Scottish Feast

A Sumptuous Scottish Feast: is made up of many varied dishes. The most famous dish of all must be “haggis, neeps and tatties” served as an entrée at the beginning of many significant Scottish celebrations including Burn’s Nights, Hogmanay, St. Andrew’s Day and of course Scottish weddings.

Traditionally a Scottish wedding Feast would have comprised the following:

- Cold Chicken
- Roast Mutton
- Scones
- Bannocks
- Fresh and Salt Butter
- Crowdie
- Tea, Whisky and Port for toasts

Provisions for a Scottish Feast:

The dishes served depended upon the four seasons and the game/hunting seasons. Poaching, however, was the only way some families could provide for their brood. Dishes also depended upon the provisions nature offered in the wild and the ability to preserve food. Going through the seasons the diet would vary as follows:

Spring: wild fresh water fish, oatcakes and rowies

Summer: wild game and fresh berries
Autumn: seafood, salt water fish and broths
Winter: meat pies, haggis, oatmeal puddings with thick cream

Some traditional dishes, which you will still find, served today are:

- “Bannocks”, chewy oatmeal biscuit
- “Clapshot”, mashed potatoes “tatties” and Swede “neeps” together
- “Cream Crowdie”, layered dessert with cream, oats, berries, honey and whisky
- “Crowdie”, soft cheese made from curds
- “Finnan Haddy”, smoked fish dish
- “Forfar Bridies”, beef mince bradies
- “Gruth Dhu”, double cream
- “Haggis”, sheep’s pluck, liver, lungs, heart and liver minced together and cooked in a sheep’s stomach bag
- “Rowies”, not unlike the French croissants
- “Rumbledethumps”, like bubble and squeak (potatoes, cabbage, butter, spring onions and seasoning, mashed/minced together)
- “Seaweed”, eaten in winter as a supplement to the diet
- “Skirlie”, a traditional Scottish oatmeal stuffing, or an accompaniment to a rich meaty or gamy stew
- “Sorrel”, herb eaten as a green salad
- “Tablet”, sweet, toffee

Some menu suggestions for your sumptuous Scottish feast:

These wedding menu suggestions for your Scottish feast are based on my research into authentic dishes using local Scottish produce. Obviously if you are marrying abroad you will need to substitute your local produce. There are an abundance of cooking web sites with various recipes that you, or your chef, may utilize.

Entrees:

- Wild Smoked Salmon or Smoked Trout with a sorrel salad
- Fish Roe
- Broths, e.g. Cock-A-Leekie Soup, or Spring Vegetable Soup
- Wild mushrooms
- Oatcakes, home made breads and/or scones
- Haggis, neeps and tatties

Mains:
- Wild Game: roast duck, roast pheasant, or roast grouse
- Haunch of Venison
- West coast shellfish, e.g. Moules Mariniere
- Smoked Kedgeree
- Steak and Kidney Pies
- Aberdeen Angus beef fillet
- Saddle of local Rabbit
- Seasonal Vegetables

Desserts:
- Cream Crowdie
- Honey & Whisky Cake
- Scottish Cheese platter
- Fresh Fruits of the Season with Scottish Shortbread
- Wedding Cake

Have a great time putting your Scottish feast together. It will be a wedding that your friends will not forget in a hurry.

Scottish Feast for your wedding day