Tweed Kettle Recipe Served With Clapshot

Tweed Kettle

Tweed Kettle, sometimes called Salmon Hash, is a traditional Scottish dish of poached salmon with a white wine, shallot and mushroom sauce. Tweed Kettle originates from Edinburgh and is often served with bashed neeps (turnip) or champit tatties (mashed potatoes).

Many Scottish recipes have a story to tell even if it’s just to explain their often peculiar names such as Skirlie, Howtowdie or as is the case in hand, Tweed Kettle. So how did this classic Scottish dish get its name?

The Tweed

The River Tweed is one of Scotland’s greatest salmon rivers. At 98 miles long the Tweed is one of the longest rivers in Scotland and has been popular with salmon anglers since the 17th century. The river forms part of the border between Scotland and the Sassenachs (the English) to the south.

Like this recipe the fish kettle originates from Scotland. They were originally used by anglers to cook freshly caught salmon on the banks of the river. The kettle was placed over a slow burning open fire and the salmon was placed inside and poached in water from the river before being eaten by hand.

Poaching is a very healthy way to cook fish and helps maintain all the original flavors and goodness. A fish kettle's shape is designed to cook large fish but it also serves as useful kitchen accessory that’s ideal for steaming asparagus, corn or other vegetables.

Clapshot is a mixture of bashed neeps and champit tatties and serves as the perfect accompaniment for Tweed Kettle. Interestingly, Tweed Kettle is a dish that would have been enjoyed by affluent families in cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow. Clapshot was more of a peasant dish that impoverished crofters and shepherds could put together using produce that was readily available to them.

Recipe and method for making Clapshot.

Tweed Kettle Recipe

Ingredients:

• 907g (2 lb) middle cut salmon
• 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
• pinch of ground mace
• salt and pepper
• 25g (1 oz) finely chopped shallots
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 100g (4 oz) chopped mushrooms
• 2 tbsp (1 oz) 25 g butter
• 3 tbsp (25 g) plain flour

Method:

1. Put the salmon in a large saucepan or fish kettle with wine. Add cold water so that the salmon is covered.
2. Bring up to heat and simmer gently until the fish is just cooked through.
3. Remove salmon from saucepan and, transfer the fish to a large plate.
4. Skin and bone the fish and put it aside.
5. Return the skin and bones to the stock in the saucepan.
6. Simmer the stock until reduced by half.
7. Strain stock into a clean pan and add shallots, mace, parsly and mushrooms and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
8. Blend the butter with the flour to make a roux bowl and slowly add to the stock, whisk vigorously after each addition. Return to the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to completely cook out the flower.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with a good portion of Clapshot.