Skirlie

Name: Skirlie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 60 g beef dripping; 25 g Unsalted butter; 2 medium brown onions; 180 g pinhead oatmeal; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves; 0.25 tsp ground mace; 1 tsp sea salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley

Toasted pinhead oatmeal fried with sweet onions in rich beef dripping until golden, fragrant, and crumbly.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Highlands

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 295 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

60 g beef dripping — or lard
25 g Unsalted butter — diced
2 medium brown onions — very finely chopped
180 g pinhead oatmeal — coarse or medium ground
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves — finely chopped
¼ tsp ground mace — or freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt — flaky
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper — coarse
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped

Equipment

•Heavy-based frying pan
•Wooden spoon
•Chopping board
•Chef's knife
•Measuring spoons

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 295 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 295 kcal

Instructions

1
Melt the beef dripping and butter in a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat.
2
Add the finely chopped onions to the melted fat in the pan.
3
Fry gently for 10 to 12 minutes until the onions are soft, translucent, and sweet.
4
Stir in the fresh thyme and ground mace.
5
Add the pinhead oatmeal to the pan and stir thoroughly to coat every grain in fat.
6
Cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly until the oatmeal is fragrant and nutty.
7
Season the mixture with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8
Stir in the chopped parsley and take the pan off the hob.
9
Serve immediately while hot, crumbly, and crisp.

Chef's tips

Always use medium or coarse pinhead oatmeal rather than rolled porridge oats, which turn mushy when fried. Keep the hob heat low so the oatmeal toasts evenly without scorching.

Ingredient substitutions

beef dripping → unsalted butter or vegetable oil for a vegetarian version
pinhead oatmeal → medium oatmeal

Storage

Store leftover skirlie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat, tossing until hot and crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using rolled oats, which creates a sticky paste instead of a dry, nutty crumble.
•Cooking over high heat, which scorches the raw oatmeal before it toasts through.
•Chopping the onions too coarsely, preventing them from blending smoothly with the grains.

Serving suggestions

Spoon generously over savoury minced beef and creamy mashed tatties (potatoes).Use as a rich, crumbly stuffing for roast chicken or festive turkey.Serve alongside roast pork or game with a jug of rich onion gravy.