Scottish Cuisine You Can Make At Home (5 Easy Recipes)

Whether you’re looking to relive that amazing meal you had on a trip to Edinburgh, or just want to get back in touch with the Scottish food you grew up eating, you can have a taste of Scotland right in your own kitchen.

So, don’t want for a trip back to Scotland to cure that craving for Scottish cuisine. We’ve some tips below on the tasty Scottish food and recipes that you can make right in your own kitchen at home.

Scottish Food & Recipes

Start your day out right with a hearty meal of a full Scottish breakfast. This is going to include eggs, black pudding, back bacon, mushrooms, link sausage, buttered toast, a tomato, baked beans, and tea or coffee.

And if you’re like me, it will also include a small bowl of porridge. Also note that sliced haggis is an optional addition to your breakfast plate.

Full Scottish Breakfast

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Ingredients

• 2 beef link sausages
• 1 Lorne sausage (sliced sausage)
• 1 slice of black pudding
• 2 rashers of bacon
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 medium tomato
• 3 closed cup mushrooms
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)
• Olive oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. Put enough oil in the frying pan to cover the base and heat on low before adding in the link sausage.
2. Cook the sausage on low for 10 minutes, taking care to not burst them.
3. Add the Lorne sausage and black pudding to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then flip these to cook the other side.
4. Cook for 5 more minutes, then remove pan from the cooktop and put in a warm oven to keep the food warm.
5. Slice your tomato in half, and place face-down in an oiled frying pan. Also add the mushrooms, and cook over low heat.
6. Make your egg in the same frying pan, if space allows, or use a different pan. Cook to taste, though over-easy (soft fried) is most common in Scotland. Also, add the bacon to the pan to cook.
7. Toast and butter your bread.

Notes

You can also add tattie scones or beans to your plate, if you prefer. More information here.

Scottish Porridge

Porridge is another staple of the breakfast scene in Scotland. Traditionally, porridge is nothing more than water, oats, and salt. 

But these days, if you order up a bowl of porridge in a Scottish restaurant it will be made with milk or cream. 

Here’s a simple recipe for making your own Scottish-style porridge.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole milk
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Combine water, salt, and oats in a saucepan and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly every few minutes to prevent lumpy porridge. If you have the heat too high, it can pop out and burn you.
2. When you notice the oats have thickened, stir in the milk.
3. Cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Allow porridge to cool before eating.
5. Finally, feel free to top with brown sugar, fruit, or anything else (this step is optional).

Tattie Scones (aka Potato Scones)

In case you don’t know, the word tattie is commonly used for potato in Scotland. If you’ve never had one of these, then you’re in for a treat.

And, they’re a great way to use up any mashed potatoes leftovers you have in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. / 500 g potatoes (cooked and mashed)
• 1 oz. / 30 g butter ( melted plus extra for greasing)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium egg
• 4 oz. / 125 g flour (plus a little extra for rolling out)
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 395 F / 200 C / Gas 6
2. Place the mashed potato in a large baking bowl and add all the other ingredients to form a sticky dough.
3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to approximately 1/2-inch thickness.
4. Cut into saucer-sized rounds then score a cross into the dough to mark 4 equal wedges.
5. Grease a baking sheet with butter and bake the scones for 15 minutes until golden brown and risen.
6. The scones can also be cooked on the stove top on a griddle or heavy-based frying pan. Cook the scones 5 minutes on either side until golden and risen.
7. Serve with butter and eat warm.

Scottish Oatcakes

Pretty much the closest thing to a national bread in Scotland, oatcakes are everywhere in the country. If you’ve never had one before, then you’ll love them as a snack with some cheese.

Plus, these Scottish treats are super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 4oz /125g medium oatmeal (plus extra for kneading)
• 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tsp. fat (goose or bacon, melted)
• 1 tbsp. hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Mix together the oatmeal, salt, and bicarbonate of soda. Then drizzle in the melted fat and stir vigorously until a thick paste is formed. Then add the hot water and mix again. 
3. Cut the paste into two small balls, sprinkle a work surface with oatmeal, and roll each ball on the surface to coat and to prevent sticking. Knead each ball for a few minutes until the mixture starts to dry slightly and stops sticking to the surface. Add a little more oatmeal as required but use sparingly; you do not want the cakes to become too dry.
4. Roll each ball into a roughly ¼-inch (1/2-cm.) thick disc, then cut into quarters.
5. Place the oatcake dough on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until brown at the edges.
6. Alternatively, the oatcakes can be cooked in a hot frying pan, 3 minutes on each side.
7. Serve the oatcakes warm or cool.

Keep in mind that Scottish oatcakes tend to last only one to two days before going stale and/or soggy. So, eat up as soon as you can.

Scottish Shortbread

Hands down one my favorites foods from Scotland are the shortbread cookies, or biscuits as they call them there. The best shortbread is buttery and crumbly and it just melts in your mouth when you eat it.

Traditionally, Scottish people eat shortbread for New Year’s, but if you’re like me then these will be an all year treat for you to indulge in.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces butter
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar (caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 3 1/2 ounces cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F/170 C.
2. Cream together the butter, salt, and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color, either by hand or with the help of an electric mixer. 
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch and sieve into the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together but do not over mix. If worked too much, the dough will warm up and the shortbread will have a poor crumb.
4. Tip the mixture onto a cold and lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. 
5. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paperPlace the Scottish shortbreads on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until pale brown and crisp. Once they’re cooked, sprinkle the warm shortbreads with superfine sugar and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin or box. to 1/4-inch thick. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters.