Recipes that come to life with a nip of whisky

Fall down a whisky rabbit hole, and you may never get out. I once attended a huge whisky tasting and was handed a book of accompanying notes so surreal it had me in stitches – one too many mentions of “plankton” on the nose and “washed hospital floors” to finish. So, yes, whisky can get silly. But it is a complex drink with thousands of individual expressions. Blends vary by the grains used and the flavours imparted from, for example, the peat that may be burned during malting, oak barrels used for ageing and the water used at every stage of production.

Should you cook with it? Absolutely, but it helps to establish some rules. First, stay away from the cheap stuff. It’s a cliché, but if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it. Second, stick to one dominant flavour profile, such as vanilla or oak. A bold, smoky scotch will add a misty-morn thrum to richer dishes. They tend to be spikier and saltier than other blends, while Irish iterations are lighter and more honeyed. American styles, such as bourbon, are suave and smooth – ideal for desserts, and a classic ingredient in barbecue sauces and glazes.

Lean into your personal preferences and you’ll find that sweet spot. Just keep your tasting notes to yourself.

Prawns in devilled whisky sauce

A devilled sauce should live up to its name. I want oily heat from black peppercorns, a whipcrack of chilli, wholegrain mustard and, here, the stealthy warmth of whisky. Balanced by a little cream, this sauce has complexity but also a lightness that’s ideal for summer seafood (it’s incredible with clams). Serve with a herby potato salad (no mayo) or fresh baguette.

Serves 4. Ready in 30 minutes

large, raw king prawns 20-25

shallot 1, finely diced

scotch 80ml

beef stock 200ml

double cream 100ml

black peppercorns 2 tsp

white peppercorns 1 tsp

garlic cloves 3, grated to a paste

worcestershire sauce 2 tsp

sriracha 1 tbsp

wholegrain mustard 2 tsp

finely chopped parsley leaves 2 tbsp

butter for cooking

oil for cooking

Light the barbecue, then wait until the flames have died down and you have hot coals. (You can, of course, cook this in a grill pan on a hob.)

Prepare the prawns by removing the heads and shells, leaving the tails intact (optional, but it looks nicer – and they double up as handles). De-vein them by scoring along the back of each prawn, using the tip of the knife to remove the dark tract. Refrigerate while you make the sauce.

Roughly crush one third of the peppercorns. Melt a small slice of butter and cook the shallot over a medium-low heat until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more, stirring. Add the whisky to deglaze and allow to cook for a minute, then add the stock, cream and all the peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce by half.

Add the worcestershire, sriracha and mustard, mix well and allow to cook gently for a few minutes. Taste and season with salt. Set aside, covered, while you cook the prawns.

Toss the prawns with a small splash of neutral oil and grill directly over the coals for a minute or two on each side, or until pink.

Gently reheat the sauce, if needed, then stir through the parsley and serve with the prawns.

Whisky and burnt-honey wings 

Burning honey gives it an aged, resinous quality and a roasted caramel flavour that picks up on whisky’s toasty notes. I love to cook the wings slowly, ensuring extra-tender flesh and a bubbled, crisp skin. Don’t skip the double-glaze technique: once to caramelise briefly over fire and a final slick to serve. You’ll need napkins.

Serves 4-6. Ready in 1 hour

whisky (any kind) 80ml

garlic, grated to a paste 3 cloves

cayenne-based hot sauce, such as Tabasco 1 tbsp

honey 150g

lemon juice 1 tbsp

soy sauce 1 tbsp

fresh ginger 1 inch piece

butter, melted 30g

chicken wings, jointed into drums and flats 15-20

neutral oil for cooking

Light your barbecue with the coals piled in the centre, leaving a clear ring around the outside. Wait until the flames have died down and you have hot coals. (To cook wings inside, preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.)

To make the glaze, heat the honey in a small pan until it’s a dark amber colour, about 5-10 minutes. (The honey will reach around 170C, if you have a thermometer.) Remove from the heat.

Heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in another saucepan over medium-low heat and add the garlic and ginger. Cook gently, stirring, for a minute or so. Add the whisky, hot sauce, soy sauce and the hot honey (gently reheat this if it has thickened). Whisk to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, whisking. Whisk in the melted butter and lemon juice.

Toss the wings with a small splash of neutral oil and some salt. Arrange the wings in a ring around the coals, almost overlapping them. They should sizzle when you put them on the grill. Cook them like this for 30 minutes, turning occasionally and moving them closer to the coals if needed. Finally, crisp them directly over the hot coals until charred in places.

When the wings are cooked, toss them with a splash of the sauce until lightly coated and return to the grill (or oven) for a minute or so, until sticky. Toss with the remaining glaze to serve.

Johnny cakes with bacon and bourbon-maple syrup

Johnny cakes – also known as hoecakes – are pancakes made with cornmeal batter, like cornbread. They’re a doddle, making them ideal for a lazy brunch with squiggles of crisp streaky bacon and perhaps a fried egg. The bourbon- infused maple syrup will set you up for the morning or send you back to bed, depending on how liberally you apply it.

Serves 4 (makes 8 cakes). Ready in 20 minutes coarse corn meal 150g

plain flour 150g

baking powder 2 tsp

golden caster sugar 1 tbsp

sea salt 2 tsp

buttermilk 230ml

eggs 2

maple syrup 100ml

bourbon 2 tbsp

butter and a little oil for cooking

streaky bacon, cooked until crisp to serve

fried eggs if you like

Whisk together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then combine with the buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Melt a small slice of butter and a dot of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.

Use a large spoon to drop portions of the mixture into the hot pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp on the outside – a few minutes each side.

In a small pan, gently heat the bourbon and maple syrup together.

Serve the johnny cakes with crisp bacon, fried eggs and the bourbon-infused syrup.

Almond and maple parfait with bourbon-soaked cherries

I wonder if people who long for homemade ice-cream but don’t have either the motivation or the kit know about parfait. It’s as easy as whisk, fold and freeze, and the cream can be rubbled with additions, such as the amaretti in this almond version. There is, of course, a slosh of bourbon running through, and some glossy, boozy, bourbon-steeped cherries to seal the deal.

Serves 8-10. Ready in 9 hours (includes freezing time)

maple syrup 70ml

double cream 300ml

eggs, separated 3

bourbon 70ml

toasted almonds, finely chopped 70g

amaretti biscuits, crushed to large crumbs 70g

For the cherries:

cherries, stoned 350g

maple syrup 100ml

bourbon 200ml

orange peel 2 strips

Grease a 1-litre loaf tin or a large container, with a few layers of clingfilm overhanging the edges.

In a spotlessly clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the cream and maple syrup to soft peaks.

In a third, large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and bourbon, then stir through the chopped almonds and crushed biscuits. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the egg whites and whipped cream in alternate batches, keeping as much air in as possible.

Pour the mixture into the lined container, levelling it off. Give it a tap on the counter to remove air bubbles, then cover with extra clingfilm. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.

To make the boozy cherries, whisk together the maple syrup and bourbon and pour over the cherries. Add the orange peel and leave overnight in the fridge.

Serve in generous slices with a spoonful of the boozy cherries.

Boozy Mont Blanc coffee

The Mont Blanc – a cult Aussie coffee dreamt up by Melbourne’s Good Measure café – is set to take over UK menus this summer. A cold brew served over ice is topped with a mallowy foam of double cream and orange zest, and a grating of fresh nutmeg. What could possibly improve it? Ah, yes, a generous shot of whisky.

Makes 2

cold-brew coffee 2 double espresso shots or 120ml

date syrup, maple syrup or honey 1 tbsp

double cream 150ml

orange zest of 1

nutmeg for grating

whisky 2 shots

ice plenty of it

Fill two glasses generously with ice. Pour half the coffee over each, followed by a shot of whisky. Stir each glass to combine.

Lightly whisk the cream with three quarters of the orange zest, vanilla and syrup or honey until foamy. If you don’t have one, you can shake it in a jar to get a similar effect. Divide this mixture between the two glasses. Garnish with extra orange zest and grated nutmeg.

Food styling by Lucy Turnbull. Prop styling by Rachel Vere.