In The Kitchen With Nigella: Oatcakes

These freshly baked Oatcakes form week 4 of my new year’s resolution for 2013 to cook at least one new thing every week, for the year. Perfect for a Burns Night supper. Yummy!

To help me on my way with this challenge throughout the year, I shall be doing a monthly cook with Nigella Lawson from her lovely How To Be a Domestic Goddess book.

I am pretending that the Goddess herself is here with me in the kitchen; guiding me, ignoring the mess I’ve made and the flour I’ve somehow got on the cat and laughing whole heartedly at all of my jokes.  I shall be trying to ooze glamour and an ease and comfort within the kitchen. As the gorgeous Nigella herself says…
“What I’m talking about is not being a domestic goddess exactly, but feeling like one.”

How To Be a Domestic Goddess – Oatcakes Recipe

Oat Cake Ingredients

(Makes 15-20)

• 250g porridge oats
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon of lard or butter melted
• 75-200ml hot water from a recently boiled kettle

How To Make Oat Cakes

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6
2. Put the oats in a bowl and add the salt and bicarbonate of soda.
3. Make a well, pour in the fat and, stirring with a wooden spoon, enough hot water to mix to a stiff dough. If you are using oatmeal, you should need about 75ml; with porridge oats you may need as much as 200ml.
4. Knead it for a while to make it come smoothly together, then roll it out as thinly as you can.
5. Cut into triangles or rounds and bake on an ungreased baking tray for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden-brown and the oatcakes themselves are firm (they’ll crisp up on cooling). Remove to a wire rack to cool.

I was so pleased with the look and taste of these that it filled me with enthusiasm and bravery and I added my own addition to the recipe for the next lot…and mixed a handful of finely grated parmesan into the dough and sprinkled some more on top before baking. I think they turned out rather well and certainly left me feeling rather Goddessy!

I actually omitted the salt from Nigella’s recipe as I don’t like to add any salt to my children’s diet if I can help it. I think these moreish little crackers will make a great lunchbox addition or healthy afterschool snack, perhaps with a slice of cheese or banana. They are definitely something I’ll be making again.

Thanks Nigella.

Oatcakes taken from How To Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson, published by Chatto & Windus. Used by permission of The Random House Group Limited

How To Be a Domestic Goddess is available to buy online at rBooks