Scottish Style Shabbat

This week I decided to try to cook Scottish food. My co-worker, Harvey, suggested it. He and his wife, Marilyn, are originally from Glasgow. I was a little concerned that the food might be boring or bland because of the jokes Harvey told me. I warned my family, who generally prefer spicy food. They liked everything!!
Marilyn suggested I start with Cock a Leekie Soup, and prepare Highland Dan's Cow Pie, and Shepard's Pie. I looked on the Internet and found a few more ideas.
Our guests were 5 girls who are learning here this year. Leia invited her friend and Bentzi and Sima were home. We were 11 for dinner. Saturday, our friends the Nadlers came over so we were 16 at lunch.

Jewish Life and History

It is possible that Jews have been in Scotland since the time of the Roman Empire. The first references to Jews are in the 17th century. Most Scottish Jews are Ashkenazim and live in Edinburgh and Glasgow. 
I could not find the number of Jews in Scotland today but it is probably less than 10,000.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Scotland
http://www.scojec.org/resources/files/scotlands_jews.pdf

Food

Friday Night Dinner

Cock a Leekie Soup
Salad
Deviled Chicken
Shepherds Pie


Prepared for 12.

Cock a Leekie soup

I used most of the ingredients Marilyn suggested. She said she usually uses turkey wings. I used the white meat of the chicken since I could use the thighs and legs for other recipes. 

My Cock a Leekie Soup Recipe

Ingredients 

• Chicken, legs and thighs removed. 
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• water (my pot held 24 cups)
• 3 large leeks, sliced
• 2/3 cup barley
• 6 prunes pitted
• salt and pepper

Preparation 

1. Place chicken, onions, thyme, parsley and water in a large soup pot. Boil then simmer at least 1/2 hour.
2. Add leaks, simmer at least another 1/2 hour.
3. Add barley, simmer another 1/2 hour.
4. Add prunes, and simmer until done. 
5. Salt and pepper taste.

Deviled Chicken

Original Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/scottish-deviled-chicken-429022

My Deviled Chicken Recipe

Ingredients 

• 18 pieces chicken, legs and thighs
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 3 tbsp mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 9 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp  Worcestershire sauce 
• salt and pepper

Preparation 

1. In a bowl, prepare a sauce from the apricot jam, mustard, garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, and   Worcestershire  sauce
2. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Cover chicken with sauce.
4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
5. Remove cover and bake 20 more minutes.

Shepherds Pie

Original Recipe: http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_shepherd.htm

My Shepherds Pie Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 kilo ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomatoes sauce
• 6 potatoes, boiled, then drained and mashed with 1/4 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup margarine, salt and pepper

Preparation 

1. Saute, onion and carrots.
2. Add meat, and flour. Cook 1 - 3 minutes.
3. Add broth and tomato sauce and cook about 5 -10 minutes.
4. Place meat in baking dish. Cover with potatoes.
5. Cook 25 minutes at 325 until potatoes start to brown.

Shabbat Lunch 

Baked Scotch Eggs
Highland Cow Pie
Potato Scones
Vegetarian Haggis
Chicken Stovies


Prepared for 16.

Baked Scotch Eggs 

When I first served these, everyone just ignored them. The I threatened everyone, "Either you try the eggs or this is our last international meal!"  Well, I was not surprised but everyone liked them. These are really good.
Original Recipe http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Alb%C3%B3ndigas_Soup

My Scotch Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

• 20 hard boiled eggs
• 1 kilo ground turkey
• several sprigs of fresh thyme
• flour
• bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Add the thyme to the meat.
2. Roll an egg in flour to coat.
3. Cover egg with turkey meat. This part is tricky. Be patient and pat the turkey meat on the egg. It evens out when you roll it in the bread crumbs.
4. Roll egg in bread crumbs.
5. Repeat for each egg.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Highland Dan Pie 

This is another one of Marilyn's suggestions. Harvey showed me a picture of a pie with 2 cows horns made from the pie crust. Marilyn told me she makes a flower from the crust and adds it to the pie. I tried the flower but I was not too successful. 

My Highland Dan Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kilo chopped meat
• 3 tbsp thyme
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped up as small as possible
• 1 onion, chopped
• Pie crust (I bought mine)
• Oil

Preparation

1. In a pot, cook meat, thyme, rosemary, and onion with a small amount of water, 5 minutes
2. Remove with slotted spoon to eliminate as much water as possible.
3. Spread pie crust in baking pan.
4. Place meat on crust.
5. Place a layer of crust on the meat and use the crust to add a decoration.
6. Bake 350 for 30 minutes.

Potato Scones 

Easy to make and very good. My favorite type of recipe.
Original Recipe http://www.electricscotland.com/food/recipes/pscones.htm

My Potato Scones Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 peeled potatoes, boiled until ready to mash
• 1/4 cup margarine
• several sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegetable oil

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mash all the ingredients.
2. Shape like small pancakes.
3. Place on baking pan and brush with oil.
4. Bake 350 for 20 minutes.

Vegetarian Haggis 

Harvey told me haggis is like kishke, stuffed intestines. So, I was not going to make haggis. Then I found this vegetarian recipe. I baked it in a foil loaf pan and served it just like that. No one thought it was kishke but they seemed to like it.

My Vegetarian Haggis

Ingredients

• Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 5 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth. I prepared this before. I boiled carrots. celery, onion, and garlic with salt and pepper. I let it simmer about 1/2 hour (that was all the time I had).
• 1/3 cup dry red lentils
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans. I also prepared this before.
• 3 tbsp peanuts
• 3 tbsp Brazilian nuts, but I think their suggestion of hazel nuts is probably better.
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, cut very small
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Chicken Stovies 

This is another simple recipe. This was the last thing I cooked Thursday night. I was tired and stuffed everything into one pan. It was a real mess when I took it out.
Original Recipe http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-stovies-traditional-scottish-recipe-18455

My Chicken Stovies Recipe

Ingredients

• 30 pieces of chicken, legs and thighs
• 6 potatoes,sliced
• 2 onions,sliced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a large baking pan, layer chicken with salt and pepper, then potatoes an onions.
2. Add chicken broth.
3. Cover with foil.
4. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350.

http://www.facebook.com/MeshekMuslow