35 - UK Scotland - Jane Donn

Hi, I have been following your boat blog and have decided to send you a boat all the way from Castletown (this is the other side of Dunnet Bay!) Since I like baking I thought I would print off some recipes that Mary-Ann may have used in her cottage and make my boat out of that.
Good luck with the project and I hope you get many more boats.

Jane

I unfolded the boat to find 4 recipes:

1. Crowdie

20 fl oz whole milk which has just turned sour.

Method

Pour the milk into a pan and heat slowly and carefully over a very low heat. Watch it constantly until it curdles. When the curd has set allow it to cool before draining the whey.

Line a colander with clean muslin and pour the curds into it. Leave in the colander until most of the whey has drained and then squeeze out the last of the whey by hand. Mix the crowdie with a little salt until it has attained a smoothe texture. Put in a dish and store in the fridge.

2. Beremeal Bannocks

4oz beremeal

4oz plain flour

6fl oz milk (sour or buttermilk)

1tsp cream of tarter

1tsp baking powder

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add milk and mix until dough is elastic in texture. Roll tightly into bannocks half and inch thick. Place on a hot gridle for 4 minutes and then turn over until cooked. Place on a wire rack to cool covering with a dry cloth.

3. Dropped scones (pancakes)

12 oz S.R flour

2 oz sugar (caster)

pinch of salt

half level tsp cream of tarter

half to three quarters pint of milk

half level tsp baking soda

1 large egg

Method

Sieve the flour and mix in dry ingredients. Make a well in centre and add egg. Mix well and add the milk slowly beating the mixture to a creamy batter. Leave for 10 minutes to rise. Grease a hot gridle and drop sponfuls of the mixture, well spaced out, onto it. When the mixture bubbles turn them over and brown the other side.

4. Oatcakes

4 oz fine oatmeal

quarter tsp salt

quarter tsp baking soda

2 oz fat (lard)

boiling water

Method

Melt fat and stir into dry ingredients. Add enough boiling water to make a stiff paste. Turn out onto oatmeal covered surface and knead well. Roll out to quarter inch thick. Cut into rounds or triangles. Grease hot gridle and bake on either side. Dry off slowly under grill or in oven.

If you have a favourite traditional recipe from your country, available on-line, e-mail me the link and I'll add it to this blog entry - or print it out and make a boat!