The oatcake:
Essentially an oatmeal pancake...
History of the Oatcake:
Anyone who has ever been to Staffordshire or the potteries, can hardly of escaped even passing through without traying an oatcake. The potteries Oatcake is infamous the world over, loved by those who grew up with the warm, stodgy pankack on a sunday morning with bacon and eggs, but you'll rarely see it for sale in any supermarket outside of Staffordshire. The humble Oatcake recipie is, in fact, a closely guarded secret. Each family owned shop has there own particular recipie and that recipie only changes hands with the shop itself. Even the fanzine for SCFC is called ... The Oatcake www.oatcake.co.uk . However, secret as it may be, the basics of it, are known and it is possible to make a pretty good facsimilie.
What to do with it:
Oatcakes are traditionally eaten warm, sometimes cold, but always fresh on the day of making. Put a slice of bacon in one, spread on some melted cheese and roll up, for a unique take on a bacon and cheese butty. Or just melted cheese. Use as a bread substitue for dipping in you egg and tomatoes on a sunday morning (delicious) or they can be used as a sweet. There are dozens of applications, they go with almost everything, sweet or savory, hot or cold. They are increadibly filling and delicious. Forget bannocks, try oatcakes and you'll never go back.
The recipie:
Although I havent tried this particular recipie yet, it looks like a usefull take on the theme, particularly because all the ingredients are dried and therefore packable....
1LB.4OZS. OF MEDIUM COARSE OATMEAL.
12 OZS STRONG WHITE PLAIN FLOUR.
3 TBLS. DRIED SKIMMED MILK.
4 TSPS. QUICK ACT DRIED YEAST.
2 TSPS. SUGAR.
Place all ingredients into large bowl and make well in centre. Put in 1 and three quarter pints warm water and mix well. (Mixture should be quite ''loose'' like pancake batter. This may thicken after standinng ''loosen'' again to a batter consistency).
Now cover and place in a warm place (airing cupboard, or by a fire) for about 1hour 30 mins. - 2 hours. Time is not crucial but try not to leave it much longer than this.
After standing, uncover and mix well. Add more warm water if necessary, possibly about a pint to make it into 'loose' batter. Now add 2 tsps salt - do not do this sooner or you will kill the yeast.
Heat a bakestone, griddle, hot rock or frying pan and use about a tsp. of oil for each oatcake. Once heated, adjust the heat down slightly and cook on both sides until all mixture is set. Make sure you 'roll' the pan to get an even coveridge - you'll soon get the idea of how thick you want them, but they should be like thick pancakes.
Cool on racks. These are now ready to do as you want with, either try with bacon eggs etc. or wrap cheese in them and warm in microwave or under grill.
You can now batch what you don't want today and pop in the freezer (remembering to put in the right amount for each meal or you wont be able to separate them while they are frozen). You can now have oatcakes just when you fancy them.
Another tip - while you are standing making them, have a plate at the ready because they are delicious straight from the pan with a little golden syrup on and rolled up.
The above amount makes about 35 oatcakes depending on size and thickness.
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Like I said, I havent tried this particular recipie, but it looks good compared to those I've tried in the past. Some say use fresh warmed milk instead of dried, but the rest is pretty much the same ingredients.
It should be fairly straightforward to make them at a campsite, with just a trangia. Being little more than a leavened oatmeal pancacke.
Anyone up for giving it a go? I hope so, in olden times, sharing an oatcake recipie with outsiders would merit a kneecaping at least.
Essentially an oatmeal pancake...
History of the Oatcake:
Anyone who has ever been to Staffordshire or the potteries, can hardly of escaped even passing through without traying an oatcake. The potteries Oatcake is infamous the world over, loved by those who grew up with the warm, stodgy pankack on a sunday morning with bacon and eggs, but you'll rarely see it for sale in any supermarket outside of Staffordshire. The humble Oatcake recipie is, in fact, a closely guarded secret. Each family owned shop has there own particular recipie and that recipie only changes hands with the shop itself. Even the fanzine for SCFC is called ... The Oatcake www.oatcake.co.uk . However, secret as it may be, the basics of it, are known and it is possible to make a pretty good facsimilie.
What to do with it:
Oatcakes are traditionally eaten warm, sometimes cold, but always fresh on the day of making. Put a slice of bacon in one, spread on some melted cheese and roll up, for a unique take on a bacon and cheese butty. Or just melted cheese. Use as a bread substitue for dipping in you egg and tomatoes on a sunday morning (delicious) or they can be used as a sweet. There are dozens of applications, they go with almost everything, sweet or savory, hot or cold. They are increadibly filling and delicious. Forget bannocks, try oatcakes and you'll never go back.
The recipie:
Although I havent tried this particular recipie yet, it looks like a usefull take on the theme, particularly because all the ingredients are dried and therefore packable....
1LB.4OZS. OF MEDIUM COARSE OATMEAL.
12 OZS STRONG WHITE PLAIN FLOUR.
3 TBLS. DRIED SKIMMED MILK.
4 TSPS. QUICK ACT DRIED YEAST.
2 TSPS. SUGAR.
Place all ingredients into large bowl and make well in centre. Put in 1 and three quarter pints warm water and mix well. (Mixture should be quite ''loose'' like pancake batter. This may thicken after standinng ''loosen'' again to a batter consistency).
Now cover and place in a warm place (airing cupboard, or by a fire) for about 1hour 30 mins. - 2 hours. Time is not crucial but try not to leave it much longer than this.
After standing, uncover and mix well. Add more warm water if necessary, possibly about a pint to make it into 'loose' batter. Now add 2 tsps salt - do not do this sooner or you will kill the yeast.
Heat a bakestone, griddle, hot rock or frying pan and use about a tsp. of oil for each oatcake. Once heated, adjust the heat down slightly and cook on both sides until all mixture is set. Make sure you 'roll' the pan to get an even coveridge - you'll soon get the idea of how thick you want them, but they should be like thick pancakes.
Cool on racks. These are now ready to do as you want with, either try with bacon eggs etc. or wrap cheese in them and warm in microwave or under grill.
You can now batch what you don't want today and pop in the freezer (remembering to put in the right amount for each meal or you wont be able to separate them while they are frozen). You can now have oatcakes just when you fancy them.
Another tip - while you are standing making them, have a plate at the ready because they are delicious straight from the pan with a little golden syrup on and rolled up.
The above amount makes about 35 oatcakes depending on size and thickness.
--------------------------------------
Like I said, I havent tried this particular recipie, but it looks good compared to those I've tried in the past. Some say use fresh warmed milk instead of dried, but the rest is pretty much the same ingredients.
It should be fairly straightforward to make them at a campsite, with just a trangia. Being little more than a leavened oatmeal pancacke.
Anyone up for giving it a go? I hope so, in olden times, sharing an oatcake recipie with outsiders would merit a kneecaping at least.
) HWMBLT on the other hand loves a bowl of them cut small, boiled, drained, buttered and black peppered. You've actually hit on one of the two vegetable type thingies that I won't eat; parsnips & coconuts......and I have never savoured the delight of the DF Mars Bar that's such a feature of modern gluttony......well they don't grow on trees 
