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RecipesBarley Broth (Scotch Broth)
Hailed as Scotland's national soup, Scotch broth is the kind of one-pot main course soup, or soup stew, that every country except England seems to have made for centuries under various names (pot-au-feu being a good example). You simply simmered whatever meat, pulses and vegetables you had to hand, and different regions provided different combinations. If you only had a little meat, it was chopped up and served in the soup as a filling main course, and that was your meal. If you could afford a whole chicken, or plenty of cheap mutton or beef, you supped the cooking liquor as soup, followed by a main course of the meat or poultry served with vegetables. Boswell was surprised to see Dr Johnson enjoying the broth in Edinburgh during a tour of the Highlands in the eighteenth century "You never ate it before?" he asked. Johnson replied "No, but I don't mind how soon I eat it again". Ingredients
Serves: 8
3-6 Pounds neck of lamb or mutton, ribs or knuckle 2-4 Ounces Pearl barley 2-4 Ounces Dried white or split peas, soaked overnight 2 Carrots, scraped and diced 2 White young turnips or swede, peeled & diced 2-3 Onions, diced Salt and pepper Chopped parsley Method
1. Put the meat into a deep saucepan with a scant 32 fl ozs of water to each 1lb of meat.
2. Add the barley and peas, bring slowly to the boil and skim until clear. Simmer for 30 minutes if using lamb, and for one hour if using mutton. 3. Add vegetables and simmer till meat is very tender - about a further two hours. 4. When the meat is ready, remove it, skim off any fat, and 'reduce' the broth to obtain a good flavour, by boiling rapidly, uncovered. 5. Either serve the meat after the soup, or remove it from the bones, cut it up neatly, and return to the soup to heat through. 6. Just before serving, add a good tablespoon of chopped parsley. If making Scotch broth with beef (brisket, shin, flank, or a mixture of each), you will find that shredded kail and sliced leeks will give a better flavour than carrot and turnip. In place of the onions you can use 3 small leeks.
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