Wendy Barrie

Scottish Food Guide founder demonstrates a flavour of Scotland

USING OUR DOORSTEP LARDER

Today I’m simply cooking up terrific food from our seasonal doorstep.

Having just returned from a fabulous Scottish Food Guide meandering on Orkney, I am using bere berries – Orkney’s answer to pearl barley – from Barony Mill. Having feasted on a mutton roast, the leftovers give us bones for stock, fat for dripping and cuts for savouring.

Add parsnips, herbs and Shetland kale from our kitchen garden along with our own chutney and jelly and you have sensational flavours of Scotland!

MAGIC WITH MUTTON

Here is a recipe for mutton with bere berries. You will need: Leftovers from a roast dinner; 100g Bere barley berries; Scottish sea salt and freshly-milled pepper; 4 kale leaves, rinsed and shredded; 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in chunks; 75g chive butter; 1 tsp mixed herbs – dried marjoram, thyme, rosemary and bay; 1 tbsp rowan jelly; 1 tsp chutney – our apple chutney; mutton fat from roasting; garnish: parsley and mint sauce made with dried garden mint, organic vinegar and muscovado sugar

Roughly strip meat off the mutton bones, setting aside the cold cuts. Place bones in a soup pan and cover with boiling water. Season and simmer for at least an hour to make stock.

At the same time place bere berries in a bowl and cover with boiling water to soak.

Prep vegetables and dice mutton cuts in readiness… then be productive elsewhere for an hour!

In a wok or large pan, melt dripping and sauté parsnips and mutton. Drain bere berries and add to pan.

Drain off stock. Add remaining ingredients with stock, cover and simmer until bere is soft – 45 minutes or so. Should there still be excess stock, remove lid and boil to reduce liquid and intensify flavours for a few minutes.

Serve in heated bowls topped with parsley and a light drizzle of mint sauce.

Makes two generous portions

Mutton with bere berries makes a tasty meal.