Recipes for Burns Night

8:31am Monday 21st January 2008

Cock-a-Leekie soup

Ingredients: One boiling fowl, about 4lb, including legs and wings; 1lb leeks (about 12), cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 pints stock or water; 1oz long grained rice; one teaspoon brown sugar; salt and pepper; garni of bay leaf, parsley, thyme. Some recipes also have three chopped rashers of streaky bacon.

Method: Put the fowl and bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Remove the bird. Some thrifty chefs use the bird as another course, others cut the meat into small pieces and add them back to the soup (certainly it should have some pieces of chicken in it when served). Add the rice and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check for flavour and serve with a little chopped parsley. Serves 6/8 people.

Scotch Broth

Ingredients: 1lb mutton or one-year-old neck of lamb; 3 pints of water; 1oz pearl barley and 2oz dried peas, soaked overnight; A large carrot, a large onion, a small leek (all sliced), a small diced turnip and 4oz shredded cabbage; 1 level tablespoon of chopped parsley.

Method: Trim any excess fat from the mutton and put in a large pan with the water, pearl barley, peas and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. Add the carrot, onion, leek and turnip, return to the boil and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked. Add the cabbage and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the mutton from the pot and trim off the meat (into small pieces if they are to be served with the soup) and return it to the pot, discarding the bone. Skim off any fat, season to taste and sprinkle parsley on the piping hot bowls of soup before serving.

Bannocks

Ingredients: 4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal; 2 teaspoons melted fat (bacon fat, if available); 2 pinches of bicarbonate of soda; pinch of salt; 3/4 tablespoons hot water; Additional oatmeal for kneading.

Method: Mix the oatmeal, salt and bicarbonate and pour the melted fat into the centre of the mixture. Stir well, using a porridge stick if you have one, and add enough water to make into a stiff paste. Cover a surface in oatmeal and turn the mixture on to this. Work quickly as the paste is difficult to work if it cools. Divide into two and roll one half into a ball and knead with hands covered in oatmeal to stop it sticking. Roll out to around quarter inch thick.

Put a plate which is slightly smaller than the size of your pan over the flattened mixture and cut round to leave a circular oatcake. Cut into quarters (also called farls) and place in a heated pan which has been lightly greased. Cook for about 3 minutes until the edges curl slightly, turn, and cook the other side. Get ready with another oatcake while the first is being cooked. An alternative method of cooking is to bake them in an oven at Gas5/375F/190C for about 30 minutes or until brown at the edges. The quantities above will be enough for two bannocks about the size of a dessert plate. If you want more, do them in batches rather than making larger quantities of mixture. Store in a tin and reheat in a moderate oven when required.

Smoked Salmon Pate

Ingredients: 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter; 8 ounces (250g) smoked salmon; quarter pint (5 fluid ounces or 150ml or half cup) double cream (whipping cream), lightly whipped; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Heat the butter gently in a pan until melted. Leave for 5 minutes. Place the smoked salmon in a food processor. With the machine running, add the melted butter and mix until the salmon is smooth. Remove from the processor and place in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and the whipped cream and mix well. Place in a round dish and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Haggis

Ingredients: 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: 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. 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, 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' (creamed potatoes and mashed swede).

Cranachan

Ingredients: One pound (500g) fresh raspberries; half pint of fresh double cream; 1 tsp of thick heather honey; 1 generous tbsp of Talisker whisky; 1 heaped tbsp of toasted oatmeal.

Shortbread: 12 ounces (375g/3 cups) plain flour; 4 ounces (125g/1 cup) white rice flour; 12 ounces (375g or 3 sticks) slightly salted Scottish butter; 4 ounces (125g or half cup scant) caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar).

Method: Cranachan: Whisk the cream together with the honey and Talisker. Fold in the toasted oatmeal. Pile on top of fresh raspberries and serve with shortbread biscuits.

Shortbread: Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Work the sifted flour and rice flour into the mixture until it forms a firm paste. Knead it lightly on a well-floured board. Roll it out until quite thin and cut biscuit shapes with the cutter of your choice. Using a palette knife, lift the biscuits on to a well-buttered baking sheet. Bake on the centre shelf at Gas Mark 5/375F/190C until pale golden in colour. Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with caster (fine granulated) sugar while still warm. Lift on to wire tray to cool and firm-up. Store in an airtight tin.