Skirlie

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Skirlie is a traditional Scottish dish. It is eaten on its own, used as a stuffing for a mock-sausage, the mealie pudding, or used as a stuffing for chicken (most commonly) or other fowl.

[edit] Ingredients

As a side-dish

4 oz fat or 4 tablespoons of oil

(traditionally a good flavoured dripping or beef suet would have been used)

2 onions, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups medium oatmeal which may be lightly toasted (NOT rolled oats!)

Salt and pepper to season

[edit] Preparation

Melt the fat or heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden. Add the oatmeal and mix in well. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the oatmeal is cooked and crisp. Season well with pepper and serve with light creamy mashed potatoes. It is also a very good accompaniment to rich meaty and gamey stews.

Alternatively it can be eaten on its own, and is surprisingly tasty when accompanied by grated raw carrot or cabbage.

As a poultry Stuffing
Skirlie may also be used as a stuffing for any kind of game bird or poultry. It can be mixed into a 'stiff' stuffing without first frying the onions or oatmeal in the fat (use 1 1/4 cup shredded suet and 1 3/4 cups medium oatmeal for stuffing). Add some stock or water to just slightly moisten the stuffing mix. Stuff lightly into the bird's cavity. Please note that it is not advisable to do this with very large birds to avoid food poisoning. Suet gives the stuffing a very distinct, traditional taste and brings out the nutty flavour of the oatmeal.

Another Scottish name for this dish is "Mealie Jimmy".