It’s Robbie Burns Day and it’s winter, a time when places with marine climates, such as Scotland, can expect damp, dreary days.
On such a day in the 1700s, after a busy day of clever writing, I can imagine Robbie Burns wanting to tuck into something hearty and comforting. Something busy folks needing a lift in another marine climate, Vancouver Island, would also enjoy.
A recipe that meets those criteria, while at the same time giving a nod to Burns’ homeland, is Scotch broth. It’s a famous and sustaining Scottish soup that was served when Burns was alive and is still enjoyed today.
It’s toothsome and has the extraordinarily ability to take the chill out of your bones, no matter how blustery the day.
In Michael Ruhlman’s book The Elements of Cooking, he says broths should be made with plenty of meat and aromatics.
In the case of Scotch broth, the meat used in the traditional recipes I found was mutton, mature sheep. Nowadays, though, bone-in cuts of lamb, such as the neck and shoulder, are most often used to make Scotch broth. In some recipes, cuts of beef, such as beef shanks, are used in place of lamb.
Many traditional recipes for making Scotch broth see the meat set in the pot with water, barley and split peas, seasonings and vegetables, such as rutabaga, onion, leek, carrots, and cabbage. All are simmered together until the meat is very tender, at which point it is lifted out, pulled off the bone, chopped and returned to the soup.
As with many dishes made for eons, when exactly each item is added to the meat and water varies from recipe to recipe.
For example, in some recipes I found, the barley was added at the beginning of cooking, while in others, it was added later on. Some recipes called for some of the vegetables to be sautéed before being simmered, while others did not.
Today being Robbie Burns Day, I decided to create an ultra-rich version of the soup to celebrate that occasion. I called it Scotch-style broth, because it varied a bit from traditional recipes.
For example, rather than simply simmer the lamb shoulder chops I used in the soup, I roasted them first, enhancing their taste and colour and that of the soup. I also roasted some of the vegetables used in the soup, enhancing their flavour, too.
Once the meat and vegetables were in the pot, I deglazed the roasting pan with some Scotch whisky, pouring that liquid into the pot to add another layer of flavour to the soup.
Also, rather than just simmer the meat and vegetables in water, I used a mix of beef broth and water, which gave the soup a fuller flavour.
Lastly, instead of adding barley and peas, I just used barley, half of which I added at the beginning of cooking to help thicken the soup. The other half was added later on, so that it would be just tender when the soup was cooked and have more bite.
When cooked, my Scotch-style broth was thick and delicious and made a very filling winter meal when accompanied by today’s other recipe, savoury cheese scones. All went well with a glass of single malt Scotch whisky, something I think Burns would have appreciated.
Scotch-style Broth
This thick, stew-like version of the famous Scottish soup is well stocked with bits of tender lamb, barley and vegetables. Serve it with the scones on page D4 to create a hearty winter supper.
Any leftovers will freeze well.
Preparation: 35 minutes
Cooking time: About two hours, 15 minutes
Makes: eight servings
2 lbs. (1-inch thick) bone-in lamb shoulder chops
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large leek, white and pale green part only, cut in half lengthwise, washed, dried and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, diced (see Note)
2 medium celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup Scotch whisky (see Note)
8 cups beef broth or stock, plus more if needed
4 cups water
2 cups diced turnip or rutabaga
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup pot barley (divided)
3 medium to large kale leaves, tough middle ribs removed, leafy parts coarsely chopped
• chopped parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim fat from the outer edges of lamb chops. Set lamb in a single layer in shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and roast 30 minutes.
While the lamb roasts, place leeks, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste and thyme in a bowl and mix to combine.
When the lamb has roasted 30 minutes, drain excess fat/liquid from the pan. Spoon the vegetable mixture on and around the lamb and roast 10 minutes more. Transfer the lamb and vegetables to a large soup pot (mine was 10 inches wide and seven inches tall).
Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the whisky and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any bits stuck to bottom. Pour the whisky into the soup pot, then add the eight cups beef broth (or stock), water, turnip (or rutabaga), bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and 1/3 cup of the barley.
Set pot over medium-high heat and bring soup to a simmer (small bubbles should just break on the surface). Lower the heat to maintain that simmer.
Simmer soup, uncovered, one hour. Remove the pot from the heat, then lift the pieces of lamb out and onto a plate. Let lamb cool a few minutes, then remove and discard the bones. Chop the meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Return the meat, and any liquid on the plate, to the pot. Now mix in the remaining 1/3 cup barley.
Return soup to a simmer and cook 20 minutes more. Mix in the kale and simmer 10 minutes more, until tender. Skim excess fat from the surface of the soup. Thin soup with a bit more stock, if you find it too thick.
Taste soup and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.
Note: Diced in this recipe means to cut into 1/4-inch cubes. If you don’t want to use whisky, use 1/2 cup beef broth or stock to deglaze the pan.
Cheddar Rosemary Scones
These savoury, cheese-rich scones are great to serve with soup, such as today’s Scotch-style broth. Any leftover scones can be enjoyed the next day for breakfast, with your morning eggs.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Makes: nine to 10 scones
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
100 grams old cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (see Eric’s options)
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, plus some for brushing
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Add the butter. With a pastry cutter, your fingers or a fork, blend it in until it’s thoroughly distributed. Now mix in the cheese and rosemary.
Place the egg in a second bowl and beat well. Mix in the 1 1/4 cups buttermilk. Gently mix these wet ingredients into the flour mixture until a loose dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, knead and shape the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc that’s about seven inches wide and 1 1/2-inches thick.
Use a lightly floured, three-inch round cutter to cut the dough into rounds and place them on the baking sheet. Gather up the scraps of dough, and press and cut into more scones.
Bake scones in the middle of the oven for 18 minutes, until they’re puffed and golden.
Eric’s options: Instead of rosemary, try another herb in these scones, such as minced fresh thyme, chopped parsley or snipped chives. Or make plain cheese scones by not adding herbs to the dough.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
