Hi all, As a way of thanking Lauren and Cal for their marvelous presentation at our last meeting and to follow up on the discussion regarding Scottish food, here are a few "choice" recipes for this season and others that I unearthed looking for my Irish fruitcake recipe :) Jana FROM THE ANDERSON CLAN - SCOTCH BROTH (serves 6-8) 1 pound neck of mutton 3 oz. barley 3 oz. dried peas 1 oz. parsley 3 large leeks 2 quarts water 1/2 pound carrots (reserve one carrot for grating) 1/2 pound turnip 2 onions 4 oz. shredded cabbage salt and pepper to taste Soak the peas overnight. Wipe the meat and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add the salt, peas and barley and boil slowly for one hour. Cut the carrots, turnips and leeks into neat dice, slice the onions and add with the cabbage to the pot. Simmer for a further hour. Ten minutes before serving, add the grated carrot and chopped parsley. When ready lift out the meat, skim the broth, check the seasoning and serve. It is traditional to serve the meat as a separate course. FROM THE CAMERON CLAN - COCK-A-LEEKIE 1 plump boiling fowl (approx. 6 1/2 pounds) 2 quarts water 1 dozen shredded leeks 2 oz. rice 1 onion 1 grated carrot 1 dozen soaked prunes (optional) chopped parsley salt and pepper Clean and truss fowl. Place it with the giblets in a soup pot, cover with the measured water, add salt and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 1 hour, skimming frequently. Wash and add the leeks, rice and chopped onion. Simmer gently for approx. another hour. until the fowl is tender. Add the soaked prunes (if desired) Remove the bird and giblets, and skim any grease from the soup. Add the chopped parsley and grated carrots. Adjust the seasoning and serve. This bird may be served as a separate course with either parsley or caper sauce. FROM THE KENNEDY CLAN - HAGGIS (serves 6) stomach bag of sheep the pluck ( heart, liver, lights) (ask Lauren or Cal what "lights" are) 1/2 pound minced beef suet 4 par-boiled onions 8 oz. pinhead oatmeal 1 pint stock from the boiled pluck salt and pepper Wash the bag, scrape and thoroughly clean it, and soak it overnight in cold water and salt. Wash the pluck and put it into a pan with the windpipe hanging over the side. Cover with boiling water, add a teaspoonful of salt and boil for two hours. When this is done, cut away the windpipe. Grate the liver and mince the heart, lights, suet and onions. Toast the oatmeal by shaking on a heavy frying pan over a moderate heat until darkly coloured and add with the pluck, suet and onions to one pint of pluck liquid, mixing thoroughly. Season. Fill the bag a little more than half full and sew up. Place it in boiling water and boil for three hours, pricking occasionally to prevent bursting. Serve on a hot ashet (meat plate). FROM THE MACKINTOSH CLAN - MUSSELBURGH PIE (serves 6-8) 1 pound round steak, cut thin 1 dozen mussels (fresh or tinned) 1 small onion 1/2 pound rough puff pastry 1 tablespoon flour 1/1/2 gills stock 1 oz. dripping salt and pepper Cut the meat into a dozen strips. The mussels should previously have been thoroughly cleaned and boiled. Place a mussel on each strip of meat. Sprinkle with seasoned flour and pack lightly into the pie dish. Lay the trimmings of fat from the meat with the sliced onion and dripping round the rolls in the dish. Add stock just to cover, and top with puff pastry. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) for ten minutes, then finish off in a moderate oven for 1 1/2 hours (325-350 degrees). FROM THE ROYAL STEWART CLAN - SCOTCH TRIFLE 1 stale Victoria sponge or 1/2 dozen small sponge cakes good quality raspberry jam 2 tablespoons green ginger syrup or 2 tablespoons sherry 1 pint thick egg custard 1/2 pint double cream (whipped) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 oz. castor sugar ratafias and pistachio nuts or glace cherries and angelica Split sponges and sprinkle with sherry and/or green ginger syrup. Spread thickly with heated jam. Make two layers in this fashion. Pour the egg custard and leave to soak. Whip the cream until thick and add the essence and the sugar. Halve the amount of cream; spread half over the sponge mixture ands force the other half through a forcing bag to decorate. Finish the decoration with ratafias and split pistachios, or glace cherries and angelica. (A nickel to the first person who can tell me what the heck ratafia is :) Happy Holidays everyone and hope to see you at our Annual Holiday Celebration this Sunday!