“If you have never made your own oatcakes have a try, it's so easy. I recently bought a girdle from a charity shop - one of the old ones our ancestors would have used to cook drop scones on - and the taste is completely different from baking in an oven. The smokiness from the flames of a real fire lick the edges of the girdle which flavours the oatcakes, giving them real character.” 

This recipe will make about 50 £2 coin sized oatcakes that will keep in an airtight tub for a week.

INGREDIENTS

For the oatcakes:

500g pinhead oats

100g porridge oats

40g plain flour

1teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

150g bacon fat, lard or butter, melted

30g sugar

15g salt

Approximately 500ml water, or buttermilk, which makes for a really rich oatcake

For the topping:

A few slices of smoked trout, I get mine from Belhaven

Enough crème fraîche for a dollop on each oatcake, I like Katy Rodgers

A few cornichons, or pickled cucumbers

A few chives

METHOD

Mix all the oatcake ingredients together and trickle in the water, or buttermilk, a little at a time. If you are using a mixer or food processor, combine until you have a good dough.

Roll the dough into 4 sausage shapes, about the width of a £2 coin, then wrap in cling film and store in the fridge until firm. Then slice into ½-cm thick discs using a very sharp, serrated knife. Cook on a pre-heated girdle, or heavy-based frying pan, rubbed with a little lard or butter, for a couple of minutes on each side. Finish cooking them in a low oven (125°C) for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. 

To serve, top each oatcake with a few flakes of smoked trout, a slice of cornichon or pickled cucumber, a dollop of crème fraîche and snipped chives. Perfect!