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OOK WEEK SCOTLAND is the nation’s annual celebration of books and reading. This year at Publishing Scotland, we wanted to mark the week by celebrating the rich tradition of publishing, authorship and reading which has grown up from these shores. We’ve brought this tradition together with the national Year of Food and Drink, to give you HOMEGROWN. This HOMEGROWN pack is chock full of personal recipes shared by authors and submitted by our Scottish publishing membership, and alongside each recipe is a little anecdote from the author. We’re delighted to be able to break bread with you, and share a few of the personalities and stories we’ve come to love. You’ll recognise a few faces, such as Maw Broon, Anne Donovan and the Wee Lassie who Swallowed a Midgie, but we also hope you’ll discover something brand new. And, if you’re taken with any of the books or recipes you find here, why not check out our publishers’ websites? From our book-loving family to yours,
T he Folks at Publishing Scotland Join the conversation: #HomegrownScot
This project is sponsored by Martins the Printers, a progressive organisation which aims to offer quality and service, forming close working relationships with its clients.
Mutton and Barley Broth from Catherine Gault
Ingredients Scrag end of mutton 850 ml water 100 g of pearl barley 50 g of dried peas 2 good size carrots (to allow f or a carrot-loving child) Small piece of turnip 1 leek
Method Soak barley and peas overnight. Boil mutton in water until cooked then remove from pot. Add barley and peas and cook until soft. Add chopped and grated vegetables.
This recipe has been submitted as part of Book Week Scotland project, Homegrown. If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in Fraser’s Seasonal Soups by Fraser Reid (published by Kitchen Press).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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is for a warming broth my mother used to make when I was a child. It consisted of barley and peas with carrot, turnip and leek in a mutton stock. It’s a somewhat rough and ready recipe with estimated quantities for the barley and peas. My mother never referred to recipes when cooking meals and making soup seemed to be simply something she knew how to do. y recipe
The making of the soup was a Sunday ritual, enough made to do on the Monday as well. In preparation the barley and peas were soaked overnight on the Saturday. Come Sunday the mutton was put onto to boil whilst the turnip and leek were chopped. The carrot was grated with always enough left over for me to munch on. When the meat was removed from the pot and set on a plate to cool, I would move from munching on the carrot to picking at the mutton, the slivers of meat all the more delicious for the pain of getting them. By the time the soup was ready, the smell from the small kitchen had thoroughly whetted our appetites. The soup was a soft gold colour with the green of the peas standing out. It was thick, filling and very tasty, a real winter warmer. I always had a second helping and made a special point of having peas in every spoonful. By Monday, having lain overnight in the pot on the stove, the soup was thicker and had even more flavour. It was so thick at times that water had to be added to get it out of the pot which ensured second helpings were available. I make my own soup nowadays, still without reference to a recipe, though more often it is lentil soup, another childhood staple, rather than the broth with barley and peas. And as a vegetarian, meat stock is out of the question. Yet despite that, it is that warming, nutritious broth I think of with nostalgia. And when I do make my lentil soup it tends to be on a Sunday with enough left over to do on the Monday.
Catherine Gault Catherine Gault’s most recent novel is Bones and Whispers. Her love of Edinburgh, with its twists and turns and nooks and crannies, inspires her writing. Now working on her second novel she continues to find that walking the city provides the inspiration and sustenance she requires. Catherine Gault is published by Pilrig Press. www.pilrigpress.co.uk
Nettle Soup
from Fiona J. Houston
Ingredients Small basket of young nettles, roughly chopped 2-3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped 2-3 medium onions, roughly chopped 2-3 pints/1- 1 ½ litres water or vegetable stock Salt & pepper Butter
Method Wearing gloves, cut or pluck a small basket full of young nettles, or, if they are older, nettle tips. Gently soften onions in butter. When they are transparent, add the potatoes and some water or vegetable stock and simmer until they are soft before adding the chopped nettles. Cook a further few minutes until the nettles have softened but not lost their bright green colour. Blend until smooth with a hand-held machine, or simply break up with a potato masher until there are no large lumps. If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in A Handbook of Scotland’s Wild Harvests by Fi Martynoga and Emma Chapman (published by Saraband Books).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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hen I spent a year re-creating the 1790s lifestyle of my ancestor, a Scottish
schoolmaster’s wife, I either grew or foraged for almost all of my food – apart from buying oats and barley by the sackful, keeping chickens and bartering for dairy goods. Until late spring I had plenty of winter vegetables and stores of dried fruit. But by May I was facing the ‘hungry gap’, that part of the season when the old stores are gone, but there is nothing new to harvest; the kail and cabbages are not yet ready to eat. This is the time of year when when nettles come into their own. As soon as there were a few inches of growth on the nettles in my patch, I was making soup with them (as I do every year!). It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and it was once a staple of the Scottish diet. The taste is rich, slightly astringent, and deeply evocative of wild places. Nettles can be used in many recipes, cooked as you would prepare spinach; for example in a frittata, or simply as lightly cooked greens. Nettle tea is a favourite, too. Nettles are not just tasty but can be beneficial as a natural diuretic, in aiding digestion, and as a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including iron. By strimming a nettle patch you can extend the season to the whole summer, with a steady supply of young growth.
Fiona J. Houston Fiona J. Houston is the author of The Cottage Garden Diaries. She is an educationalist, museum researcher, feature journalist, grandmother and campaigner for healthier, sustainable lifestyles and a greener, cleaner world. For a full year, Houston carried out an extraordinary experiment, immersing herself in the 1790s lifestyle of her rural ancestors. The Cottage Garden Diaries is her quirky, lively and down-to-earth account, packed with history, folklore, facts, practical tips and curiosities. Fiona J. Houston is published by Saraband Books. www.saraband.net
Cashew Nut Roast from David C. Flanagan
Ingredients 2 large onions 4 oz ground cashew nuts 4-6 oz grated Cheddar cheese One teaspoon mixed herbs (optional – smoked paprika) Seasoning Olive oil 2 oz fresh brown breadcrumbs 2 eggs Optional – 1 teaspoon of yeast extract, or French mustard
Method Peel and chop the onions and cook in the olive oil until golden. Beat the eggs. Add to the remaining ingredients, mix well and spread in a greased baking dish. Cover top with foil and bake in oven at 200 degrees Celsius/gas mark 6 for 30-40 minutes. Foil can be removed for the final five minutes to brown top. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes and veg.
If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in A Girl and Her Greens by April Bloomfield (published by Canongate Books).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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became a vegetarian when I turned 16. As an animal lover who had always struggled to eat meat as a child, particularly if I gave too much thought to its origins, it seemed like a logical choice. I’d also lost my dad to a heart attack when I was seven, so the health benefits of vegetarianism appealed almost as much as the animal welfare aspects.
My mum, after a lifetime of cooking traditional Scottish mince and tatties, beef stews, roasts, sausages and a variety of fish dishes, took it all in her stride. Indeed, she opted to become vegetarian herself, obtaining a selection of slightly funky looking 70s cookbooks that were apparently written by ‘hippies’. Many of the earnest recipes in those books were industrially healthy – heavy on wholemeal, or just heavy – and proved too much of a palatability challenge for even the most committed young veggie. But after weeks of experimentation, my mum had collated a selection of the best dishes, including a simple, but tasty, recipe for cashew nut roast. I took the recipe with me when I went off to study journalism in Edinburgh and, when I wasn’t eating beans on toast, I’d cook the nut roast in my flat. Not only was it a taste of home, it probably kept me alive. Decades later, I’m still making, eating and enjoying cashew nut roast. My wife – not a vegetarian – mostly cooks it these days and loves it. My mum, still vegetarian and now well into her 80s, has never tired of it either. For me, it represents family, comfort and, fundamentally, a lifestyle choice.
David C. F lanagan A journalist living in an island community, David C. Flanagan is the author of Board. Warm, funny, touching and honest – with a strong dose of adrenalin – Board explores loss, ego, fear and fatherhood, charting a quest for inner peace against a backdrop of thundering Atlantic waves. David C. Flanagan is published by Fledgling Press. www.fledglingpress.co.uk
Shepherd’s Pie from René La Sagne
Ingredients 500 g minced lamb 1 onion, sliced in circles Salt and pepper Lamb stock or good gravy, about 1 cup 6 large potatoes, boiled, mashed and cooled 25 g butter
Method Brown the minced lamb in its own fat. Add the onion and fry until soft. Place in a piedish. Add enough gravy or stock to moisten, but don’t make it too runny. Cover with cold mashed potatoes. Dot potatoes with butter and bake for 40 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius/gas mark 5 until brown.
If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in Broths to Bannocks by Catherine Brown (published by Waverley Press).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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for Scotland’s national dish, mince, comes from my first book The Complete Book of Mince which was written by me, René La Sagne. My book was very nearly almost an international bestseller when it was published. The Sun said about me ‘René is The Prince of Mince’, and as a result many people tried to find my restaurant in Paisley – ‘Maison de Mince’. My book sold very well in Paisley and on its publication STV news made a special piece about mince and my book in their ‘And finally’ slot. I was a TV celebrity (mince) chef! his recipe
Mince for me is truly special. I grew up in Filo-et-Choux-sur-L’Eau in La Sagne, Switzerland where mince is not a national dish. I met my Glaswegian wife on holiday and she brought me home to Paisley, opened our restaurant, and taught me mince. Here I share with you my Shepherd’s Pie recipe.
René La Sagne
Brighten your day and life with this funny book full of insights on life while you cook the nation’s favourite staple – mince – in 72 different ways. Includes 72 recipes for mince: turkey, beef, chicken and vegetarian recipes. This hilarious cookbook explores the life of René La Sagne, his café that serves mostly mince in Glasgow, and expert tips on serving mince to a nation that prizes mince above all else. René La Sagne is published by Waverley Books. www.waverley-books.co.uk
Colin’s Roast Mackerel with Red Pesto from Colin, Social Bite Assistant Chef
Ingredients 2 mackerel fillets 2 tsp red pesto sauce 8 baby potatoes, cut in half 150 g frozen peas 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half Lemon wedges
Method 1 . Place your mackerel fillets on a chopping board, skin side up. Use a sharp knife to score the skin 3 times, but don’t cut too deeply or the fish will fall apart. Spread a teaspoon of red pesto sauce on each fillet and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. 2 . When you’re ready to eat, preheat your oven to 180 degrees. 3 . Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for around 10-12 minutes. 4 . Place fish on a tray and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes. 5 . Boil the peas for about 3 minutes, then drain. 6 . Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the peas and cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then plate up and garnish with lemon. If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in Recipes from Brixton Village by Miss South (published by Kitchen Press).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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spent 16 years of my life living on a bus and travelling around Britain. It was a fun time for me, but when the hangover wore off and I realised I was 36 with no home or job to come back to real life with, I was in a bit of trouble. I moved in with a girlfriend and made ends meet however I could, but I became homeless when I fell out with my girlfriend 5 years ago. I lived on the streets with a pet dog and tried to crash on couches and in hostels when I could.
Eventually I started selling the Big Issue on street corners. However, 2 years ago, I heard about Social Bite and managed to get a job there being a kitchen porter, a few hours a day, with the promise of full time hours as soon as a position was available. True to their word, I’m now working full time in the central kitchen where I make all of the panini and focaccia breads, and live with my mate Joe who works there too. I’m also now in a great relationship with my girlfriend Sam who stays in Dundee, where I’m from, and once Social Bite opens a store in Dundee in the next year or two, I will get to move up there to be with her full time and work in the shop.
Colin
Social Bite are a Social Enterprise who train and employ people from backgrounds of homelessness. In this book, head chef Michael Thomas and his five apprentices – Joe, John, Sonny, Iain and Colin – combine the principles that they learned whilst living on the streets with their newfound skills as trained chefs to create delicious recipes for under £5. This is a one-of-a-kind illustrated recipe book where you can read the inspirational stories of how the contributors have transformed their lives, alongside 36 delicious, easy-to-make new recipes.
The Social Bite Cookbook is published by Freight Books. www.freightbooks.co.uk
Larry’s World Famous Pasta Sauce from Catherine Simpson
Ingredients 1 white onion 2 cloves of garlic A few glugs of olive oil 8 pork ribs Half a jar of passata 500 g of fresh tomatoes, liquidised 500 g of dried pasta
Method Finely chop onion and gently fry in olive oil. Add garlic and continue frying. Add pork ribs and continue frying for 10 more minutes. Add half jar of passata and the liquidised tomatoes and leave to simmer for twice as long as a soap opera omnibus. Boil pasta, drain and mix with sauce.
If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in The Edible Atlas by Mina Holland (published by Canongate Books).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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n my novel,
Truestory, Larry, an itinerant stranger fresh from the pub, claims to make a ‘world famous pasta sauce’ and goes on to demonstrate how to do it.
In fact Larry’s sauce is based on the sugo made by my Italian mother-in-law, Rosa, every Sunday for lunch in her flat in Leith. Rosa does not use recipes; she works by sight, taste and smell, so my instructions here necessarily involve some guess work. As a rule there are meatballs too, but how these succulent delicacies come about remains a mystery to everyone but Rosa. Rosa produces delicious meals from a kitchenette not much bigger than a wardrobe from which she pokes her head every minute or two to catch up on the latest soap opera goings-on. She shakes her head at the telly, which is balanced on a great display cabinet full of glasses and ancient bottles of liqueur, and announces: ‘He’s a bad-a man.’ Then she shrugs as though all hope is lost for humanity. She wipes her hands down her pinny, and in despair declares that the sugo is ‘no very good’ this week – which is apparently all the fault of the meat, the tomatoes, the oil, the weather, her health, or any number of other reasons. Then with a glum expression and a: ‘I cannae help it’ she disappears back into the kitchenette to stir the sauce and clatter a few pans. The pasta is served with crusty bread and a tossed salad. When I first joined the family for lunch twenty-five years ago I was told in no uncertain terms that I was eating the salad all wrong. ‘No! No!’ shouted Giuseppe, my late father-in-law, ‘not like that!’ and I was ordered to put my knife and fork down and pick the salad up with a fistful of bread. I did as I was told. Sometimes the meal is served with a glass of Barolo but Rosa thinks Barolo is too strong. She rubs her stomach and says: ‘I cannae help it,’ as she dilutes the rich red wine with a great glug of Irn Bru.
Catherine Simpson Catherine Simpson has been shortlisted for the Bristol Prize and the MsLexia Novel Award. Her debut novel, Truestory is by turns blackly comic, heart-breaking and heart-warming. It looks at what happens when sacrifice slithers towards martyrdom, and, ultimately, it is a tale of hope. Catherine Simpson is published by Sandstone Press. www.sandstonepress.com
Apple and Bramble Crumble from Anne Donovan
Ingredients 4 oz plain flour 4 oz wholemeal flour 3 oz butter Tablespoon or more pinhead oatmeal 2 oz Demerara sugar 3-4 large cooking apples Brambles – as many as you like Juice of a large lemon Cinnamon
Method Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put flour in a bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour till it’s like breadcrumbs (or use a food processor). Add sugar and oatmeal and mix in. Squeeze lemon into a bowl. Peel and slice apples and put into lemon juice to avoid discolouring. Add cinnamon to apples. Add brambles to apples. Put fruit in earthenware dish and spoon crumble mix over. Cook till fruit is bubbling and top slightly browned (about 30 mins). Serve with custard or ice cream. If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in Orkney Spirit by Liz Ashworth (published by Sandstone Press).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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is not the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – it’s the season of brambles. Covered in scratches, fingers dyed purple, I forget everything except the wonderful abundance of nature. Autumn is my favourite time of year; the sky is a richer blue than in summer and there’s a freshness in the air. Brambling can get obsessive, and if you pick too many it can take ages to clean and freeze them, but what a reward – you’re stocked up for a year of apple and bramble crumble! utumn for me
Anne Donovan Anne Donovan is the author of the prize-winning novel Buddha Da, the short-story collection Hieroglyphics and Being Emily. Buddha Da was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Scottish Book of the Year Award. Full of wonder and intrigue, and told with the grace and charm for which Anne Donovan is so beloved, her most recent novel Gone Are the Leaves is the enchanting story of one boy’s lost past and his uncertain future. Anne Donovan is published by Canongate Books. www.canongate.tv
Rowan Jelly from Jane Cheape
Ingredients 4-5 lbs of Rowan berries, washed and weighed 1 lb small Bramley apples, washed and chopped Lemon peel Sugar
Method Put the fruit into a large saucepan and just cover with water. Simmer until it is pale and pulpy and the liquor has turned a rich red – 4-5 hrs. Overnight strain the contents through a jelly bag or a sieve lined with muslin. A ‘J’ cloth will do. Do not be tempted to squeeze or press the fruit. This results in a cloudy jelly. Measure the juice. To each pint of juice add a pound of sugar and a strip of lemon peel. Stir over a low heat in a large, clean saucepan. When the sugar has melted allow to boil. Chill 2 saucers in the fridge. Check for a set after 15- 20 minutes. The mixture will begin to show a rolling boil which indicates it is near setting. Test by putting a little jelly onto a cold saucer. Give it a push and if it wrinkles you have a set. Skim any scum off the surface, remove lemon peel and pour into small pots. Cover when cold. If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in Classic Scots Cookery by Catherine Brown (published by Neil Wilson Publishing).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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here are a few telling remains of an old house across the track here; smooth, heavy washed pebbles which once held down a thatched roof with heather ropes, fragments of pottery and china now buried in the earth which once adorned a dresser. Most conspicuous are the rowan trees, bent with age but still giving a brave flurry of berries. The rowan tree, sorbus, was believed to protect against witchcraft and was planted at the gable of a house for that purpose. With its white flowers and red berries, each with a tiny five-pointed star, they indicate human habitation in the Highlands more emphatically than any gloomy rickle of stones. So as I gaze into my little pots of clear, blood-red jelly I’ll quietly celebrate with Lady Carolina Nairne who published her poem The Rowan Tree in 1822.
Oh rowan tree, oh rowan tree, Thoul’t aye be dear to me. Entwin’d thou art wi’ mony ties’ O’ hame and infancy. And those Bramleys, small, misshapen, sometimes scabby, strangely greasy, return me not quite to infancy but to a job as a teenager picking apples in a Kentish orchard. We were provided with a ladder and a sizing device consisting of a metal ring mounted on a wooden handle. Those apples that passed through were rejected by the market and packed separately into old wooden boxes. Some of them were left at the gate or deposited in Church porches for anyone to take. They were wild food, of a type. This year I was given a bag of Fife-grown Bramleys. Next year the apple tree I planted in 2011 to celebrate 40 years of coming to the Scottish Highlands should fruit, just a few yards from the ancient rowan trees. I hope so.
Jane Cheape Jane Cheape is the author of Hand to Mouth: The Traditional Food of the Scottish Highlands, a readable and informative book on the development of food preparation and methods of cooking in the Highlands and Islands over the centuries. Jane Cheape is published by Acair Books. www.acairbooks.com
Honey and Whisky Cake from Maw Broon
Ingredients For the cake: 170 g unsalted butter 170 g soft brown sugar Zest of one orange 3 medium eggs 50 ml your chosen whisky (blended is fine) 170 g self-raising flour For the buttercream: 170g icing sugar 60g unsalted butter, softened 2 tablespoons local honey 1 teaspoon orange juice
Method Preheat non-fan oven tae 190 degrees Celsius. Grease and line two 6” round cake tins.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add orange zest and mix in eggs, one at a time. Add whisky and half the flour and fold in until incorporated. Add remaining flour and fold gently until smooth. Split mixture between tins and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake in your preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden-brown. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring tae a wire rack tae cool completely. For the buttercream: In a large bowl, add the sugar, butter and honey and mix well wi’ an electric mixer, then add the teaspoon of orange juice and mix until light and fluffy. Sandwich cakes together wi’ the buttercream and sprinkle the top wi’ a little icing sugar.
If you have enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in The Parlour Cafe Cookbook by Gillian Veal (published by Kitchen Press).
For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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or as long as I can remember, I’ve been baking. I’ve made scrumptious cakes,
braw biscuits and perfect pastry for mah hungry family for years and am always up tae mah elbows in flour or stirring bubbling pots o’ homemade jam, but it a’ started when I used tae help mah ain maw when ah wis a wee lassie. I would help tae weigh oot ingredients, stir the mixture (and lick the spoon when she wisnae lookin’!) and then pour it intae a cake tin. It was hard tae fathom that the gloopy-lookin’ mix would turn intae a cake, but one o’ mah first memories is waitin’ by the oven for it tae be ready and no bein’ able tae believe mah eyes when mah maw opened the door, reached in wi’ her oven gloves and took oot a magnificent cake, perfectly risen and golden brown on top. And the wonderful smell of freshly baked cake…well, that stays special every time, no matter how old ye are! It’s because I loved baking wi’ mah mother so much that I’ve tried tae pass on mah love o’ baking tae mah ain family. Tae me, baking is a’ aboot family. It can bring ye a’ together, ye can make something fine for special occasions, gie your loved ones a treat, and even bring harmony tae the household: a braw cake never fails tae put a stop tae an argument – if only because a’body’s got their mouths full and cannae speak! Mah family love eatin’ everything I bake, but knowin’ how tae make it means ye can dae it yourself – and once ye ken the basics ye can adjust recipes tae your ain taste. Mah family kens how tae dae it a’ – Horace can work oot the weights and measurements; Hen and Joe can lend a strong arm for the mixing; Daphne and Maggie are a dab hand at making sure a recipe is properly baked; and the Twins and the Bairn are always ready tae help wi’ icing and decorating! Even Paw can pummel dough and come oot wi’ a braw load o’ bread. And Granpaw: well, he’s guid at eatin’ it…
Maw Broon Maw Broon finally shares some of her favourite recipes, including cakes and bakes, puddings and pastries, biscuits and bread, sweets and treats, cakes for special occasions and baking for bairns. Packed full of beautiful, easy-to-follow recipes, as well as Maw’s time-tested hints, tips and baking secrets, Bake with Maw Broon has something for everyone and is guaranteed to make your family smile. Bake with Maw Broon is published by Black & White Publishing. www.blackandwhitepublishing.com
Midge Cemetery from Wee Lassie
Ingredients 300 g raisins 150 g currants 150 g sugar 250 ml cold water 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp ground all spice 350 g self raising flour Salt 185 g butter Milk for brushing Caster sugar for sprinkling on top
Method To make the filling – mix the cornflour with the water in a pan. Add all the other filling ingredients, stir and boil for 3 mins until reduced and syrup-like. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely. To make the pastry – sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a little cold water, sprinkling over the mixture, and draw together until you get a soft dough. Cut the dough in two equal portions and roll out the two halves over a floured surface. Place one of the rolled halves on tray. Spread fruit mixture on top, then place the other pastry half on top of that. The pastry should overlap the filling slightly. Brush top with milk and bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. Take out and sprinkle with sugar. For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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who swallowed a midgie. I don’t know why she swallowed the midgie, so teeny and squidgy! here was a wee lassie
There was a wee lassie who swallowed a trout; it flip-flopped and swim-swam and bubbled about. She swallowed the trout to catch the midgie; I don’t know why she swallowed the midgie, so teeny and squidgy!
Rebecca Colby and Kate McLelland In Rebecca Colby’s hilarious twist on a much-loved rhyme, the wee lassie swallows a succession of Scotland’s favourite creatures to catch that pesky midgie – including a puffin, a Scottie dog, a seal, and even Nessie! Kate McLelland’s funny, engaging illustrations bring to life this uniquely Scottish version of a classic rhyme. Rebecca Colby and Kate McLelland are published by Floris Books. www.florisbooks.co.uk
Scotch Beef Wellington
from Kate Hartley
Ingredients
1 kg beef fillet 30 ml Arran 12-year-old malt Butter and olive oil for browning the beef Mushroom Filling 125 g finely chopped mushrooms 2-3 shallots, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large pinch of dried thyme 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 350 g puff pastry (made with butter) Whisky Sauce 50 ml Arran 12-year-old malt 100 g butter 150 ml double cream 150 ml chicken stock 3 tsp gravy granules See reverse for method
About Isle of Arran Whisky The Isle of Arran Distillery was built in 1995 and remains one of the few independent distilleries in Scotland, producing awardwinning Single Malt whiskies which are sold across the globe. They have been proud supporters of Publishing Scotland for over 10 years. They have been awarded Scottish Field’s Visitor Experience of the Year in 2014 and 2015, and are proud of the warm welcome they offer everyone who comes to visit. Their CASKS Cafe supervisor Kate Hartley would like to offer her family recipe for Beef Wellington. She has found that the rich, luxurious and warming spice notes in our 12-year-old Cask Strength Single Malt compliment this recipe perfectly and make it a truly Arran-inspired family meal. For additional Homegrown books and recipes, visit www.booksfromscotland.com
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ethod:
Trim the fillet of any fat, brush with some of the whisky and set aside for an hour.
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan till very hot and brown the joint on all sides. Then roast the beef on a rack for about 15 minutes until part cooked. Remove the beef from the oven and leave to cool, reserving the juices. Gently fry the shallots and mushrooms in the pan the meat was browned in, adding a little butter if necessary, season with the remaining whisky, salt and black pepper and stir in the thyme and parsley. Allow this mixture to cool until you are ready to complete the dish. About 45 minutes before you want to serve the beef heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius/gas mark 7. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle, slightly longer than the joint, wide enough to cover the beef and still have sufficient room to tuck in and seal. Spread the mushroom mixture in the centre of the pastry, place the beef on top and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cut out four squares from each corner of the pastry and set them aside. Brush the edges of the pastry rectangle with beaten egg and wrap them over the beef. At this stage make sure you do not have too much double thickness because the pastry on the bottom will not cook in time. Turn the beef parcel over so the sealed edges are on the bottom and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet, brush with egg glaze and decorate with pastry trimmings and glaze them as well. Bake for about 30 minutes till golden brown. Once meat is ready, cut the croute in thick slices, place on plate and drizzle with whisky sauce. Whisky sauce can be made in advance or when the beef is cooking. To make the whisky sauce, add 40 ml of whisky to a pan and burn off alcohol. Add butter and then cream and stock. Bring to boil then thicken with gravy granules. Add remaining 10ml of whisky and correct seasoning.
Kate Hartley www.arranwhisky.com