Sollaghan, Isle of Man
If ever there was a food that told the tale of poverty in peasant households, it was this one from the Isle of Man , though from various sources it seems to have been one enjoyed by the islanders, and was a hearty enough dish to fill a man ready for his labour.
The recipe and method is very simple. Take some oatmeal, and brown it in a pan until the meal is reaching a red hue. If you have some, add butter, and season with salt and pepper, stirring to build the toasted oatmeal into lumps. To this add the top of the stock pot, which will bring flavour and the fat skimmed with the broth to lubricate the dish and enrich it. Continue to stir the mixture, which thickens. Serve more broth from the stock pot.
Poor enough fare you might think for a normal working day, but this was served on special occasions: as the midday meal on Shrove Tuesday (though the supper that day would include meat and a pudding as well as the customary pancakes), or as breakfast on Christmas Day – and possibly Boxing Day too.
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