The larger-than-life warrior enjoys his grub and nothing more so than a plate of cullen skink – the fish soup named after the village on the east coast where it was invented.
That’s all right for the MacGuffins but the McKidds – Kevin, wife Jane and children Joseph, 12, and Iona, 10 – much prefer tattie soup served up in granny Kathleen’s kitchen in the family home at New Elgin, Morayshire.
Kathleen, 63 ,who has just retired as office administrator at the Out of Darkness Theatre Company in Elgin, of which Kevin is patron, revealed her recipe.
She said: “I think all sons say that about their mum’s soup. It’s just a handful of this and a handful of that.
“I don’t measure things. It’s got potatoes, neeps, carrots, onions, a nice piece of rib boiling beef and water, salt and pepper.
“It is normally quite thick and I serve it with lovely crumbly oatcakes. I always have a big pan ready when they come home”.
Kathleen also revealed that Kevin and his family really appreciate her skirlie – one of Scotland’s oldest dishes.
She said: “They all love skirlie – especially Joseph. He’ll eat it with everything.
“I know the amounts by just looking at it. A large onion, about four fluid ounces of oil, oatmeal and salt and pepper.
“I used to use lard but it’s healthier to use vegetable oil.
“It’s not that healthy but, now and again, it’s a treat for them. It’s something they don’t get in LA.”
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Kathleen's tattie soup
Ingredients
2lbs old potatoes, 8oz neeps, six carrots, one large onion , 1lb rib boiling beef.
Method
Chop veg roughly . Bung it all in a large pan of water and cook for two and a half hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This will feed about eight people.