My Scottish Obsession

Recipes
Three of Scotlands most traditions (and delicious) recipes

Cullen Skink



INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 leek, well-rinsed, chopped
and cut into rough 2cm cubes
1 litre fish stock
200g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut
into roughly 2cm cubes
300g undyed smoked haddock fillet
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp whipping cream
Chives, roughly chopped
METHOD
Warm the oil in a pan. Add the chopped leek, cover and gently cook for a few minutes until soft. Add the stock, bay leaf, potato and haddock.
Season lightly with black pepper.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the haddock from the pan with a slotted spoon. When the fish is cool enough to handle, remove any skin and bones, then flake the haddock back into the pan.
Blend a ladle full of the soup in a liquidizer and return to the pan.
Stir in the double cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Add more black pepper if necessary, then sprinkle with the chopped chives and serve.
Serve with chunks of fresh wholemeal or granary bread.

Haggis



INGREDIENTS:
Set of sheep's heart, lungs and liver (cleaned by a butcher)
One beef bung
3 cups finely chopped suet
One cup medium ground oatmeal
Two medium onions, finely chopped
One cup beef stock
One teaspoon salt
Teaspoon pepper
One teaspoon nutmeg
Teaspoon mace
METHOD:
Piping of the Haggis at a Burns Supper Trim off any excess fat and sinew from the sheep's intestine and, if present, discard the windpipe.
Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to ensure that they are all tender. Drain and cool.
Some chefs toast the oatmeal in an oven until it is thoroughly dried out (but not browned or burnt!)
Finely chop the meat and combine in a large bowl with the suet, oatmeal, finely chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well.
Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the beef bung which should be over half full.
Then press out the air and tie the open ends tightly with string.
Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. If it looks as though it may do that, prick with a sharp needle to reduce the pressure.
Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling vigorously to avoid bursting the skin.
Serve hot with "champit tatties and bashit neeps" (mashed/creamed potato and turnip/swede). For added flavour, you can add some nutmeg to the potatoes and allspice to the turnip/swede. Some people like to pour a little whisky over their haggis - Drambuie is even better! Don't go overboard on this or you'll make the haggis cold.

Scottish Shortbread



INGREDIENTS:
6oz Plain flour
4oz Soft butter
2oz caster (granulated) sugar
1 oz cornflour (cornstarch)
METHOD:
Mix the butter and sugar together (preferably with a wooden spoon) until it is pale and creamy.
Sieve both the flour and the cornflour into the bowl and mix well.
Put a small amount of flour on your working surface and place the dough on this.
Shake a little flour on top and roll out about quarter inch thick.
Prick with a fork and cut into rounds with a cutter or, if you want one large shortbread round, pinch the edges with thumb and finger all round.
Use a palette knife to lift the shortbread onto an oiled baking tray and bake for 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3.
If the biscuits are ready, they will be pale brown and crisp; if not, return to the oven for 5 or 10 minutes.
Shake a small amount of caster/granulated sugar on the top of the shortbread immediately after they have been removed from the oven.
Use a palette knife to move them to a cooling rack and store in an airtight tin once they are cold.

Lauren Benefield
Last Updated 5/06/16
Completion 5/06/16