Congratulations to the winners of the Loch Duart Scottish Salmon Contest! We received tons of incredible recipes from so many talented chefs, however these 6 dishes truly blew the judges away. Our Grand Prize Winners will each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Loch Duart in the Scottish Highlands – including a VIP tour of the farm and a wild cooking beach experience on a secluded Scottish shore. The 4 runner up winners will each receive an exclusive Loch Duart–engraved fillet knife from Meglio!
2 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
Scottish Rose Salmon like a Radis Beurre
The Flowers of Loch Duart: Scottish salmon, marinated like a citrusy gravlax, delicate yet full of character.
Layered with furikake, edible borage flowers, and Lily bulb — “Yuri” —a symbol of purity and renewal. A French memory of radis-beurre reborn through the ocean: squid-ink brioche, seaweed sponge, and salted Brittany butter. The crispy salmon skin becomes a golden chip – texture meeting tenderness, land meeting sea. A dish that whispers of origin, identity, and balance – my flowers of the sea.
Kombu Cured Scottish Salmon
Kombu-cured salmon, cooked two ways – skin side grilled over Japanese charcoal, fillet side gently poached. Served with saffron sauce of tomato water, skipjack, saffron, and garlic confit, finished with blackcurrant leaf oil, crispy kelp, shiso blooms, and ikura.
4 RUNNER-UP WINNERS
Scottish Peat Smoked Loch Duart Salmon
Scottish Peat Smoked Loch Duart Salmon / Steamed Cockles / Caramelized Brussels Sprouts / Loch Duart Salmon Lorne Sausage / Squid Ink Gnocchi / Pickled Butternut Squash / Cullen Skink Sauce
“I wanted to pay homage and respect to the Loch Duart salmon, the region and culture where it comes from, as well as to highlight local and seasonal San Diego produce. I smoked the Loch Duart salmon filet, head and carcass with Scottish peat and Apple wood soaked in scotch. All the meat from the Loch Duart salmon collar and bones were scraped and ground into the Lorne sausage. The cockles were steamed in a fumet made from the smoked head and bones of the Loch Duart salmon. The Cullen skink sauce was made from the cockle-Loch Duart salmon broth and was thickened with potatoes and onions. The Lorne sausage, cockles, Brussels sprouts and gnocchi were sautéed in sequence with shallot rings, deglazed with the fumet, and finished with butter and lemon juice. The dish was garnished with pickled butternut squash ribbons.”
Champagne Miso Salmon
Seared Miso-Marinated Salmon: Bathed in a gentle miso marinade, the salmon is seared to a delicate caramelization, its richness embraced by a silken Champagne miso beurre blanc. Pearls of salmon roe glisten above, offering whispers of the sea. Beneath, coal-roasted bok choy lends a touch of smoke and quiet bitterness, while an edamame purúe grounds the dish in deep, verdant umami.Each element plays in harmony – the bright, creamy lift of the beurre blanc, the ocean ‘s salinity, the char’s subtle edge – a balance of light and depth, refinement and fire.
Loch Duart Salmon Tataki
Salmon tataki | Shio koji cured | Encrusted w/ benne seeds, laab spice , nori | Compressed apple ‘ tartare ‘ | Spiced salmon skin ‘chip’ | Black lime kewpie mayo | Buttermilk ponzu | Fresh herbs
“I wanted to do a semi raw preparation for the salmon. I always like eating raw /semi cook fish and what a way to show the Loch Duart salmon like tataki style – make the salmon stand out but also give it a good supporting cast without taking anything away from the salmon which is the focal point.”
“Loch’s & Bagels”
Beet & Lemon Ash Cured Loch Duart Salmon / Scottish Oatcake Bagel Crumb, Marbled Quail Eggs, Lemon Crème Fraîche / Brined Capers, Charcoal Flake Salt, Fresh Dill & Garden Blossoms
“Paying homage to traditional Scottish culinary heritage, this dish highlights the remarkable depth and purity of Loch Duart Salmon. Gently cured in beet and lemon ash, the process draws out the salmon’s vibrant color and natural sweetness while layering it with a subtle undertone of smokiness. Rolled into a tight mosaic, the fish reveals striking bands of charcoal-veined ash and highlights the brilliant natural marbling. The quick-cured skin, wrapped around the mosaic, embodies the philosophy of full utilization, effectively returning the salmon to its original, pristine form.
Accompanying elements pay gracious tribute to Scotland’s grain and coastline. Crisp shards of house-made oatcake bagel, marbled quail eggs tinted with beet, brined capers, fresh dill, crème fraîche, and delicate garden blossoms all add visual and flavorful complexity on the palate. The oat crisps bring warmth and texture reminiscent of a Highland hearth; the quail eggs and charcoal salt echo the minerality and depth of traditional Scottish preparation; and the capers and dill channel the essence of sea air and coastal herbs, tying each component together in harmony.
Together, these elements create a fusion of Scottish terroir and timeless technique. This dish represents a contemporary expression of heritage, executed with rustic precision. With this, my goal is not only to honor the fish from Loch Duart, but to elevate its story and showcase the exceptional quality and stewardship behind this beautiful salmon. In composition, it exemplifies both luxurious and authentic notations, highlighted by clean and complex flavor profiles synonymous with this iconic preparation. The cure, the ash, the oat, and the shoreline herbs all return the fish to its natural element in an elegant and contemporary twist to a timeless classic.”
Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest!
