Burns night

4 min read

This 25 January, celebrate Scotland’s greatest poet on Burns Night with these delicious traditional Caledonian recipes with a twist from the Hebridean Baker, Coinneach MacLeod

WINTER WARMERS FOR

The Selkirk Grace ‘‘Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit.”― Robert Burns

Photos: Susie Lowe

I absolutely relish Burns Night: it’s a celebration that’s steeped in tradition, poetry and the very spirit of Scottish culture. Rabbie Burns, for me, is an icon. His ability to express the essence of Scotland in words is unparalleled. My all-time favourite Burns poem is ‘A Man’s a Man for A’ That’. Its message of egalitarianism and unity resonates deeply with me.

Knowing that folk across the world are sitting down to a Burns supper, gathering with friends and family, reciting verses and indulging in Scottish fare warms my soul.

Now, when it comes to the Burns Night menu, I’m all for tradition. From the stirring piping in of the haggis and a few drams (my favourite being an 18-year-old Jura whisky if anyone ever meets me in the pub) to the classic combination of toasted oats, whipped cream, raspberries, honey and a hint of whisky that creates the cranachan’s sweet symphony.

But this year I will be welcoming my guests in from the cold January evening with something a wee bit different: a hot, dark and stormy cocktail with Askival rum, from where else but the Isle of Rum.

Us Scots are great at making soup, from cullen skink to cock-a-leekie, and who doesn’t love a warming bowl of Scotch broth? I will be using lamb from my brother’s croft on the Isle of Lewis. And for dessert, I’ve headed north and put a twist on a classic Orkney broonie by smothering it in a sticky toffee sauce. Make sure you make enough for second helpings!

HOT, DARK & STORMY

Whether you’re snuggled up on your favourite chair by the stove or settled around a bonfire on the shoreline, a warming mug of tea with a boozy kick will keep the winter chill at bay. This has all the flavours of a classic dark and stormy cocktail, but is infused with fresh ginger, cloves and honey.

Makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE GINGER TEA

250ml (1 cup) water
1 teabag ginger tea
3 whole cloves
1 tsp honey
3cm of fresh ginger,
peeled and grated

FOR THE COCKTAIL 50ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) dark rum Lime wedges Fresh nutmeg, grated

METHOD

1 To make the tea, pour the water into a saucepan and add the teab

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