Thursday, 27 October 2016

Mrs Fitz's Scotch broth (The Outlander) - #ReadCookEat



I binged-watched the first series of The Outlander just recently on Amazon, and started reading the first novel in the series amidst watching. I'm still half-way through with the book. Now, I love historical fiction, and I do enjoy time-travelling as a genre, but I am very much in two minds about both the fiction and the TV series. The historical background is fascinating, and once you "accepted" the time-travelling fluke, the plot becomes quite dramatic and almost epic. As a storyteller, Diana Gabaldon is skilled undoubtedly.
On the other hand, it is way too graphic for me. I'm not a prude when it comes to erotica, but this novel has a strange fascination with violence.
And there's too much sex. Once two main characters get married, they are at it like rabbits, non-stop, to the point of marital rape.
The last two episodes of the TV series were so violent and graphic, I kept fast-forwarding the action. The disturbing prison rape scenes went for ages. It was totally unnecessary to drag it for two episodes.
I think I'll be skipping the pages once I get there in the novel.
The Outlander series of books have zillions of fans and got raving reviews, but I do feel I'm not in the cheerleaders' camp. I'll try to finish the first novel, but it is verra long indeed.

Reading books, especially historical fiction, I always look for food mentions, and there was quite a lot of meals described, from very simple breakfast to feasts. Here are a few foodie quotes:

"I had no appetite for the parritch that Mrs FitzGibbons brought next for my breakfast, but pretended to eat in order to gain some time for thought."

"I found my appetite rather lacking... I really didn't care for herring, when all was said and done. The bannocks were freshly baked, though, and served with honey."

The bannocks with honey sounded especially appealing, and I think I will try to cook them one day. Parritch was less tempting.

"...the hall, now restored to its normal identity as a refectory. Enormous cauldrons of porridge were dispensed, together with bannocks baked on the hearth and spread with honey..."

"An even louder shout greeted the tubs of ale and whisky that now appeared on trestles, accompanied by platters of steaming bannocks and smoked beef."



Broth is mentioned quite a few times.

"Ah, lass! The aye be things for me to do! I'll send a bit o'broth up for ye. Do ye call oot if ye need anything else"
"He was right; food did help. We ate broth and bread in companionable silencce, sharing the growing comfort of warmth and fullness"

And so broth it was, I decided to cook a rich version, as might have possibly appeared in Castle Leoch, cooked by the mother hen aka Mrs Fitz.

Scotch broth
Ingredients:
100g dried soup and broth mix (pearl barley, yellow split peas, green split peas, marrowfat peas and red lentils)
1 lamb shank, about 400g
2 litres of water
2 stalks of celery
1 turnip, about 250g
4 baby leeks
2tbsp vegetable oil
1 sweet onion
2 carrots
5 big leaves of Savoy cabbage

Soak 100g of dried broth mix in cold water overnight, the next day rinse them well under the running water.
Put the lamb shank in a deep pot (or pan, if you're cooking on the hob) and add at least 2 litres of water. Add the broth mix to the lamb.
Put the pot in the oven preheated to 180C, cook for an hour. Chop the celery and add to the pot together with finely sliced white bits of leeks.
Heat up 2tbsp of oil in a medium sized frying pan, and cook finely chopped sweet onion and peeled and sliced carrots for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown. Add to the broth.
Peel and cube a medium sized turnip and add to the pot.
Cook the broth for another hour or so, add the sliced green part of leeks and cabbage in the last half an hour. You might need to add more water to the pot, so that it looks like a thick soup.
Remove the lamb shank from the pot, discard the bone and shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the broth. Serve hot, with a nice chunk of bread.


This meal is probably best suited for a slow cooker, but as I don't have one, I cooked it in the oven.

I used a pack of soup and broth mix in this recipe, but if you have separate packs of pearl barley and peas, mix your own version.

If you don't fancy meat, there is a vegetarian broth recipe as cooked by Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen - visit her post How to make Scotch broth like a Scot.




33 comments:

  1. Ooh I love the sound of this, and I have some pearl barley in the cupboard - definitely going on a menu plan very soon :)

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    1. It is a satisfying comfort food, but I felt like I needed to add some spice to it. I ate it with pickles.

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  2. Love Scotch broth, its really tasty. Not been watching the outlander at all

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    1. I have tentatively started watching series 2, but not during the midterm holidays, as I don't want to watch it with the kids at home, it's too violent

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  3. I love meals like this, because not only are they comforting, but they are a great way to use up leftovers too.

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    1. Thank you! I always feel virtuous when I use the leftovers, lol

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  4. This sounds lovely, i like how TV inspired it too x

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    1. Thank you Jodie, it was more a book than the series that inspired the recipe, but I'll keep reading and watching and see if there's anything else that catches my eye

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  5. Love Scotch broth and love your photos, especially like the quilt your bowl is standing on. Did you make it?

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    1. Thank you, Teresa! I didn't make this beautiful quilt, my Mum brought it from Russia (her friend made it for me). This is actually the back side of it, the front is even more glorious

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  6. This sounds like the perfect warming recipe for these colder nights we are starting to have. x

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    1. Thank you, and I made so much that it lasted for my lunches for a few days.

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  7. I really need to watch Outlander as I always hear people rave about it, awesome how it inspired your cooking too x

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    1. Thank you Rhian! It's good, but be prepared for quite a lot of violent scenes.

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  8. Now Outlander is something I haven't had the chance to see or read. I think I'd really enjoy this rich broth though.

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    1. Thank you Liz! I missed both series when they first appeared on TV, now catching up on Amazon. Netflix might have it too

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  9. Yummy, what a delicious broth! Perfect for the cold evenings! :)
    http://lilinhaangel.com/

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    1. Thank you Lilinha! Soups and stews in this weather all the way for me

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  10. I watched the first two series and then promptly went out bought the first three books. Book 1 I read in one week in a tent outside Bergen (heaven!) and I'm slowly working through book 2. I wish there was more time to read as they're so good! Gorgeous recipe too - have you seen the Outlander Kitchen companion cookbook? Full of recipes inspired by the book. :)

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    1. I haven't heard of this book, thanks for the heads-up, I'll google it, though I don't know if I can justify buying another cook book. :)

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  11. Oh wow this looks just like a huge bowl of comfort, absolutely divine x

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  12. I've not seen nor read any of outlander but that soup looks so warm and comforting

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  13. I love Scotch Broth, and this time of year is perfect for it to warm the cockles x

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  14. ive never tried scotch broth but this does look amazing

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  15. I love broth, it has to be one of the most soothing things when you aren't well! H x

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  16. I really love scotch broth. It's so tasty and I would love to try this recipe especially with a lamb shank! So yummy!

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  17. I haven't eaten a scotch broth in ages! But yours looks delicious!!

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  18. This sounds lovely, I haven't had anything like this lately x

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  19. My mummy s half Scottish and was brought up on Scotch Broth! Its her favourite... I like it without the lamb as a veg broth xx

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  20. This looks so warm and comforting. I'm loving soups at the moment.

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  21. This looks so tasty - perfect winter warming food! :)

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  22. This looks like a great hearty meal for the cooler weather.

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  23. I've not tried this before but I'm currently on my way to Scotland so might get the chance to try it! xo

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