Scottish Skirlie Mash for Hogmanay

Contains:    Nightshades, grains, dairy.  Is:  Vegetarian, gluten-free, quick and easy.

This dish includes potatoes, onions, and oatmeal.  One serving, below.

For a full out Hogmanay, you can also make the Cock-a-Leekie soup I posted back for St. Andrew’s Day.   For a good Scottish dessert, there’s also shortcake.

Last year, I went Soul Food & deep South for my New Year’s recipes.  This year, we celebrate Hogmanay, a long-term Scottish tradition.  Oats, potatoes, and onion are important in Scottish cuisine.  And I thought for sure I had parsley left from another recent dish, but alas – so for a fleck of color for photography in this dish, I ended up chopping up a little spinach – parsley would be more appropriate.  (Hey, I could have used cilantro!  NO!)

The complete amount of skirlie mash made.

https://www.food.com/recipe/skirlie-mash-scottish-mashed-potatoes-with-onions-and-oats-282022?photo=117104

Prep Time:  15 minutes.
Cook Time: 20 minutes.
Rest Time:  A couple minutes. 
Serves: 3 – 4.
Cuisine:  Scottish.
Leftovers:  Sure, although best served immediately.

Scottish Skirlie Mash

• 17 ounces / 0.5 kg potato, chopped into large 1-2 inch / 2.5 – 5 cm chunks.  
• 3 ounces / 85 g butter
• 1 finely chopped onion.
• 0.9 – 1 ounce / 25 g regular oatmeal.
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Salt and ground white pepper, to taste.
• Optional sprinkles of fresh chopped parsley. 

Boil the potatoes until tender, which will be in about 20 minutes.

During that process, heat the butter in a skillet medium high; add onion and saute for about 10 minutes, until soft and perhaps beginning to brown.

Add oatmeal flakes, and stir until the oatmeal absorbs the butter and the mixture looks dry.  Continue cooking (and stirring) until this gets toasted, about five more minutes.  DO NOT let it BURN.  Remove from cooktop and keep warm.  (BTW, this is the “skirlie”.)

Drain potatoes, and return to the hot skillet.  Mash.  Add the cream, parsley and the “skirlie” (the oatmeal preparation).  Season with salt and the white pepper.  Mix again, taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately.  Works best as a side.  If you do have leftovers, as I did, I’d recommend the microwave.  You may wish to mix in a bit more cream to return it to the original moisture level, when re-heating.

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Shared with Farm Fresh Tuesdays.

And, a bit belated, with Full Plate Thursday and with Fiesta Friday.