Coinneach MacLeod - The Hebridean Baker: Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands

First published 2021

by Black & White Publishing Ltd

Nautical House, 104 Commercial Street

Edinburgh, EH6 6NF

www.blackandwhitepublishing.com

This electronic edition published in 2021

ISBN (HBK): 978 1 78530 348 7

ISBN (EPUB): 978 1 78530 390 6

Copyright Coinneach MacLeod 2021

The right of Coinneach MacLeod to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All photography except on the pages listed below copyright Euan Anderson

pp. viii, 66, 69 (bottom), 70 (top), 182, 185, 187 (top), 188, 238

Laurence Winram / Isle of Harris Distillery

pp. 155 and 156 Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd

pp. 70 (bottom) iStockphoto.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Ebook compilation by IDSUK (Data Connection) Ltd

A Phdruig

Cha b urrainn dhomh a bhith agus

cha bhithinn air seo a dhanamh s d aonais.

S e sgioba air leth a th annainn. Mo thaing

chridheil dhut airson creidsinn annam.

Tha gaol agam ort, Coinneach x

Close your eyes. What is your picture of the Outer Hebrides?

Walking along a deserted beach on a wild, stormy day? Climbing to the top of a heather-strewn hill with a happy wee dog by your side? Sipping a dram of whisky at a cilidh as a Gaelic song is being sung? Or sitting by your aunts warm stove waiting for a cake to come out of the oven? For me, it has been all these things, and more... and they have inspired every page of this book.

Filte, Im the Hebridean Baker.

My name is Coinneach MacLeod, and I am from the island of Lewis the furthest north of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. My love of baking is only equalled by the love I have for the island where I was born which made writing this cookbook a very special, and humbling, experience. I feel like I am living my dream, sharing recipes and stories from the islands with you. The Hebrides is a larder like no other, with some of the best whisky, seafood, meat and homegrown produce youll ever be lucky enough to enjoy, and Im hoping whether you are in Brooklyn, Vancouver or Perth, youll discover a wee slice of the Hebrides among these pages.

Best of all, Id love it if this book made you do three things:

Come and visit the Hebrides. When the late First Minister of Scotland, Donald Dewar, first visited Lewis, he met an elderly woman working on her croft in Uig on the west coast of the island. He asked her if she felt remote, she lifted her head and said to him: Remote from where? Yes, we might be far away, but we do not feel remote we are part of a community and maybe I am biased, but for me, here is the most beautiful place on earth. And, to entice you, I am going to tell you stories about our islands, its culture, language, traditions and legends.

For all of you who travel to the islands, you will go home with a memory you will never forget. Be it standing in the centre of a 5,000-year-old stone circle, hearing the Gaelic language spoken for the first time, unrolling that perfect yard of Harris Tweed, eating the freshest lobster youve ever had, being spun around by a burly man in a kilt at your first cilidh dance or walking through one of our beautiful villages wondering if your ancestors took the same path. So, now is the time to let YOUR story with the Hebrides begin.

Slow down. The Danes created hygge which we can understand as a feeling of contentment. Snuggling up by the fire wrapped in a warm blanket, sipping tea from your favourite mug while a storm rages outside. It is a lifestyle that feels wholesome and nourishing, created from a set of ingredients that include togetherness, presence and comfort.

So, what is the Gaelic word for hygge? Well, maybe its not a direct translation, but the word I would use is Blths, which means warmth, kindliness and contentment. There is a saying in Gaelic beiridh blths air luaths, it translates as there is a time for everything.

What is my perfect day of Blths? Taking a walk down to the shoreline and hearing the sea roar, looking out the window to see Peter digging in the garden planting his vegetables, pulling all the cookbooks out from the bookshelves and deciding what Im going to bake, then sitting by the stove learning the tune to an old Gaelic song. Why dont you try it for a day? Maybe Blths could become the way of life you were looking for...

Try a few of my recipes. My recipes are all wee bakes that use a simple set of ingredients wholesome and comforting, something youd serve up when your best friend comes over for a visit. The recipes are rustic, they should taste like a big warm hug (with extra custard!), and when you try one, you really will believe that Homemade Is Always Best. Nothing makes me happier than a day in my kitchen, trying old family recipes, traditional bakes or giving classic recipes my own Scottish twist which is why, throughout this book, you will find all my favourites. Everything from cranachan, shortbread and clootie dumpling to whisky ice cream, marmalade bread and butter pudding and a couple of cocktails that will be perfect for a burly spin of your own at Hogmanay!

I want to unleash your inner Scottish baker! So go on, turn on the oven, flick through the pages of this book and choose a recipe they are all delicious, I promise...

I am passionate about using home-grown Hebridean and Scottish produce. Eating locally first means choosing food that is grown and harvested close to where you live. And each time you do that, you are investing in the local community and its people. Here are some of my favourite producers of quality foods that I use in my kitchen and throughout the recipes in this cookbook. Id love you to give them a try!