Oatcakes

For the last few months, my husband has been on a culinary search for the perfect oatcake, which started on the internet. He saw an ad for an oatcake recipe and was intrigued.

Oatcakes have been staples of the Scottish diet for hundreds of years. According to Wikipedia:

Scottish soldiers in the 14th century carried a metal plate and a sack of oatmeal. According to contemporary accounts, one would heat the plate over fire, moisten a bit of oatmeal and make a cake to "comfort his stomach. Hence it is no marvel that the Scots should be able to make longer marches than other men."^[2]

^{Samuel Johnson referred, disparagingly, to this staple diet in his dictionary definition for oats:}

A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

 Lord Elibank was said by Sir Walter Scott to have retorted

"Yes, and where else will you see such horses and such men?" 

After a good bit of experimentation, he ended up with a recipe that has been feeding us breakfast for the last few months. He makes them every few days or so, then takes two on the road to work. This replaces the humongous bowl of oatmeal that has pretty much been his staple breakfast for a quarter century. Oats, raisins, cranberries, walnuts, raw sugar and a bit of oil go into the cakes, which go into a 250° oven. 90 minutes and they're slightly crispy on the outside and slightly moist inside. Very portable. I throw them in a plastic bag and eat them at work.

He made a new batch last night, and since I'd been working in the yard all day, I hadn't cooked dinner and decided we needed something nutritious and easy, like Taco Bell. Since he was minding the oven, I took off for some bean burritos.

When I got back home, he smiled and said, "You're gonna love this!" He then offered me a bite of the newest oatcake incarnation, cooked in the traditional Scottish way on a skillet, in non-traditional coconut oil.

Glory hallelujah! What a breakfast/lunch/dinner! I ate half an oatcake (they cover most of a plate), then resigned myself to eating my burrito and taco. I didn't even finish them. Went back to the oatcake for more soul-satisfying goodness. Have you ever eaten something that nourished your soul? That's what these do.

That was Monday night. Last night I got home from work about midnight and noticed that the house smelled wonderful. My hubby must have been cooking something, but the kitchen was clean so I hadn't a clue what he'd made himself for supper. Then I saw a little plate in front of my computer, covered with a napkin under which were two oatcakes, made like the others, but with red onion and bacon! Saints be praised! They are a wonder. I feel strong and invincible when I eat them.

I wonder if the Scottish Army needs a new recruit?