks Tasting

On Thursday 22 February Chapelton offered the local community the chance to enjoy a taste of some of the North East’s most popular spirits including Cock o’ the North, Arbikie and Porter’s Gin.

Held in the cosy setting of the AJC showhome, guests were able to learn more about the art of making cocktails at home with Porter’s Gin, find out about the process of creating Arbikie’s vodka and enjoy a dram of Cock o’ the North whisky.

Chapelton will be hosting a series of food and drink tasting events so look out for further details. If you would like to register your interest, contact events@chapeltonnewtown.co.uk

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