Recipes

Scottish Perkins Biscuits

11 June 20262 min read

This recipe is based on one that was handed down to me by a family friend. She very kindly shared her mother’s handwritten recipe book with me, likely a very similar vintage to my own grandmothers. The oatmeal here is ‘Scottish oatmeal’ so if you only have rolled oats, blitz to smaller flakes in a food processor before making. Tradition would dictate a blanched almond on the top, but I prefer a square of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt – matches to the chewy spiced biscuits so well.

Makes 24 biscuits

225g oatmeal (fine ground)

225g plain flour

170g soft brown sugar

1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Half tsp nutmeg

Quarter tsp ground cloves

Pinch of salt

115g butter, cubed

85g black treacle or molasses

85g golden syrup

1 beaten egg

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub in the cubed butter till it resembles breadcrumbs. Gently warm the treacle and golden syrup in a pan, then add to the bowl with 1 beaten egg. Mix thoroughly together to a stiff dough, then using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, place onto baking trays spaced apart, then top with either a blanched almond or a square of dark chocolate. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 15 minutes. When golden brown, remove from oven and birl a glass around each cookie to make them circular and even, sprinkle a little flaky salt over the dark chocolate Leave to cool then enjoy with a cuppa.

Scottish ‘Square Sausage’ Roll

This is the best sausage roll I have ever had! But first of all ,you have to make the sausage. In Scotland this sausage is called by many names, you can call it square sausage, flat sausage, square slice or Lorne and this all-beef steak version is the king. A helpful butcher suggested to use ‘outer’ fat so you will need to get that from your butcher. Makes approx 14 square slices 1kg Beef Flank steak (you can get your butcher to mince it for you) 200g Beef fat/outer fat, minced 100g fine breadcrumbs (I used panko and blitzed them to a fine crumb) 175ml cold water Half tsp carmine extract powder (cochineal) is optional but retains the red colour 2 tsp salt 1 tsp each of ground mace, nutmeg, coriander, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper Mix it all well together then press it into a plastic wrap lined loaf tin, 22cm x 11cm x 7cm, using your hand and a spatula to get it well compressed. Cover it over with the plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours, I left mine overnight. Cut it into slices, I found a bread knife worked the best! Freezes really well once sliced, drop a little piece of greaseproof paper between each slice for ease of separating! Makes 6 Square sausage rolls 1 x pack rolled puff pastry (I use @careme) divided into 6 6 slices square sausage (homemade or butcher bought) Approx 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 small brown onions (or one large) 1 tbsp Scottish whisky 1 tsp light brown sugar Finley slice your onion and soften in olive oil, when soft add your whisky and let the alcohol bubble off, then stir through your brown sugar over the heat for a few minutes. Leave to cool. Divide your puff pastry into 6 strips to fit your sausage. Divide the onions between the pastry strips and shape into the rough size of the sausage. Brush each slice of sausage with Dijon mustard and lay mustard side down on the onions. Fold over your pastry and seal with an egg wash. Place square sausage rolls seam side down on a baking sheet, egg wash tops and get into a preheated fan oven at 180c for 30 mins until golden and delicious. Remove to a wire rack to cool a little and serve. I served mine with a beer and homemade brown sauce.

Recipes

Scotch Broth

This particular recipe, like many, is an heirloom recipe. My mum always made Scotch Broth after she had made a potted Hough and used the remainder of the beef Hough stock as the base. She never gave me precise quantities of the other ingredients so I have just gone with my best judgement…Any stock here would work but tradition would say that it’s started with a beef Hough or lamb/mutton pieces with the bone in. Of course, you can use a stock cube or ready made stock too. The lamb shanks will deepen the flavour of any stock you use. Serves 4 2 litres of beef or lamb stock (homemade or other) 2 lamb shanks 1 chopped onion (130g) 2 grated carrots (120g) 2 stalks of celery chopped (80g) 1 small turnip, grated (350g) 100g each of split yellow peas, split green peas, red lentils & pearl barley. (You can use a 400g pack of ‘soup mix’ if preferred) 2 Bay leaves, small bunch of thyme & parsley all tied together Season then sear your lamb shanks in a bit of dripping or oil until browned all over, then add your other ingredients. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the lamb is tender and soft. Shred the meat, discard the bones, then add the shredded meat back into the pot. Remove the herbs and discard. Leave to cool then into the fridge overnight. The next day, gently skim the fat from the surface and discard. Reheat the soup and serve with either some kale stirred through or my kale pesto. I served mine with a toasted slice off my porridge focaccia with a bone marrow butter.

Recipes

Porridge Focaccia

A Scottish twist on this popular Italian bread! This is such a fabulous dough, gorgeous when it’s fresh and brilliant toasted with soup Porridge: 50g fine Scottish oatmeal (or oat bran) 300ml water 20ml olive oil 10ml honey Dough: 450g strong white bread flour 250ml tepid water 7g instant yeast 10g salt (plus flaky salt for sprinkling) Extra olive oil for baking… Make the porridge then stir through the olive oil and honey. Remove to a bowl to cool. Add the flour and salt to a large bowl, mix then add the porridge, stirring till it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the yeast and water and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave for 15 minutes. With a wet hand, grab up the edge of the dough, stretch it up and place on the top – do this on all the 4 corners of the dough then flip the whole thing over. Cover for 15 minutes then repeat. Do this 4 times over the course of an hour – every 15 minutes. You should see the tension of the dough increasing every time. Oil another large bowl and put the dough in, flipping till it’s all covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day you will be met with a jiggly bubbly dough. Tip out onto an oiled and lined baking tray, using oiled fingers letter fold the two sides into the middle then flip. Gently ease it out to a rectangle and leave till doubled in size and filling the tray. Drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle with oatmeal, dimple all over with your fingers, sprinkle with flaky salt. Give it a shoogle – so satisfying! Get into a preheated oven at 200c for 25-30 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool then slice and enjoy.

Recipes

Jocks Loaf

Essentially this is a Scottish tea loaf or bread, but it’s known in Glasgow as Jocks loaf. It’s a smashing and very easy fruit loaf, I hope you give it a try! 200g raisins 200g sultanas 125g soft brown sugar 200ml brewed chai (tea)* Mix the dried fruit and brown sugar together and pour over the hot tea. Mix well, cover and leave overnight. Next day add: 1 egg whisked in 50ml milk 300g self raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate soda Quarter tsp salt 1 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) Mix thoroughly then pour into a lined loaf tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c fan for 40-45 mins until a skewer comes out clean after it’s inserted. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, cut into thick slices and enjoy! Also magic toasted the next day for breakfast with marmalade. *you can use regular tea or even earl grey if that’s your thing! Just add in two tsp mixed spice and a heaped tsp ground ginger