Kail Brose
Hearty shredded greens and tender ham simmered in savoury broth, poured scalding hot over toasted oatmeal to create a thick, rustic Scottish farm pottage.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 135 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Large stockpot with lid
- •Frying pan
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Soup ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 38 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 26 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the smoked ham hough into a large stockpot and pour over the cold water.
- 2
Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, skimming off any pale foam.
- 3
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 90 minutes.
- 4
Lift the hough from the broth onto a board and shred the tender meat.
- 5
Discard the skin and bone, then return the shredded meat to the simmering broth.
- 6
Add the chopped onion, diced carrot, and sliced leek to the pot.
- 7
Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the root vegetables are soft.
- 8
Add the shredded kail to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes until tender.
- 9
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and toast the oatmeal until fragrant.
- 10
Divide the warm toasted oatmeal evenly among four deep earthenware bowls.
- 11
Season the boiling broth with black pepper and ladle generously over the oatmeal.
- 12
Stir briskly at the table with a spoon to thicken the brose instantly.
Chef's tips
Always ensure the broth is boiling vigorously when ladling over the oatmeal so the starch blooms instantly. You can replace the ham hough with beef shank or salted shin for an equally traditional beef kail brose.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoked ham hough → salted beef shin or rich beef stock with cooked beef shreds
- butter → traditional beef dripping or lard
Storage
Store leftover strained broth and shredded ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, adding fresh toasted oatmeal only when serving.
Reheating
Bring the broth to a rolling boil on the hob before pouring over a fresh portion of toasted oatmeal.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding cold or lukewarm broth to the oatmeal, which leaves the oats chalky rather than creamy and swollen.
- •Simmering the oatmeal inside the main pot, which turns the dish into porridge rather than authentic table-mixed brose.
- •Over-salting the broth before checking the salt level released by the cured ham hough.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Kail Brose?
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