Scottish Recipes

Drop Scones/Scotch Pancakes
Ingredients
8 oz plain flour, salt, level teaspoon of cream of tartar, level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 5 teaspoons of caster sugar, standard egg and a quarter pint of milk.

Method
1. Heat a girdle or heavy based frying pan and lightly grease.
2. Sift flour, salt, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda together and mix in the caster sugar.
3. Create a well in the centre and add the egg and some of the milk. Slowly mix the flour into the egg and milk, adding more milk as you go, until you have a mixture which has the consistency of thick batter.
4. Drop a small amount of batter onto the greased girdle or pan - bubbles should rise to the top in a few seconds, if it is the right temperature. Drop in enough mixture to make individual small scones. When the underside is brown (and bubbles are bursting on the top) turn over and cook the other side. You may need to regrease the pan after each batch.
5. Serve warm with butter and honey or jam/jelly. Or try buttering them and sprinkling with light brown sugar!

Cullen Skink
Cullen is a small town here in the North east of Scotland and Cullen Skink is traditionally made with smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. The word skink means soup or stew. Cullen Skink may also be called Smoked Haddock Chowder in some restaurants.

Ingredients
Smoked Haddock, Water, 1 Onion, 1 pint of milk, Mashed Potato, Salt and pepper, 25g butter.

Method
1. Skin the smoked haddock and cover with just enough boiled water to cover it.
2. Bring to the boil and then add the chopped onion.
3. Remove the haddock once it's cooked and remove the bones. Remove the head and tail.
4. Break up the fish into a dish and replace the bones into the pot and boil for one hour.
5. train the stock and put back to the boil. Boil the milk in a separate pot and then add to the stock along with the fish.
6. Add the salt and boil for several minutes then add the mashed tatties until you get a nice consistency.
7. Add the butter and pepper and serve.

Scotch Broth
Traditionally Scotch Broth is a bit of everything thrown into the pot and is quite a filling soup. In olden days Scots would eat this as a main meal. In modern times many Scottish households still serve Scotch Broth as a main meal rather than a starter soup. Ingredients can be substituted depending on your own tastes. It is very warming when eaten during the winter and is popular on New Year’s Day.

Ingredients
1kg neck of mutton or lamb, 75g pearl barley,1 large onion, 75g split peas, 1 large leek, 1 swede, Water depending on thickness required - try 2.5 litres, 3 carrots, 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley, salt and pepper, small cabbage (optional).

Method
1. Pre soak the barley and split peas
2. Chop all the vegetables
3. Melt a small piece of lard/cooking oil and add the chopped onion. Once softened add the water and meat (you can just add stock rather than boil meat) and boil, skimming off any fatty deposits from the top.
4. After boiling for about half an hour add the barley and peas and simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Add the remaining vegetables.
6. If used, remove the bone and strip off the meat and return this to the pot.

Mince and Tatties (Minced beef and potatoes)
Mince and tatties is a popular dish throughout Scotland and enjoyed throughout the world by many families. It is relatively cheap to make and is quite filling.

Ingredients
500g of minced beef (use lean meat), Four large potatoes for the mash, 3 carrots, One large onion, 500mls of gravy stock.
Optionally you can add a White Pudding (mealie pudding containing oatmeal).

Method
1. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Make your mashed potatoes as normal.
2. The mince should be browned in a frying pan over a medium heat along with the chopped onions. To keep the mince and tatties low fat no lard or cooking oil should be added. Instead just fry the mince as it is and brown in its own oils.
3. Add the carrots and the stock or gravy mixture and return to the heat.
4. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and gently simmer for about thirty minutes.
5. If you are using a white pudding (Mealie pudding then add it at the boiling and simmering stage.

Once the mince is cooked serve with the mashed potato and any additional vegetables.