Britain and Ireland · Volume 34, Salt, Smoke and the Land the Clearances Remade
Bere Bannock with Crowdie and Heather Honey
Orkney
Illustration
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Researched
- 5 sources cited
A griddle bread from the last bere-milling site in the world, split warm and finished with two other island staples.
As tradition built it
Makes 6 to 8. About 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 200g beremeal
- 50g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
- a pinch a pinch of salt
- as needed milk or water, to bind
- to serve black crowdie (gruth dhu) and heather honey, to serve
Method
- Combine the beremeal, flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt.
- Add milk or water gradually, to a stiff, pliable dough.
- Knead briefly on a floured surface, then roll to about 2.5cm thick, and cut into rounds or wedges.
- Cook on a dry griddle or heavy pan over medium heat about 5 minutes a side, until golden.
- Split warm, and serve with black crowdie and heather honey.
What a modern chef changes
Both the bread and the cheese made with real, direct attention, rather than one shop-bought and the other assumed.
Kit note, not tied to a numbered rung.
Method
- Cook the bannocks on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle set directly on a Big Green Egg, for a harder, more even heat than most domestic hobs give a griddle bread.
- Make your own black crowdie rather than buying it (see the Cure and Smoke Bench below), rolling the fresh curds yourself in toasted pinhead oatmeal and cracked black pepper while they are still slightly warm, so the coating actually adheres.
- Warm the heather honey gently before serving, loosening it just enough to soak properly into the bannock's crumb rather than sitting on the surface.