Orkney's Own: A Bit of History

Clapshot came out of Orkney, and it has been there a long time. The Orcadian writer John Firth mentioned it in his 1920 book Reminiscences of an Orkney Parish, describing it as a curious-named vegetarian dish eaten with bere bannocks. Nine years later, F. Marian McNeill put the first proper written recipe on paper in The Scots Kitchen. McNeill was Orcadian herself, so her version is as close to the source as you're going to get, and she included chives, which tells you something about how the dish was always meant to taste.

The name is Orcadian in origin, and nobody has ever definitively pinned down what it means. The most popular theory is that it refers to the sound of the masher against the pot. Whether or not that's true, the name stuck and travelled south through the Highlands and into the rest of Scotland. Today it's on Burns Night tables across the country, though in Orkney it has never been a once-a-year thing. It's just what you serve alongside haggis, mince, beef olives, or a good stew.

Getting the Ratio Right

Most recipes split the neeps and tatties 50/50, but that's not how it's done in Orkney. The traditional ratio is roughly two parts potato to one part neep. Too much swede and the mash goes wet and slightly stringy; too little and you lose the flavour and the gentle yellow colour that makes clapshot look so good on the plate. Aim for about 600-650g of floury potato to 350g of neep for four people.

Use a floury variety. Maris Piper, King Edward, or Golden Wonder all work well. Waxy potatoes go gluey under the masher. For the neep, try to get one that feels firm and heavy. Neeps that have been caught by a frost are noticeably sweeter, which is why clapshot is at its best in winter. Cut your neep into smaller dice than your tatties, since it takes longer to cook, and start the neep in the pot first. Give it a ten minute head start in salted boiling water, then add the potato and cook for another 20 minutes until both are completely tender.

Once drained, return everything to the pot over a very low heat and stir for a minute or two to drive off excess steam. This step is not optional. Skip it and the mash will be watery. Then add the butter in pieces and mash until smooth. Do not add milk; it makes the mixture too loose. The butter is enough. Be generous with it.

Serving and Variations

Clapshot is at its most classic alongside haggis, and if you're running a Burns Night supper it belongs on the table. But it's a fine side dish year-round with mince and gravy, lamb chops, Scottish steak pie, or sausages. Fried onion is a traditional addition that adds a savoury sweetness; stir it through with the chives at the end. The Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown apparently favoured adding a raw chopped onion to the pot at the start of cooking rather than frying it separately, and that method gives a gentler, more integrated result if you want to try it.

Leftover clapshot reheats well on the hob with a splash of warm water and a stir to loosen it. It also makes excellent clapshot cakes: shape cold leftovers into patties, press them into seasoned flour or oatmeal, and fry in butter until golden on both sides. Good enough to make you deliberately cook too much.

Ingredients

• 650g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper, King Edward, or Golden Wonder), peeled and cut into even chunks
• 350g swede (neeps), peeled and cut into small dice, roughly half the size of the potato pieces
• 50g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus a little extra to finish
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped, plus a little extra to garnish
• 1 medium onion, finely diced (optional but traditional)
• A small knob of butter or splash of oil, for frying the onion if using
• Salt and white pepper

Method

1. Peel the swede and cut it into small dice, roughly 2cm. The pieces need to be noticeably smaller than your potato chunks because swede takes longer to cook through. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks of around 3-4cm, keeping them as even as you can so they cook at the same rate.
   
2. Put the swede into a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then cook at a steady boil for 10 minutes. This head start means both vegetables will be ready at the same time.
   
3. If using onion, finely dice it now. Heat a small knob of butter or splash of oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Fry the onion gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft, sweet, and lightly golden. Set aside. Alternatively, if you prefer a subtler onion flavour, add a raw diced onion to the pot with the neeps at the start of cooking and drain it along with the vegetables.
   
4. After the swede has had its 10-minute head start, add the potato chunks to the pot. Top up with boiling water if needed to keep everything covered. Bring back to the boil and cook for a further 18-22 minutes until both the swede and potato are completely tender. Test with a skewer or sharp knife tip. There should be no resistance at all.
5. Drain the vegetables thoroughly in a colander. Return the empty pot to the hob over a very low heat. Tip the drained vegetables back in and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes until the steam stops rising and the surface looks dry. This removes the excess moisture that would otherwise make your clapshot watery.
6. Remove from the heat. Add the butter in pieces and mash everything together until smooth. Season generously with salt and white pepper, taste, and adjust. Do not add milk; the butter is sufficient and milk will make the mixture too loose.
   
7. Stir through the finely snipped chives and the fried onion if using. Mix until evenly distributed. Transfer to a warm serving dish, add a small extra knob of butter on top if you like, and scatter over a pinch more chives. Serve immediately.