Glen Fyne beef

It took us some years in the restaurants to find a piece of steak that had the flavour and cutting qualities that really suited the expert and well-travelled carnivores who regularly eat in our establishments. Our mission to Loch Fyne, apart from checking out the rope-grown mussels, smoked fish and oysters, was exactly that - to source the ultimate steak, although we did get persuaded to sample all the produce for lunch, overlooking the Loch.

We butchered and cooked various cuts of the Highland cattle breeds that grazed the hills surrounding the loch. The cut I was really interested in was the French-style cote de boeuf as a single portion. The one we tried was spot on, with a good proportion of fat that gave the meat the perfect eating qualities.