AUTHENTIC SCOTTISH PORIdGE
Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Pinhead Oatmeal
3 Cups Water (milk or a milk/water mix can be used if you prefer)
Generous pinch of Salt
Directions
Put water in heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil on high heat.
Reduce to medium heat and sprinkle oats on top and stir into water - (doing it this way helps reduce the risk of your porridge getting lumpy).
using a wooden spoon, bring back to the boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.
Then reduce to low heat, cover with lid and let simmer for around 20 - 30 minutes. Add salt and stir into porridge about half-way through.
And don't forget to stir the porridge every few minutes to stop it sticking and prevent lumps.
Although tradition says only stir clockwise, stirring in both directions does have advantages in the 'de-lumping' process.
In this porridge recipe, the cooking time can be varied a bit, depending on how thick and creamy you want your porridge to be.
1 1/2 Cups Pinhead Oatmeal
3 Cups Water (milk or a milk/water mix can be used if you prefer)
Generous pinch of Salt
Directions
Put water in heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil on high heat.
Reduce to medium heat and sprinkle oats on top and stir into water - (doing it this way helps reduce the risk of your porridge getting lumpy).
using a wooden spoon, bring back to the boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.
Then reduce to low heat, cover with lid and let simmer for around 20 - 30 minutes. Add salt and stir into porridge about half-way through.
And don't forget to stir the porridge every few minutes to stop it sticking and prevent lumps.
Although tradition says only stir clockwise, stirring in both directions does have advantages in the 'de-lumping' process.
In this porridge recipe, the cooking time can be varied a bit, depending on how thick and creamy you want your porridge to be.
A FULL SCOTTISH BREAKFAST
Ingredients
(meat)
It is naturally the meat components of a full Scottish breakfast which will require the longest time to cook and they will thus require to be attended to first. Enough sunflower oil should be added to the large frying pan to comfortably cover the base and the link sausages only added. Please do not prick the sausages with a fork. All this serves to do is allow the juices and thus the flavour and moisture to run out in to the pan, leaving your cooked sausages dry and tasteless. Keep the heat under the pan very low and the sausages should not burst.
After ten minutes, turn the links and add the Lorne sausage and black pudding to the pan. Put a plate in to your oven and turn the oven on to a very low heat. (Make sure the plate is ovenproof!) Turn the Lorne sausage and the black pudding after five minutes and cook for a further five minutes. This will mean twenty minutes' cooking time for the beef links and ten minutes each for the Lorne sausage and black pudding.
Remove the plate from the oven with oven gloves and sit it on a wooden chopping board. Remove the sausages and black pudding from the frying pan with the cooking tongs and sit them on the plate. Still wearing the oven gloves, place the sheet of tinfoil (shiny side down) over the plate and tuck it in around the edges to form a seal. That will keep the items warm while the remainder of the breakfast is cooked.
(non-meat)
When the sausages and black pudding have been removed from the first frying pan, the tomato and mushrooms should be added. The tomato should be halved with a sharp knife and each half sat in the pan flesh (flat) side down. The mushrooms should be wiped clean and although I normally eat the stalks of mushrooms, when frying them, I remove and discard the stalks for easier cooking. The mushrooms should firstly be put in the pan with the cup uppermost and turned after two or three minutes.
The egg should be broken in to a small bowl or cup. This will make it much easier to pour it carefully on to the bread. A hole should be made in the centre of the bread with an egg cup and the small disc of bread discarded.
Sunflower oil should be added to the second frying pan and brought up to a medium heat. The bread should be added and the egg carefully poured on top so that the yolk sits in the hole. Do not move the bread around the pan in any way, as this will be likely to break the yolk at this early stage and spoil presentation. After around three minutes, very carefully turn the bread over with a spatula and fry for a further three minutes on the second side.
When the egg has been added to the pan, the bacon should be placed on a grill pan and under a hot grill for two to three minutes each side until done.
- 2 beef link sausages
- 1 Lorne sausage (sliced sausage)1 slice of black pudding
- 2 rashers of bacon
- 1 egg
- 1 slice of bread
- 1 medium tomato
- 3 closed cup mushrooms
- Salt and black pepper
- Sunflower oil for frying
(meat)
It is naturally the meat components of a full Scottish breakfast which will require the longest time to cook and they will thus require to be attended to first. Enough sunflower oil should be added to the large frying pan to comfortably cover the base and the link sausages only added. Please do not prick the sausages with a fork. All this serves to do is allow the juices and thus the flavour and moisture to run out in to the pan, leaving your cooked sausages dry and tasteless. Keep the heat under the pan very low and the sausages should not burst.
After ten minutes, turn the links and add the Lorne sausage and black pudding to the pan. Put a plate in to your oven and turn the oven on to a very low heat. (Make sure the plate is ovenproof!) Turn the Lorne sausage and the black pudding after five minutes and cook for a further five minutes. This will mean twenty minutes' cooking time for the beef links and ten minutes each for the Lorne sausage and black pudding.
Remove the plate from the oven with oven gloves and sit it on a wooden chopping board. Remove the sausages and black pudding from the frying pan with the cooking tongs and sit them on the plate. Still wearing the oven gloves, place the sheet of tinfoil (shiny side down) over the plate and tuck it in around the edges to form a seal. That will keep the items warm while the remainder of the breakfast is cooked.
(non-meat)
When the sausages and black pudding have been removed from the first frying pan, the tomato and mushrooms should be added. The tomato should be halved with a sharp knife and each half sat in the pan flesh (flat) side down. The mushrooms should be wiped clean and although I normally eat the stalks of mushrooms, when frying them, I remove and discard the stalks for easier cooking. The mushrooms should firstly be put in the pan with the cup uppermost and turned after two or three minutes.
The egg should be broken in to a small bowl or cup. This will make it much easier to pour it carefully on to the bread. A hole should be made in the centre of the bread with an egg cup and the small disc of bread discarded.
Sunflower oil should be added to the second frying pan and brought up to a medium heat. The bread should be added and the egg carefully poured on top so that the yolk sits in the hole. Do not move the bread around the pan in any way, as this will be likely to break the yolk at this early stage and spoil presentation. After around three minutes, very carefully turn the bread over with a spatula and fry for a further three minutes on the second side.
When the egg has been added to the pan, the bacon should be placed on a grill pan and under a hot grill for two to three minutes each side until done.
SCOTTISH TABLET
Ingredients
4 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter (NOT Margarine)
1 14oz can Condensed Milk (NOT Evaporated Milk)
1 Small (1 fl oz) Bottle Natural Vanilla Extract
Directions
1.Lightly grease a baking tray (11 x 19 inches works well) with butter and set aside.
Put the sugar and milk into a large, stainless steel saucepan (mixture will double in quantity as it heats).
2.Stir together.
3.Add the butter and condensed milk and stir again.
4.Put pan on medium-high heat and bring mixture to the boil (this usually takes somewhere around 10 mins), stirring occasionally.
5.Once mixture comes to the boil, reduce the heat until mixture is boiling gently.
6.Continue to let it boil for around 20 - 30 minutes, still stirring occasionally.
7.Remove saucepan from the heat and add Vanilla Essence. Beat the mixture for 4 - 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to feel more 'stiff' under the spoon.
8.At this point the Tablet is ready to be poured into the baking tray you prepared at the beginning. Allow mixture to cool a little and then mark it off into bars, or squares with a sharp knife.
Tablet is ready to eat when fully cooled.
4 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter (NOT Margarine)
1 14oz can Condensed Milk (NOT Evaporated Milk)
1 Small (1 fl oz) Bottle Natural Vanilla Extract
Directions
1.Lightly grease a baking tray (11 x 19 inches works well) with butter and set aside.
Put the sugar and milk into a large, stainless steel saucepan (mixture will double in quantity as it heats).
2.Stir together.
3.Add the butter and condensed milk and stir again.
4.Put pan on medium-high heat and bring mixture to the boil (this usually takes somewhere around 10 mins), stirring occasionally.
5.Once mixture comes to the boil, reduce the heat until mixture is boiling gently.
6.Continue to let it boil for around 20 - 30 minutes, still stirring occasionally.
7.Remove saucepan from the heat and add Vanilla Essence. Beat the mixture for 4 - 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to feel more 'stiff' under the spoon.
8.At this point the Tablet is ready to be poured into the baking tray you prepared at the beginning. Allow mixture to cool a little and then mark it off into bars, or squares with a sharp knife.
Tablet is ready to eat when fully cooled.
bangers and mash with onion gravy
Ingredients
- 4 links pork sausage
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons milk (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 cups red wine
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
- Cook the sausage links in a skillet over medium-low heat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to an oven-safe dish and move to the preheated oven to keep warm.
- Place potatoes into a saucepan over medium heat, cover with water, and boil gently until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Mix in 1/4 cup of butter, milk, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper; mash until fluffy and smooth. Set aside.
-
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the onions until translucent and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and red wine; boil the mixture down to about half its volume, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. To serve, place a sausage onto a serving plate with about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes. Pour the onion gravy over the sausage and potatoes.
ultimate sticky toffee pudding
Ingredients
- 225g whole medjool dates
- 175ml boiling water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g self-raising flour, plus extra for greasing
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 eggs
- 85g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 140g demerara sugar
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 100ml milk
- cream or custard to serve (optional)
- 175g light muscovado sugar
- 50g butter, cut into pieces
- 225ml double cream
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- Stone and chop the dates quite small, put them in a bowl, then pour the boiling water over. Leave for about 30 mins until cool and well-soaked, then mash a bit with a fork. Stir in the vanilla extract. Butter and flour seven mini pudding tins (each about 200ml/7fl oz) and sit them on a baking sheet. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
- While the dates are soaking, make the puddings. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for a few mins until slightly creamy (the mixture will be grainy from the sugar). Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the black treacle then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in one-third of the flour, then half the milk, being careful not to overbeat. Repeat until all the flour and milk is used. Stir the soaked dates into the pudding batter. The mix may look a little curdled at this point and will be like a soft, thick batter. Spoon it evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm.
- Meanwhile, put the sugar and butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan with half the cream. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in the black treacle, turn up the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 mins until it is a rich toffee color, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream.
- Remove the puddings from the oven. Leave in the tins for a few mins, then loosen them well from the sides of the tins with a small palette knife before turning them out. You can serve them now with the sauce drizzled over, but they’ll be even stickier if left for a day or two coated in the sauce. To do this, pour about half the sauce into one or two ovenproof serving dishes. Sit the upturned puddings on the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover with a loose tent of foil so that the sauce doesn’t smudge (no need to chill).
- When ready to serve, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Warm the puddings through, still covered, for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve them on their own, or with cream or custard.
TRADITIONAL fish and chips in batter
Ingredients
The Peas
10oz / 300 gm dried marrowfat peas
Malt Vinegar (enough to moisten peas
Salt
The Batter
Self-raising flour
Sparkling mineral water (some people add beer)
Malt vinegar
Pinch of Salt
also
4 fresh haddock fillets (frozen can be used too)
4 or 5 floury potatoes (depending on your appetite)
Directions
The Peas
10oz / 300 gm dried marrowfat peas
Malt Vinegar (enough to moisten peas
Salt
The Batter
Self-raising flour
Sparkling mineral water (some people add beer)
Malt vinegar
Pinch of Salt
also
4 fresh haddock fillets (frozen can be used too)
4 or 5 floury potatoes (depending on your appetite)
Directions
- Soak the peas overnight.
- The following morning,cover and oil then for about 1 hour or until tender.
- Drain most of the water, keeping a wee bit to keep them moist
- Add vinegar and salt to taste.
- Peel and cut potatoes into chips.
- Parboil for approximately 5 minutes.
- Drain and place on kitchen roll to get rid of moisture
- Sieve flour and salt in bowl.
- Make well in centre, add fizzy water or beer.
- Whisk until the batter is smooth and creamy and shows bubbles on top.
- Add 2 tbs vinegar which helps the batter to crisp.
- Heat some oil in a deep fat fryer.
- Test temperature by dropping in a tiny amount of batter (it should quickly turn golden and crisp.
- Pre-heat your oven to high.
- Dry the haddock on kitchen roll, then dip and coat it completely with the batter.
- Place in fryer and cook for 5 - 10 minutes depending on size of fish.
- Ensure it doesn't become too brown.
- Remove from fat, and drain on kitchen roll.
- Keep warm in he oven, until the remainder has been cooked.
- Cook the chips in the oil as normal.
grouse
Ingredients
- 1 grouse, cut into serving pieces
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 1⁄2 cup salt
- 3⁄4 teaspoon sugar
- 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
- 3⁄4 teaspoon garlic
- 1⁄8 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- Mix flour, salt, sugar, allspice, garlic, and paprika in a wide bowl or pan.
- Dip grouse pieces in flour mixture to coat. Brown pieces in margarine over low heat turning as needed.
- Add a small amount of water, cover, and simmer until tender, approx 20-30 minutes depending on grouse size.
black pudding
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh pig's blood
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups steel-cut (pinhead) oatmeal
- 2 cups finely diced pork fat (or beef suet), finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease 2 glass loaf pans. (If you don't have glass loaf pans, line metal loaf pans with parchment to keep the blood sausage from reacting with the metal and creating an off-flavor.) Stir 1 teaspoon of salt into the blood.
- Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and stir in the oats. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until just tender, not mushy.
- Pour the blood through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Stir in the fat, onion, milk, pepper, allspice and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine. Divide the mixture between the loaf pans, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour, until firm. Cool completely. Seal in plastic wrap and wither freeze for extended use or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To serve, cut a slice about 1/2-inch thick off the loaf. Fry in butter or oil until the edges are slightly crisped and browned.
shortbread
Ingredients
- 225g (8 oz) butter
- Tiny pinch of salt
- 110g (½ cup) caster (fine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 225g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose ) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g (3 ½ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, salt and sugar. until light and fluffy and pale in colour. This can take at least 10 minutes. You don't have to do this by hand, you can use an electric mixer if you have one and this will be much quicker.
- Mix together the flour and cornflour /corn starch and sieve into the bowl of butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together, but do not over mix as you will risk the danger of making the shortbread warm and thus a poor crumb.
- Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and bring knead lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. then either:-
- a) Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1 cm / ¼" thick. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters. Place the Scottish shortbreads on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 mins or until pale brown and crisp. Sprinkle the warm Scottish shortbreads with fine sugar and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- b) Grease a Swiss roll tin 23 x 33cm / 9" x 13" with butter. Press the dough into the tin and press with your fingers to level the surface, prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. With the shortbread still in the tin, cut into squares or fingers, leave to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack.
scotch pie
Ingredients
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, potatoes and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 225g/8oz potatoes, cubed
- 2 medium leeks,sliced
- 1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream or crème fraîche
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, potatoes and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Season well and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth. Reheat in a clean pan, stir in the cream or crème fraîche, heat through and serve.