Bannocks and Arbroath Smokies

Arbroath smokies (smoked haddock) and bannocks with heather honey

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City/Region: Scotland

Time Period: 11th Century

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When I was in Scotland, I got to visit Scone Palace, where Scottish kings, including the historical Macbeth, were crowned at the Stone of Destiny. While there, I also go to use their kitchen to make some oat bannocks, which are very simple and taste mostly of oats, which makes them perfect to spread some heather honey on.

Chef Fraser Bell at Scone Palace showed me how to prepare some delicious Arbroath smokies, which are salted and smoked haddock. They’re not fishy at all and have a meatier texture than fish normally has, which then kind of melts in the mouth. They may be a bit harder to find in the U.S., but you can get them online (see notes below).

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Ingredients:

Bannocks

• 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• A pinch of salt
• Oatmeal, ground into a flour
• Heather honey or jam, for serving

Smokies

• 2 Arbroath smokies*
• Milk
• Butter
• Pepper

*You can find Arbroath smokies online

Instructions:

1. For the bannocks: Add the milk, butter, and pinch of salt to a pan over low heat and bring it to a light boil.
2. Add in the oatmeal and stir for a couple of minutes, and add in just enough oatmeal so that it becomes a pliable dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a large circle, then return it to the pan to cook. You can cut the bannocks into smaller pieces if you don’t want to cook one large bannock.
4. For the smokies: Warm the smokies up in a shallow pan of milk, then take them out and finish them with some butter and cracked black pepper.

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