Anyone out there a fan of Outlander, either the series or the books? I've found most people fall somewhere between really really loving it or being annoyed by it. I fall somewhere on the spectrum closer to the love side. I recognize it has plot holes, questionable writing, and some characters that seem illogical or irritating at times, but man, I'm still binging through the series and plan on reading the books as well. It's such a guilty pleasure and I'm loving it.
And c'mon, who wouldn't love leaving behind life's stressors and getting sucked into a historical romantic drama with a 6'3" Highlander with a head of shaggy red hair? Because... shoo mercy, ladies, you might need to have your smelling salts ready before you press play on this one.
So, because I love fiction-inspired food - and because we're on the heels of the release of Season 5 of Outlander - I decided to have a little fun and share a recipe for something that's mentioned many times throughout the series, Scottish Bannocks. Outlander recipes are just plain fun.
Bannocks can be many different things depending on which time period and where in the world you're talking about. In the Outlander universe, we're talking about the Scottish highlands in the mid 18th century. The word bannock comes from the Gaelic word bannoch which refers to a flat unleavened bread made of oats or barley, the main crops available at that time.
Milk or water can be used (raw milk was a staple of the highlander diet) for the dough as well as any leftover animal fat or butter. You can use shortening if you want, but leftover bacon or sausage fat will yield the most flavorful bannock!
Cooking was done mostly over open hearths on griddles or in cauldrons, so for this Outlander inspired recipe, I cooked these bannocks on my stovetop in a cast iron skillet.
More modern versions of bannocks may include wheat flour and/or leavening agents to lighten them up a bit and give them some rise, but in the Highlands during the 1700's, a can of Clabber Girl baking powder wasn't too easy to come by, so we'll stick to the times with this one.
On their own these are dense and simple in flavor - this is the 18th century after all - but if you want to go all in with the authenticity you can still dress them up with butter, wild berry jams, or dip them into a hearty stew. All while watching or reading Outlander, of course! Enjoy!
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Scottish Bannocks Inspired by Outlander
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 bannocks 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 TBS animal fat, shortening, or butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup coarsely ground oats
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the fat with the milk and salt. When butter is melted, remove from heat, add the oats, and mix until fully combined.
- Turn dough out onto a cutting board and shape into a rectangle about ¼" in thickness. Cut into sections as desired.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the bannocks to the skillet and cook until golden on each side, 3-5 minutes.
- If you're going for authentic, serve bannocks plain, dipped into a stew rich with root vegetables, or spread with butter and a wild berry jam.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
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