Scottish Cookery Books

The subject of Scottish food and cooking is a vexed one. Our diet in Scotland is often called 'unhealthy' with an ingrained tendency to deep-fried food, sweet things, like cakes, biscuits, and confectionery, and not enough fruit or vegetables. (The American comedian, Greg Proops points out that we Scots use only two spices: salt and pepper... with the emphasis on the salt.)

Whilst we can't lay claim to having one of the best culinary traditions in the world then, we can justifiably point to our natural larder. It's often said that we have among the best raw ingredients in the world: our beef, game, fish and shellfish are sought-after, as are our soft fruits and preserves.

So, apart from the ingredients, what are our strengths? Well, traditionally, Scottish cooks were well known for their baking skills: shortbread, scones, pancakes, and other accoutrements of a Scottish high tea. We have a notoriously sweet tooth that in the past enjoyed tablet, Edinburgh rock, boiled sweets of all kinds, macaroons…the list goes on. We also have a reputation for cold weather cookery with recipes for pies, pastries, and smoked fish dishes. The traditional diet of the Highlanders at the turn of the twentieth century, dishes based upon oatmeal and oily fish such as herring and mackerel, ranked as one of the healthiest in the world though it wouldn't have been seen like that at the time.

Good, general, introductory books to the country's cooking styles include the classic F. Marian MacNeill's The Scots Kitchen, Annette Hope's A Caledonian Feast and the more historically inclined Traditional Scottish Cookery by Theodora Fitzgibbon.

We have our celebrity chefs: Clarissa Dickson Wright (Hieland Foodie); Nick Nairn ( New Scottish Cookery); Claire Macdonald (Claire Macdonald's Scottish Cookery); Shirley Spear of Three Chimneys fame; and some top-class food and cookery writers in the form of Sue Lawrence (Scots Cooking, Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen); Catherine Brown (Classic Scots Cookery, Feeding Scotland); and Joanna Blythman (Shopped).

Vegetarians are catered for by the cookery book from one of Edinburgh's most famous veggie eateries, Henderson's Wholefood Cookbook, and The Findhorn Book of Vegetarian Recipes, from the Findhorn community in the North of Scotland.

Regional/city restaurant books include the smart-looking Gourmet Glasgow; Dear Francesca by Mary Contini of Edinburgh-based Valvona and Crolla, and Ashoka, a book on Indian curries inspired by the Glasgow restaurant. Worth waiting for too is the forthcoming book by Seamus MacInnes of Café Gandolfi, the great Glaswegian institution.

Books aimed at teaching children to cook include the three books: Teach the Bairns to Cook, Teach the Bairns to Bake and Teach the Bairns Scottish Vegetarian Cookery.

Try this traditional Scottish dessert, from a recipe by Shirley Spear:

Cranachan with Fresh Raspberries (serves 4)

Ingredients

250ml or 1/2 pint fresh double cream
1 tbsp thick heather honey.
1 generous tbsp of Talisker whisky
1 heaped tbsp of toasted oatmeal
2 punnets raspberries

Method

  1. Whisk the cream together with the honey and whisky.
  2. Fold in the toasted oatmeal.
  3. Pile on top of fresh raspberries and serve.

Featured Books

  • Cover scan of The Ashöka Cookbook
    Ashoka: Simple, Tasty Indian Recipes Sanjay Majhu
    Containing a comprehensive range of mouth-watering curry recipes from all over India for the curry expert or novice, this book teaches you in easy-to-follow steps how to prepare the full spectrum of Indian cuisine from north, south, east and west of the Indian sub-continenent in your own home.
  • Cover scan of A Caledonian Feast
    A Caledonian Feast Annette Hope
    From the ninth century to the present, from the simplicity of porridge and oatcakes to the gourmet delights of fish and game, this is a culinary history of Scotland, complete with Annette Hope's personal collection of authentic recipes.
  • Cover scan of Dear Francesca
    Dear Francesca: An Italian Journey Of Recipes Recounted With Love Mary Contini
    This cookbook is addressed to the author's daughter and provides not only a cookbook but an account of the family's history. It describes her grandparents' emigration to Scotland and the traditions the family has kept alive in their adopted country.
  • Cover scan of Henderson's Wholefood Cookbook
    Henderson's Wholefood Cookbook
    Henderson's restaurant is an Edinburgh institution, renowned for its natural, wholefood cooking. This book presents a selection of recipes, often passed along by word of mouth, and all currently in use in the restaurant.
  • Cover scan of New Scottish Cookery
    New Scottish Cookery Nick Nairn
    In the culinary world, Scotland is renowned for the quality of its ingredients. In this work, Nick Nairn creates a mouth-watering collection of recipes combining Scottish ingredients.
  • Cover scan of Scots Cooking
    Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional And Contemporary Scottish Recipes Sue Lawrence
    Sue Lawrence has collected together over 120 of the best regional recipes, using only the freshest ingredients such as fish, beef, lamb or venison. The text is interspersed with fascinating stories about the origins of the dishes.
  • Cover scan of The Scots Kitchen
    The Scots Kitchen: Its Traditions And Lore With Old-Time Recipes F. Marian McNeill
    F. Marian McNeill was a journalist and writer with a deep love and knowledge of Scots language, lore and traditions. This text represents her account of eating and drinking in Scotland through the ages, including a selection of traditional recipes.
  • Cover scan of Shopped
    Shopped: The Shocking Power Of British Supermarkets Joanna Blythman
    In the 1970s, supermarkets in Britain accounted for 10% of the grocery spend. Today that figure is now 80%, influencing our whole way of life. This book looks at the impact of supermarket domination, from farmers who have to sell produce at less than its value to the teenage part-timers who stack the shelves.
  • Cover scan of Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen
    Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen Sue Lawrence
    Sue Lawrence offers over 100 recipes to celebrate the down-to-earth ingredients, straightforward cooking and warmth of all things Scottish. In ten themed chapters - from 'A bonfire on the beach' to 'A lochside picnic', she introduces Scottish food and landscapes to cooks well beyond its shores.
  • Cover scan of Traditional Scottish Cookery
    Traditional Scottish Cookery Theodora FitzGibbon
    Gathering together some of the finest traditional Scottish recipes, this book includes favourites such as cock-a-leekie soup and Finnan haddie and kippers, as well as the more sophisticated meat and game dishes that are a legacy of the Auld Alliance with France.

Teaching Children to Cook

  • Cover scan of Teach The Bairns Scottish Vegetarian Cooking
    Teach The Bairns Scottish Vegetarian Cooking: Traditional Vegetarian Recipes For Beginners Liz Ashworth
    A companion to Teach the Bairns to Cook, this book introduces children to traditional vegetarian cookery. Simple, intermediate and advanced recipes are included, each with a historical note regarding its origins, and hints for adaptation
  • Cover scan of Teach The Bairns To Bake
    Teach The Bairns To Bake: Scones And Bannocks, Breads And Baps, Oatcakes, Wee Fancies, Shortbreads And Biscuits, Tarts, Gingerbreads, Cakes, And Sweets Liz Ashworth
    A companion to Teach the Bairns to Cook, this book introduces children to traditional Scots baking. Simple, intermediate and advanced recipes are included, each with a historical note about its origins, and hints for adaptation
  • Cover scan of Teach The Bairns To Cook
    Teach The Bairns To Cook: Soup, Vegetables, Fish, Meat, Poultry And Game, Oatmeal, Puddings And Desserts, Snacks And Savouries Liz Ashworth
    This is the first children's cookbook devoted to traditional Scots recipes. Simple, intermediate and advanced recipes are included, each with a historical note about its origins, and hints for adaptation