No rabbit and no woodcock, just the simplest Spanish supper of eggs and peppers

Snacks Scotch Woodcock Scotch Woodcock is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Scottish version of: Scotch Woodcock.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
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Scotch Woodcock is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Scottish version of: Scotch Woodcock.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

the moment just before it finished cooking

It was midweek supper time and the store cupboard was not inspiring me to do culinary conjuring. I harked back to growing up in post rationing Scotland when my mother would always have a supper trick up her sleeve, and "Scotch Woodcock" was just one of them.The name of the dish was inspired by Welsh rarebit.Hey ho Welsh rarebit contains no rabbit I hear you say, so Scotch woodcock contains no woodcock,whatever.During the war my mother´s "ration coupons" would have allowed her to purchase a certain amount of particular products each month and eggs would have drawn the short straw, but come the end of rationing and having a forester and his wife who kept hens close by, mother suddenly had fresh eggs in plentiful supply.

"Scotch Woodcock" was a traditional Scottish recipe, fashionable in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.It was a classic snack that blended Gentleman´s Relish,milk,eggs,anchovies and cayenne pepper and was then served as a spread on toast.It is mentioned in Mrs Beeton´s book of Household Management.It is so delicious that it can be served as a snack at any time and is also great at breakfast time.However like mother like son, neither of us have ever been able to adhere to recipes.Her version of Scotch Woodcock was unlike any traditional one, in particular the version layed out by Mrs Beeton.For sure my foodie mother had certainly heard  of an anchovy but in the mid 1950´s probably had difficulty in sourcing such a rarity in border country Scotland.So she made her recipe from just eggs,tomatoes,milk and cheddar cheese. I was too young to remember but most likely her dish was made with fresh eggs from the foresters hen house, milk from Daisy at the local farm, a fresh tomato straight out of the garden, and a good handful of grated cheddar cheese.

Well every mothers son finds themself in another time and another place, and my home now is on the Iberian peninsula with all those lovely ingredients all about me.My store cupboard was offering me eggs,milk,cheese,tomatoes and pequillo peppers so Piparrada a simple Spanish supper of eggs and peppers it had to be.

Sometimes called Piperade basquaise, as it originally came from the region of southern France on the Spanish border,this is essentially a dish of savoury poshed up scrambled eggs.Although cooks pontificate about what is the definitive recipe,what is important is that a dish like this should reflect two things,the region,and what is available at the time.Obviously,one can´t do without the eggs- and the better the eggs the better the dish-but the other ingredients should be allowed the odd substitution or even be left out. After all this is a simple supper and not something that requires precise detail.

Piparrada

(eggs with peppers)
srves 4
2 red peppers or (my option) 2 tinned Pequillo peppers,drained
6 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 small onion,shredded
55g (2oz) Presunto Serrano ham,cut into strips
340g (12 oz) tomatoes,peeled seeded and chopped
8 eggs
salt and pepper
Roast the peppers under a grill or on a barbecue until charred.Wrap them in a cloth until cool enough to handle,then peel them.Discard the seeds and stem,then cut the peppers into strips.I used tinned pequillos.
heat half the oil in afrying pan and sauté the garlic and onion.Add the strips of ham,then the tomatoes and peppers.Fry for about 15 minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated.Turn out into a bowl  and set aside.Beat the eggs as you would for scrambled eggs then season with salt and pepper.Heat the remaining oil in the pan and pour in the eggs.Stir them,cooking very gently,then add the pepper mixture.cook without stirring again until the eggs are set.

and for those who want the recipe,here is
My mothers Scotch Woodcock recipe

• A couple eggs
• A splash of milk
• Handful of grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tomato chopped
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet and melt a bit of butter to coat the bottom of the pan.

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the milk. Whisk together with the cayenne pepper.Add the tomatoes and cheese and stir to blend.

Pour it all into the frying pan and scramble.

Serve with toast.

Scotch Woodcock is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Scottish version of: Scotch Woodcock.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

Scotch Woodcock is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Scottish version of: Scotch Woodcock.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet

This is a traditional Scottish recipe, from the Victorian period, for a classic snack of a blend of Gentleman's relish, milk, eggs, anchovies and cayenne pepper that was served as a spread on toast as a savoury dish at the end of a meal.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-scotch-woodcock
Copyright © celtnet