Venture into vegan
Plant protein and creativity has allowed author Jackie Jones to create meat-free versions of popular Scottish dishes
Avegan revolution is taking place in Scotland. In cities and towns across the country, local cafes, restaurants, market stalls and food festivals are offering an ever growing set of options for vegan diners, and some are completely vegan. Not all provide traditionally Scottish food, so if you want to veganise some of your favourite Scottish dishes at home this is the book for you.
The recipes in The Scottish Vegan Cookbook show you how to prepare a wide variety of plant-based dishes drawing on Scotland’s abundant seasonal vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
There are recipes for well known favourites such as Cullen skink, haggis, neeps and tatties, Scotch broth, clootie dumpling and cranachan. I’ve added a modern twist to old recipes such as orange and carrot posset, healthy salads and soups using Scottish ingredients, and some contemporary updates, such as Scotch mist, using meringues made with aquafaba.
The long tradition of Scottish cookery incorporates the culinary influence of other cuisines, and there are many international and fusion dishes as featured on the current cookery and restaurant scene. While I have drawn on techniques and ingredients from other countries (such as French-inspired sauces or Asian miso and tofu), I have focused on offering vegan versions of culturally identifiable Scottish classics. n
The Scottish Vegan Cookbook by Jackie Jones is out now, £16.99, Birlinn
‘Lorne sausage’
A traditional Scottish square breakfast sausage, it is usually made from crushed meat and rusk, shaped in a tin and then sliced. It is said to be named after the ancient district of Lorne in Argyll in the west of Scotland. My husband, Sandy, says Lorne sausage was a big favourite in his home town of Mauchline (famed for small wooden boxes known as Mauchline ware, clock-making, the only curling stone factory in the world, and an association with the Scottish poet Robert Burns) and was bought from the chippy. My vegan version uses black-eyed beans and kidney beans, wholemeal breadcrumbs and traditional seasoning – and apparently it comes close to the original. Prepare ahead, as the mixture needs to be chilled in order to hold its shape.
Serves four to six
1 x 400g tin black-eyed beans, drained (240g net weight), rinsed in cold water
1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained (240g net weight), rinsed in cold water
1 tsp olive oil or rapeseed oil 2 shallots, peeled and chopped finely 1 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp vegan stock powder salt and freshly ground black pepper 125g wholemeal vegan breadcrumbs, toasted
1 flax seed egg (1 tsp ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tbsp cold water and set aside for a few minutes to thicken) olive oil or rapeseed oil for cooking
1 Line an 18cm x 26cm shallow tin with biodegradable clingfilm so that it comes over all of the sides. Set aside.
2 In a medium bowl, mash the blackeyed beans and kidney beans with the oil. Stir in the chopped shallots, nutmeg, mace, coriander and stock powder and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the breadcrumbs and flax seed egg and mix thoroughly with your hands, squeezing the mixture together to make it as compact as possible.
3 Scoop the mixture into the tin. With the back of a spoon press it down evenly and firmly into the sides and edges and then cover with the overhanging clingfilm. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
4 Remove the mixture from the fridge, turn it out of the tin and cut into large square slices, having removed and recycled the clingfilm.
5 In a large frying pan, heat a little oil on medium heat and shallow fry the sausage slices for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively, bake in a preheated oven at 180C/gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until browned and crisp on the outsides.
6 Serve in a morning roll with tomato ketchup or a leafy green side salad.
Black bean and mushroom ‘black pudding’
This is a delicious and healthier vegan version of a cherished Scottish savoury breakfast item. The black beans provide excellent protein, yeast extract/marmite is usually fortified with vitamin B12, and the mushrooms are rich in vitamin D and also contain protein. The black puddings can be prepared the night before, if you prefer, refrigerated once cooled and cooked the next day once brought to room temperature.
Makes eight puddings
2 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 150g chestnut mushrooms or button mushrooms, chopped finely
1 x 400g tin black beans, drained (240g), rinsed and mashed
1 tsp yeast extract or Marmite mixed with 100ml hot water
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 tsp fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped finely
1 tsp dried oregano or 3 tsp fresh oregano, chopped finely
¼ tsp ground mace
1 tbsp vegan medium dry sherry a squeeze of fresh lemon a small bunch of parsley, chopped finely to make 2 heaped tbsp salt and freshly ground black pepper 55g rolled oats olive oil or rapeseed oil for cooking
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 In a medium, heavy-based frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat, add the onion and sweat until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring. Then add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3 Next, stir in the mashed beans, yeast extract/marmite mixture, the thyme, oregano, mace, sherry and lemon juice, and cook for a further 6-8 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated (you want the mixture to be sticky and firm rather than wet). Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4 Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the oats and mix until thoroughly
combined. Taste again and season further, if necessary. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before shaping into puddings; if it is a little wet, add a few more oats.
5 Take a handful of the mixture and mould it with your hands into a round, flat pudding about 2½cm thick. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. If making the puddings in advance, place on a plate, cover and put in the fridge until needed.
6 If eating immediately, in a large frying pan, heat a little oil on a medium heat. Add as many puddings as will fit, while leaving a little space between them, and cook on each side for around 3-4 minutes. As you fry them, place the puddings on the prepared baking tray and once you have fried them all, bake them in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, turn them, and cook for a further 7 minutes.
‘Stovies’
Stovies have long been a staple in our diet and traditionally are made using potatoes and onions fried in dripping and meat jelly; they also often contain leftovers of minced beef. This more healthy, plant-based version uses potatoes and onions together with olive oil, lentils and a little fresh rosemary and makes a very satisfying (and, according to my tasters, an apparently authentic) alternative.
Serves four 3 tbsp olive oil
500g onions, peeled and sliced finely 1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced finely a large sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped finely ½ tsp ground nutmeg
300ml concentrated vegan stock freshly ground black pepper 115g dried red lentils, rinsed in cold water salt as needed
1 In a large heavy-based pan with a lid, gently heat the oil, add the onions and sweat slowly over a low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, rosemary, nutmeg and stock and a couple of twists of black pepper, place a lid on the pan and cook gently until the potatoes are soft, about 40 minutes, only stirring them if they look like sticking.
2 In a medium pan, place the lentils, cover with cold water to around 2cm above, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Stir towards the end of the cooking time and add a little more water if necessary. The lentils should just yield when squished between finger and thumb and not be mushy.
3 Add the cooked lentils to the potato mixture, season to taste and heat to serving temperature.
4 This recipe goes really well with leafy green vegetables sprinkled with sesame seeds, or they’re a tasty accompaniment to my black bean and mushroom black pudding.