Hairy Bikers Scotch Broth Recipe

Lamb shoulder on the bone is what separates this Hairy Bikers scotch broth from thinner versions, because it gives up collagen as it simmers. And it feeds 6 at around 425 calories a bowl, straight out of Meat Feasts, in two and a half hours.

Meat Feasts records that they both “ate Scotch broth as kids” and have always made it for their own families. So the joint goes in whole rather than diced, which is why the broth thickens without any flour.

Adding everything at once is what ruins most broths, so the vegetables go in across four stages over 135 minutes. And the cabbage gets only the last 15, because any longer and it turns grey and sulphurous.

Hairy Bikers Scotch Broth Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Scottish Courses:Soup

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time:2 hours 15 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:2 hours 30 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:425 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A shoulder joint simmers in stock for an hour before any vegetable touches the pot, and carrots, turnips and celery follow. Then soaked pearl barley and potatoes go in, while shredded Savoy cabbage gets the final quarter of an hour. And the meat is carved off the bone and divided between the bowls at the end.

Ingredients

For the broth

• 75g pearl barley
• About 1kg lamb shoulder, on the bone
• 2 litres lamb stock or water
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables

• 2 carrots, cut into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 turnips, cut into 2.5cm pieces (optional)
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 potatoes, cut into 2.5cm pieces
• ½ Savoy cabbage, trimmed, cored and finely shredded

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Instructions

1. Soak the barley: put 75g pearl barley in a bowl, cover it with cold water and leave it while you get everything else ready. And it needs at least the hour the lamb takes, so start it first.
2. Start the lamb: put about 1kg of lamb shoulder on the bone in a large saucepan. Then cover it with 2 litres of lamb stock or cold water and bring it to a simmer. And skim off any scum that collects, then add 2 chopped onions, a bay leaf and a few thyme sprigs.
3. Simmer for an hour: bring the pan back to a gentle simmer and cook for a full hour, skimming now and then. And keep the lid off at this stage, so you can reach the surface.
4. Add the root vegetables: put in 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks and 2 turnips if you are using them, all cut into 2.5cm pieces. Then season with a heaped teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes.
5. Drain the barley: tip it into a sieve and rinse it under cold running water, then take the lid off the pan. And turn the lamb over before adding the barley and 2 potatoes in 2.5cm pieces, then cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in the cabbage: shred half a Savoy finely, add it and bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Then cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until the lamb is falling off the bone and the barley has softened.
7. Carve the lamb: lift the joint out with tongs onto a board, then tear the meat into chunks and discard skin and bone. And taste the broth for salt and pepper before ladling it into bowls, with the lamb divided between them.

FAQs

Which cut of lamb should I use?

Shoulder is the one they name in Meat Feasts, because its fat cap and bone are doing half the work. And Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes says “neck is fatty”, which rules out the neck fillet versions online. So leg is the lean swap they reach for, the same cut as their slow-roast leg of lamb.

Can I make scotch broth in a slow cooker?

There is no slow cooker version in any of their books, so anything online claiming one is somebody’s guess. But the method transfers cleanly, because the pot never goes above a gentle simmer anyway. So give the lamb six hours on low, the root vegetables and barley the last hour, and the cabbage 20 minutes.

Is there a vegetarian scotch broth?

Yes, and Everyday Winners has a real one rather than the meat version with the lamb left out. So 100g of split peas and 100g of barley do the job the bone would have done, with a mushroom garnish at the end. And if you want it lighter still, their winter vegetable soup goes down the same road without the pulses.

Why is my broth cloudy?

Because it boiled rather than simmered, and because the scum went back in instead of coming off. And Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes gives the tell most recipes leave out, which is to skim until “the foam turns white”. So brown foam means keep going, while white means stop, and their oxtail soup rewards the same patience.

Should there be split peas in it?

It depends which version you follow, because Meat Feasts leaves them out while the diabetes book uses 50g of split green peas. And they warn you to soak them overnight then boil them hard for 10 minutes, or you get “tough little green bullets”. So this shoulder version takes its body from the bone and the barley, while their bacon and lentil soup leans on pulses instead.