Carolyn McDonald Graf
The Hebridean Baker, Coinneach MacLeod, has a new cookbook simply called The Scottish Cookbook. He again brings his lively storytelling skills to this book which makes it as fun to read as it is to cook from. Who could pass up stories like The Church Minister, the Nurse, and the Drag Queen? The photographs are stunning, but, as usual, his recipes are the star.
“What does it take to be a Scottish Baker?” he asks. His answer lies in awareness of traditional recipes and the desire to get them “just right so the heart and soul of Scotland are captured in every bite. So, it’s simple. To be a truly great Scottish baker, you need a dash of skill, a sprinkle of tradition, and a whole lot of heart – Oh, and definitely a tin of Golden Syrup!” Coinneach MacLeod certainly has all of these.
In addition to many traditional recipes, The Scottish Cookbook takes some traditional recipes and gives them a new twist such as Cock-a-leekie Orzo, Rumble-de-thump Fish Pie, and Isle of Mulligatawny Soup.
Mulligatawny soup was popular in India during the English occupation. Indian meals at that time consisted of several dishes served to the table all at the same time, instead of the several courses the British were accustomed to. The unbending British wanted their meals served in courses and insisted on a soup course. The Indian cuisine didn’t include a soup, but the clever Indian servants took a popular broth drink, Milagu Tanner, and served it as a soup. The original translated to “pepper water” but the British called it Mulligatawny. Meat and other ingredients were added to accommodate the British tastes, and the resulting soup was brought back to Britain and became a favorite in English and Scottish pubs.
Charles Dickens added a recipe in his weekly magazine All the Year Round in 1868.
Take two quarts of water, my lord, and boil a fowl; then add to it a white onion, a chili, two teaspoonfuls of pounded ginger, two of curry powder, one teaspoonful of turmeric, and half a spoonful of black pepper; boil these for half an hour, then fry some small onions and add to the soup; season with salt, and serve up.
The Hebridean Baker’s recipe for this soup is yet again different but very tasty.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 ½ tablespoons mild curry powder
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
11 1/2 ounces chicken thigh filets
1 2/3 cups full fat coconut milk
3 cups chicken stock
2 Braeburn apples
½ cup Basmati rice
½ lemon juiced
1 spring onion diced
Directions
In a large soup pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and ginger, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Stir in the curry powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Cook for one minute. Coat the chicken thighs in the spiced vegetable mixture.
Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock into the pan. Cover, bringing to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook gently for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove the chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
Peel, core, and finely chop the apples into sticks and add along with the rice to the broth, bringing back to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Cut up the cooled chicken and stir it back into the soup along with the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, removing the bay leaves.
Warm through for an additional two to three minutes. Serve topped with spring onion.
The Scottish Cookbook, Coinneach MacLeod, Sourcebooks, Napier Illinois, 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulligatawny# https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/mulligatawny-soup