Scottish Food Journey - The Starter
Dear Diary,
When talking about food culture and world cuisines, hardly anyone might think of Scotland.
Most of you will start dreaming of Italian pasta and oven-baked pizza. Others might imagine a spicy Indian curry packed with flavours. Or even think of a proper juicy American Burger. I get that.
But stick with me and you’ll be surprised by what the Scottish cuisine has to offer. How diverse and flavoursome it can be.
All the rain and windy weather is worth it as it is leading to fertile soil and green hills. Plus, we’ve got plenty of fresh water in lochs and rivers and of course an extensive coastline.
So, we do have the best requirements right on our doorstep to produce natural and finest ingredients other parts of the world can only dream of.
Believe me, your mouth will be watering by the end of this three-part series around Scottish food.
Ready to start your wee Scottish Food Adventure with me?
The Starter
Yes, we do have bleak mid-winter days up here in Scotland. It’s often windy and rainy, but all will be forgotten once the sun comes out. For those dreich days, soup will be the perfect choice to warm you up and lift your spirits.
There’re two popular Scottish soups to choose from. Any idea what their ingredients might be?
Cock-a-Leekie Soup
An easy one to guess. There has to be some leek involved in it. Correct.
This is a traditional soup dating back to the Middle Ages. It’s a feast in a bowl. As with many old recipes, there are numerous variations to it. Besides the leek, everything that is seasonally available can go in it.
The main ingredients are some big chunks of root vegetables, herbs (thyme, bay leave and fresh parsley) and dried prunes which will give it a sweet contrast to the rich broth.
Traditionally, you would cook it with a whole boiling fowl but nowadays you’ll mostly find chicken in it.
Cullen Skink
Probably a harder one to guess. Cullen is a fishing town in Moray, up north. Some say it’s Britain’s finest fish soup.
We call it a Scottish (and much better) version of smoked fish chowder. Same chowder characteristics: creamy, hearty and fully flavoured with wintery ingredients.
Upon the first mouth full, a deep smoky flavour (coming from the fish - Finnan haddock) will hit your palate. Followed by a smooth and creamy texture that stays on your tongue and which comes from the potatoes and cream.
It’s easy and straightforward to cook. The fish is arguably the star of this dish, so high-quality produce is what you’re looking for. It does not need to be a haddock, any undyed smoked fish will taste delicious.
Tattie Scones
The Scots came up with their own version of Scones. Though, they don’t have much to do with the scone you might be familiar with from the afternoon tea.
They look different, more like a pancake but coming in a triangular wedge-like form.
Main ingredient: potatoes. They’re mostly enjoyed with a full English Breakfast (black pudding, eggs, sausages & beans) but are also the perfect companion for a steamy bowl of soup.
Hungry already?
This was just the beginning. Stay tuned for our Scottish main course!