There are plenty of people who may assume that Scottish cuisine is all just whiskey and haggis and to be fair, those are plenty delicious. But if you’re celebrating the cheeky Scottish holiday of Burns Night or just wanting to celebrate the bounty of Scotland, we have glorious Scottish recipes from Scottish Beef Stew and Skirlie Potato Cakes (like haggis without the lamb organs), hefty Bannock Bread, Cock-a-Leekie Soup, and plenty of cocktails.
Bannock
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This hearty, nutty, chewy skillet bread comes together in about 30 minutes, and it’s the perfect vehicle for lashings of cultured butter. Oat flour and buttermilk come together to create a distinctive tanginess and you’ll need to eat it up quickly because it hardens over time. It’s the perfect excuse to brew a pot of your favorite Scottish tea blend and have a cozy moment.
Scottish Beef Stew and Skirlie Potato Cakes
Scottish superstar chef Nick Nairn calls Scottish beef some of the best in the world, saying, “Our hardy wee beasts spend most of their time outdoors feeding on grass, and have the minimum amount of human intervention in their rearing.” He serves the stew over Skirlie Potato Cakes — similar to haggis but minus the sheep innards.
Cock-a-Leekie Soup
This classic Scottish soup is a staple in our executive features editor Kat Kinsman’s home not just because she loves Scotland, but also for her love of the way leeks, chicken, and prunes (yes, prunes) come together so easily and the way it uses up leftovers.
Rusty Nail
Scotch lovers rejoice. This simple cocktail melds whiskey and Drambuie — an aged blend of Scotch, heather honey, and herbs — to create a sweet, distinctive, and classic Scottish drink that keep you toasty on Burns Night and beyond.
Bobby Burns
Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Dera Burreson
“Blended Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine make up the Bobby Burns, a scotch cocktail whose history is closely tied to the legacy of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns,” writes Dylan Ettinger. “The drink first appeared in print in the early 1900s, when it was known as the Baby Burns, and emerged during a period when bartenders were refining spirit-forward cocktails built with vermouth. As tastes evolved, so did the cocktail’s name and proportions, and the Bobby Burns took its place among the era’s serious scotch drinks.”
