Champit Tatties With Skirlie Food

CHAMPIT TATTIES: SCOTTISH MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter and saute potatoes, turning to coat.
• Stir in the chives and just enough water to keep potatoes from sticking to the pan.
• Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are done; check periodically and add a little water as needed to prevent potatoes from scorching.
• Mash potatoes in the pot (no need to drain); stir in salt & pepper to taste, and the sour cream.
• Serve Champit Tatties hot & garnished with snipped fresh parsley, or top with skirlie - oats fried in butter or crisp crumbled bacon, as desired.

CHAPATIS

Steps:

• You will need a medium-sized bowl, a rolling pin, a castiron griddle or heavy skillet, and a small cotton cloth or a paper towel.
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well in the middle and add just less than 1 cup warm water. Mix with your hand or with a spoon until you can gather it together into a dough (depending on the condition of your flour, you may need a little extra water or a little extra flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a lightly floured bread board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth or a plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. The longer the dough stands, the more digestible the breads.
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces and flatten each with lightly floured fingers. Continue flattening with a rolling pin until each piece is 8 inches in diameter. Once you have started rolling, roll out each bread without flipping it over. To keep the bread from sticking to your bread board, make sure that the bread is lightly floured underneath. Cover the breads with the damp towel or plastic wrap as you roll out others (make sure not to stack the rolled out breads; if you don't have enough counterspace for the breads, roll out just a few and begin cooking, rolling out the others as the breads cook).
• Heat a castiron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When the griddle is hot, place a chapati on the griddle, top side of the bread down first. Let cook for only 10 seconds and then gently flip to the second side. Cook on the second side until small bubbles begin to form, approximately one minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and finish cooking (another minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to balloon. This process can be helped along by gently pressing on the bread. The bread is hot, so we find the easiest method is to use a small cotton cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your finger tips. Gently press down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider. If the bread starts to burn on the bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread (with the help of your paper towel) across the skillet, dislodging it from the point at which it is beginning to burn.
• When you are satisfied with your chapati, remove it and wrap in a clean towel. Continue to cook the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on top of the others.

NEEPS & TATTIES

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve, preheat the oven to fan oven 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Put the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted water, return to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the pan and place it back on the heat for a couple of minutes to dry out.
• Meanwhile, pour the oil into a large roasting tin (you may have to use two) and heat it in the oven until smoking hot. Now stir the potatoes into the hot oil and return to the oven to roast, turning occasionally, for 55 minutes.
• Cook the swede in boiling salted water for 50-55 minutes, or until very soft. Drain and add to the roasted potatoes. Roughly mash everything together, keeping quite chunky, then cool, cover and keep in a cool place.
• To serve, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Uncover the potatoes and swede, dot with the butter and put in the oven to reheat for 25-30 minutes, stirring now and again until piping hot. Serve with lots of butter.

SKIRLIE MASH - SCOTTISH MASHED POTATOES WITH ONIONS AND OATS

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the skirlie. Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and cook for 10 mins until golden and soft. Add the oatmeal and stir until the butter is absorbed and the mix looks dry. Continue cooking until the skirlie is toasted, stirring (skirling round the pan) all the time for 5 mins, but do not let it catch and burn. Remove and keep warm.
• Drain the potatoes, return to the hot pan and mash really well. Beat in the cream, parsley and skirlie, then season to taste with salt and white pepper.
• Serve immediately before the skirlie softens, with haggis or any beef and game dishes.

SKIRLIE (SCOTTISH OATMEAL AND ONIONS)

Steps:

• Melt the fat or heat the oil in a large frying pan.
• Add the onion and cook until soft and golden.
• Add the oatmeal and mix in well.
• Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the stock and allow it to be absorbed by the oatmeal.
• Season well and serve with light creamy mashed potatoes.
• (Skirlie may also be used as a stuffing for any kind of game bird or poultry. It is also a very good accompaniment to rich meaty and gamy stews).