Laverbread Cakes (Bara Lawr)

Name: Laverbread Cakes (Bara Lawr)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 200 g laverbread (cooked laver seaweed puree); 60 g medium oatmeal; 8 rashers streaky bacon rashers; 30 g pinhead oatmeal; 1 tsp Lemon juice; 15 g Lard or butter; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Savory, mineral-rich Welsh laverbread patties bound with hearty oatmeal and fried crisp in rendered bacon fat. A classic coastal breakfast staple.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Cardiff and the South Coast

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 290 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

200 g laverbread (cooked laver seaweed puree) — fresh or tinned
60 g medium oatmeal — plus extra for dusting
8 rashers streaky bacon rashers — thick-cut, unsmoked or smoked
30 g pinhead oatmeal — for coating, or extra medium oatmeal
1 tsp Lemon juice — freshly squeezed
15 g Lard or butter — if extra frying fat is needed
½ tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper — to taste

Equipment

•Large frying pan
•Mixing bowl
•Fish slice
•Shallow plate

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 290 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 18 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 14 g
calories: 290 kcal

Instructions

1
Place a large frying pan over medium heat.
2
Fry the streaky bacon rashers until crisp and the fat renders into the pan.
3
Transfer the bacon to a warm plate, leaving the hot bacon fat in the pan.
4
Put the laverbread into a mixing bowl.
5
Add the medium oatmeal, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the bowl.
6
Stir thoroughly until the mixture forms a thick, pliable paste.
7
Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape each into a flat round cake.
8
Scatter the coating oatmeal onto a shallow plate and press each cake gently to coat both sides.
9
Reheat the bacon fat in the frying pan over medium heat.
10
Fry the laverbread cakes for three to four minutes per side until crisp and lightly browned.
11
Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve hot with the crisp bacon.

Chef's tips

If the laverbread mixture feels too wet to shape, let it stand for five minutes so the oatmeal absorbs the moisture. You can shape the cakes in advance and chill them on greaseproof paper before frying.

Ingredient substitutions

streaky bacon fat → butter or vegetable oil for a pescatarian or vegetarian version
pinhead oatmeal → extra medium oatmeal or fine rolled oats for coating

Storage

Store leftover cooled laverbread cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat in a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat for two minutes on each side until crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding too little oatmeal, causing the cakes to break apart when flipped in the pan.
•Frying over excessive heat, which scorches the oatmeal coating before the centre heats through.
•Discarding the bacon fat, which provides vital savoury depth to the cakes.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside crisp streaky bacon and warm pan-fried Gower cockles.Top with a freshly fried egg with a runny yolk.Accompany with buttered thick-cut granary toast and a pot of strong Welsh tea.