Buttery shortbread, hearty stews, fluffy crumpets, and sweet tablet. That’s this and this is that.
It has this sort of all-up-in-there cozy kind of a feel to it, with the rich flavors and the crumbly textures and the general feeling of being a hug in food form.
I know you might be thinking about haggis right now. But friends, I am telling you that Scottish food is so much more than that. It is comfort food meets rustic cooking meets me floating on a food lovers’ cloud nine.
1. Traditional Scottish Tablet
Tablet is a bit hard to describe, so you really should make this recipe and see for yourself why it is so beloved.
Lots of people compare this sweet treat to fudge, and they are both sweet, obviously. But Tablet has a distinct, slightly grainy texture. (I have had totally smooth Tablet, too, but most has had a bit of texture.)
Made with butter, sugar, and condensed milk, it gets cooked on the stove for about 20-30 minutes.
This allows the sugars and milk to caramelize, giving it the most dreamy taste. One bite and it just melts in your mouth.
2. Scottish Mince Recipe with Tatties
Mince is the British name for ground meat, and it usually refers to beef. If you have ever been to England or Scotland, you may have seen simply “mince and potatoes” on pub menus.
It is cheap to make and very filling. When you break this recipe down, it is sort of like a deconstructed cottage pie.
The filling is ground beef with veggies and a nice dark gravy, and it is served with yummy mashed potatoes.
The only real difference is that they are made and plated separately rather than baked in layers.
3. Scottish Steak Pie
Spend a little time in the UK or Australia, and you will soon learn that their pie culture is pretty intense. And by pie, I mean meat pie. They don’t make fruit or sweet pies as often as we do, but their meat pies are to die for.
If you take a look at the ingredient list for this, you might think it looks kind of like beef stew, and you are right. This is more or less beef stew topped with pastry.
Veggies are optional, though the most authentic recipes are pure meat.
You will also notice that it calls for puff pastry, which adds such lovely buttery flakiness to the mix. Since the filling is so thick, it is nice to have that lighter crust.
4. Traditional Scottish Shortbread
Shortbread was invented in Scotland, so if you want the best recipe, look for something with Scottish in the title, like this recipe!
If you only take one thing away from this post, let it be this: shortbread should only contain butter, sugar, and flour.
Some recipes might add vanilla, and, of course, there are extras, like chocolate chips or candied citrus peel. But in general, it is a super simple blend of three key ingredients.
If you see a recipe with eggs or milk, it is not traditional shortbread. The reason vanilla is counted as an “extra” is that shortbread should be buttery.
That is the flavor you will want (so get top-quality butter), and vanilla can distract from that if you are too heavy-handed.
5. Scottish Rumbledethumps
This fantastic, vegetarian-friendly side (though it could be a main, too) is super affordable and makes a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes.
The name is thought to come from the sound the ingredients used to make against wooden bowls during preparation. Who knows for sure?
Start by boiling and mashing potatoes, then sauté onions and cabbage until tender. Mix in some mature cheddar and stir everything together.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish, cover with the rest of the cheese and bake until golden. I like to use leeks for color and taste, but any white onions should do the trick.
6. Cullen Skink Traditional Scottish Fish Soup
This might be the most famous Scottish meal you have never heard of. It is a tasty soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions, and it comes together pretty fast.
It was named for the coastal town, Cullen, and an old term used for a shin, knuckle, or hoof of beef. It is richer than chowder and much smokier thanks to the haddock, which is pleasantly meaty.
7. Easy Traditional Scottish Crumpets
Scottish crumpets are a little different from English, which typically use yeast and require resting time.
The batter is pretty thick, and they are made with metal rings, so they stay perfectly round and rise like a dream. In contrast, Scottish crumpets don’t use a ring, and they look more like pancakes.
Also, since they are made with baking powder rather than yeast, the batter doesn’t rise the same way. When making English crumpets, you need to cook them super low and slow so the heat will gradually cook in the middle, leaving pickets of air for the butter to sink into.
Scottish crumpets, though, are fried and flipped like regular pancakes. They are fluffier in texture and faster to make.
8. Haggis
We have all heard of haggis, but how many people know what it actually is? I have to admit, I have tried it, and I wasn’t 100% sure what I was eating at the time.
Haggis is a type of savory pudding (food that’s boiled or steamed) and usually consists of sheep’s stomach casing filled with all kinds of offal or sheep pluck.
This sheep pluck includes lungs, hearts, and liver. To that, you will add onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, salt, and stock.
It takes quite some time to prepare, as you need to thoroughly wash the sheep’s stomach and par-cook a few ingredients before mixing everything together.
Once mixed and kneaded into a soft mass, you will stuff the stomach, and then it needs to boil for a few hours.
9. Scottish Oatmeal Rolls
Oats are a huge part of Scottish cuisine, and these rolls are no exception. They are light but have a distinct oaty texture, which I think you will fall in love with.
The first thing you need to do is pour boiling water over the oats, then add brown sugar, salt, and oil. As it cools, the oats will soften, so don’t worry about this feeling grainy.
The oats get broken down further after you add yeast, water, and flour. As you knead the dough, the oats will almost melt into the mixture.
I like these smaller with lots of butter, but you can make them larger and use them for bacon sandwiches too!
10. Cranachan
This dessert is similar to the one above as it also calls for cream, whisky, oatmeal, and honey. But instead of orange, this is made with raspberries.
Pronounced ‘kran-akan,’ its most basic version was actually a breakfast dish. It consisted of toasted oatmeal, cream, and local honey.
Raspberries were only added to celebrate the big June harvest, though these days, it is almost always an indulgent dessert.
Once again, you need to be prepared for this dish as the toasted oats need to sit in the whiskey overnight, so they will absorb all the liquid.
11. Scottish Bubble And Squeak Patties
Bubble and squeak can be made and served as a side with roast chicken or pork, but it is often made the day after a big dinner with leftovers.
Similar to the recipe above, it typically uses potatoes, cabbage, and onion, though I have had it with everything from broccoli and carrots to leftover chicken.
It is a great way to make a new-ish dish and keep from wasting food.
Unlike the recipe above, where everything is mixed up and baked, bubble and squeak is mixed and fried like pancakes or a Spanish tortilla.
12. Slow Cooked Scottish Beef Stew
I adore beef stew! It is the most comforting food, and when it is done right and the meat is super tender, I can’t stop at just one bowl.
Always start by searing the meat after tossing it in flour. It adds a crust on the outside, and the flour helps to thicken the stew as it cooks.
After that, you will cook the onions until tender, then add carrots, potatoes, swede, beef stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Finally, for the best melt-in-your-mouth meat, it needs to bubble away for around 3 to 4 hours.
13. Rustic Scottish Bannock Recipe
Bannock is a type of skillet bread that is made without yeast and includes plenty of delicious oats. It tastes a little bit like a scone, though I find it much denser.
Instead of using white flour, or even whole wheat, you will grind oats into a powder, adding a crazy amount of fiber and flavor. Toast the first for even more amazing taste.
The trick to making this is patience. Since it is made on the stove, it needs to cook slowly, so the middle doesn’t turn soggy, and the edges don’t burn.
14. Scottish Potato Pie
I think every country has its own version of this. For example, the French like to make it creamy, and the Spanish confit the potatoes in olive oil for maximum flavor.
This version is easy, salty, meaty, and wonderfully cheesy. It is not creamy, but that doesn’t make it any less decadent.
Start by lining the baking dish with bacon. This acts like a crust and helps to season the potatoes as the fat seeps in and infuses everything as it bakes.
Next, layer the potatoes and cheese before covering the edges with the excess bacon.
15. Tasty Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup Recipe
Where leek and potato soup is thick and creamy, this chicken and leek soup is much thinner and loaded with homemade broth and veggies.
If you have leftover chicken, you can use that. Or cook a whole (small) chicken or bone-in chicken thighs for maximum flavor.
Along with the chicken, you will need the greens of a few leeks, celery, bay leaves, carrots, and an onion. Remember to start with cold water for the stock and cook until the chicken juices run clear.
16. Traditional Scottish Stovies Recipe
Stovies are like bubble and squeak in that they were created to use up leftovers and reduce food waste.
The basic idea is to use the beef drippings from your Sunday roast to cook onions. Then add leftover roast potatoes, some raw potatoes, cut-up roast beef, and stock or gravy.
Make this in a large pan with deep sides and cover. It should simmer for around 45-60 minutes. Add whatever veggies you have left, or throw in chopped raw carrots if you don’t have enough.
17. Scottish Black Bun
I think I have had a variation of this. It was more like a traybake, and there was only pastry on top. Still, it was scrumptious.
But the traditional recipe is a fruit loaf filled with raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, and plenty of warm spices that are wrapped and baked in a pastry case.
Like any good fruit loaf, it should be made weeks in advance so the flavors can mature.
18. Traditional Old-Fashioned Scottish Flummery Recipe
Flummery can be traced back to royal Scottish feasts in the 15th century, so you know they must be doing something right here.
Though there is some debate about the exact origins – many believe it is actually Irish and derived from a Welsh word, “llymru”, which is a similar dish of oatmeal and husks.
Either way, it is a simple dessert made with starch and milk; in this case, it is oats. That said, since this is jelly-like, plenty of recipes skip the grains altogether.
For the most traditional version, you will need to soak the oats for around 48 hours, which means you need to be well prepared for this dish.
This is vital as it is the starch in the oats that make this thick.
19. Classic Scottish Scones
Scottish scones are a lot closer to our biscuits in that they are light and fluffy, but a lot less sweet than their southern counterparts.
English scones are usually on the sweeter side and have lots of sultanas in the mix. In contrast, these have no sugar at all, so they can be used with sweet or savory toppings.
The method is similar, though, and you need to be very gentle with the dough, otherwise, they will be hard and dry.
20. Scottish Tattie Soup
In case you haven’t guessed by now, ‘tatties’ are potatoes. They are satisfying, cheap, and super versatile. They are also a staple for many traditional British meals.
This soup is about as simple as it gets. You just need carrots, leeks, onion, stock, and potatoes, preferably something starchy.
Just toss everything in a pot and cook for an hour or so until the veggies are soft and the potatoes are starting to break apart.
