SCOTCH BROTH SOUP (Perez-Gonzalez Family)
A rich stock is traditionally made by boiling mutton (the neck is best), beef, marrow-bone or chicken (for a chicken broth). There is also freedom over the choice of vegetables, which should be diced. Carrots, garden peas, leeks, cabbage, turnips and a stick of celery can all be used. The hard vegetables should be added first to the boiling stock, with a handful of barley, with the softer vegetables being added later.
The final consistency should be thick and served piping hot.
Ingredientes:
1kg neck of mutton or lamb or chicken
75g pearl barley
1 large onion
75g split peas or fresh peas
1 large leek
3 wee neeps (turnip)
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)
Directions:
1. Pre soak the barley and split peas
2. Chop all the vegetables
3. Melt a wee bit 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.
7. Give the dog the bone once it's cooled!
8. Add parsley before serving. Great with warmed bread rolls.
9. If making a big pot full it'll keep out provided you boil and stir each day. Though to be safe it would probably best be kept in the fridge or individual portions could be freezed and used as needed.
BAKED SALMON WITH TARRAGON (Lepervanche’s Family)
Ingredients
4 Salmon Fillets
1 (Small) Chopped Onion
2 rashers of bacon, diced
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons butter - 1/2 cup white wine
Double Cream or Creme Fraiche to be used for serving (if desired)
Method
Pre heat oven to 400F. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the tarragon and bacon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring in the lemon juice periodically.
Place a large piece of buttered kitchen foil into an ovenproof dish and place on it the 4 salmon fillets. Cover the fillets with the bacon, onion etc. mixture. Fold the foil to make a parcel and place in oven.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the oven heats and the fish bakes, prepare the sauce (can also be done ahead). Zest and juice the lemon. Chop the onion. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook 2 minutes over medium heat (to soften, not brown). Add wine, lemon juice and zest, and cook until liquid is reduced to 3 or 4 tablespoons. Chop tarragon finely and add to sauce. Mix well and set aside.
When fish is done, spoon sauce over it and serve immediately. The cream can be placed on top of the dish just before serving
STOVIED TATTIES (OR STOVIES)
Stovies are a potato-based dish, designed to use up left over meat, fish and vegetables.
Several onions should be cut into small pieces and fried in a good amount of beef dripping (fat from the cooked meat) in a large pot. Scraps of meat and left-over vegetables (usually carrots and peas) are then added to the frying onions.
Six to eight good sized potatoes are peeled and cut into 3cm (1.5") pieces. Approximately 2.5cm (1") of water is added to the pan containing the fried onion mixture and the potato pieces are added to this, seasoned with salt and then left to simmer until the potatoes are soft. More water is added only if the pan is likely to become dry.
The resulting stovies should have the consistency of mashed potatoes, but the potato pieces should still be detectable. Modern cooks would add a beef stock cube to the mixture prior to simmering.
CRANACHAN (Molano’s Family)
Cranachan is a traditional Scottish sweet dessert recipe served with raspberries. It is also spelt Crannachan. It is traditionally served in Scotland at the New Year, Weddings and at some Burns Night Suppers. Cranachan is sometimes called Cream Crowdie.
You can use any kind of whisky in the recipe, but for the really authentic touch, drambuie would be the best choice. This is a malt whisky, flavored with honey and herbs, produced on the Isle of Skye. If you prefer an alcohol-free cranachan, use a few drops of vanilla essence instead.
To be authentic it is good to use Scottish raspberries and Scottish heather honey, but don't worry if you can't find Scottish, the wonderful ingredients in the Cranachan taste good anyway.
Ingredients:
(Serves two)
» Approx 300g/10½oz raspberries (strawberries can also be used).
» 280ml/10 floz/one cup double (heavy) cream.
» 2 tablespoons good quality honey.
» 2 tablespoons single malt whisky.
» 2-3 tablespoons of oatmeal.
Method:
1. Place the oatmeal in a cool, dry pan and turn on the heat to simmer. Stirring occasionally, toast the oatmeal until it is golden brown. This process could take between 10-20 minutes.
2. Once the oatmeal is brown, turn off the heat and let it cool in the pan.
3. Place the cream in a bowl and whisk up until soft and relatively thick.
4. Add the honey and single malt whisky and fold it in with a whisk, until it is soft and creamy.
5. Pick out some of the best raspberries for decoration and add three or four to the bottom of each serving glass, leaving a few for final decoration.
6. Add the rest of the raspberries to the cream mixture and fold in carefully, breaking up a few of the raspberries to obtain a slight colouring to the cream.
7. Spoon the mixture into the serving glasses, then add cream to the top to make an even base for the oatmeal.
8. By now the oatmeal will be cooler. Using a teaspoon, evenly sprinkle the oatmeal over the dessert. Add a raspberry for the finishing touch and chill for about three hours, or overnight.
Serving:
Cranachan can be served on its own, or with double cream and more raspberries or in a big glass bowl. For an extra treat, make up the cream and add the raspberries as in 3, 4 and 6 above. Then freeze in a container for a yogurty fresh ice cream.
