Technically, Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, however, when it feels like a separate country to me. Hence, the Scottish cuisine is going to be cooked and presented independently.
| Cock-a-leekie Soup |
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I rarely make soups because kids don’t like them unless it is a clear broth with some noodles. However, I wanted to try this one because it has chicken broth as the base plus some veggies, which I thought I could extract in case they would not eat them. Unexpectedly and happily they liked the soup as is. Eugene especially liked barley in it. He calls barley “tasty seeds” and demands that all soups now incorporate them. So I guess I have to remember the recipe now :).
Ingredients
Add about 2 liters (about 8 cups) of cold water to a pot. Place chicken pieces inside and bring to a gentle boil. Skim foam. Add whole onion and barley. Cook for about 20-30 minutes on low or until barley is cooked. Add potatoes. Remove chicken and chop it into 1/2 inch pieces. Return chicken to the pot. Add leeks, celery, salt and pepper. Simmer until potatoes are tender and add fresh herbs. Enjoy.
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| Scottish Meat Pie |
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During one of my tours to Highlands I went to lunch at a local joint. There was a huge line and most people ordered small pies stuffed with all kinds of meat. I decided to try one of those as well. I remember that I had a mutton pie. There was only meat inside (no vegetables whatsoever) but it was so delicious and greasy. I guess this is the way all tasty foods are.
Since then I wanted to recreate that taste but never had a chance. So my decision to make Scottish food was mostly dictated by my longing for Scottish meat pies. I did not use a single recipe for the pie, rather I combined a couple of recipes to create what I wanted. Here it is – my perfected Scottish pie recipe. Ingredients for Pastry
In a food processor, process the flour, salt and sugar until combined. Add the vegetable shortening and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sane, about 10 seconds. Add butter and process with 1-second pulses until butter bits are no larger than small peas, about 10 pulses. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl and add ice water. Form dough (you may need to add more water for the dough to come together). Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours). When ready to use, let the dough sit at room temperature approximately 20 to 30 minutes before rolling. This recipe can be doubled to make bigger pies (8-9 inches, mine was only about 6 inches). Ingredients for Pie Filling
Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Set heat to medium and add onions. Saute for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add ground beef to the skillet and fry until meat is browned. Add Worcestershire sauce, wine and broth, spices. Mix and continue to cook on medium/high until liquid is reduced. Turn off the heat. Divide pastry into two parts: one for lining a muffin pan (or tart pan) and the other to cover the top. Roll pastry as thin as you want, lay onto a large muffin pan, cut excess pastry. Fill pastry with the filling. Cover with the top sheet and seal the borders. Make a slit in center of top to let steam out. Brush tops with milk or beaten egg. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes or until crust is slightly browned.
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| Scones |
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I always wanted to have an afternoon tea… in England. Well, Scotland is not England, but it’s close enough. I arranged for us to go to Glasgow’s Willow Tea Rooms. The atmosphere was nice but food, not so much. I was especially disappointed with their scones. Starbucks scones, while not authentic, are far tastier than in Willow Tea Rooms.
Still I wanted to try better scones. I googled one recipe that claims to be “World’s best” and authentic. Not sure about the world’s best but the scones turned out to be delicious. I would use 2 instead of 4 tsp of baking powder.
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