This clapshot recipe starts with a miracle in Almería. Not a religious one — a retail one. On a visit to family, I found myself in an Iceland store — or more accurately, an Overseas Imports store trading as Iceland, a franchise and import operation stocking UK brands, run independently rather than as a direct corporate arm of the UK parent. And there, on the shelf, was a swede. A proper swede, with a Saltire label on it.
I bought two. Par-boiled them that evening, bagged them, and put them in the freezer against exactly this kind of occasion.
Clapshot is an Orcadian dish — from Orkney, not mainland Scotland, which matters to the people of Orkney and is worth acknowledging. It is not the same as neeps and tatties served separately alongside haggis on Burns Night — it is its own dish, with its own character. Swede and potato mashed together with butter and chives, the two becoming something neither is on its own. Sweeter than straight mash, earthier than straight neeps, and considerably more interesting than either.
It appeared on my Burns Night table alongside the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties — the full Burns Night story is here — but it doesn't need Burns Night as an excuse. It's a good side dish on any occasion that calls for something warming and honest.
What You Need to Know About This Clapshot Recipe
Equal quantities of swede and potato is the traditional approach — both cooked separately, both drained well, then mashed together. Don't combine them in the cooking water; the swede takes longer and the potato will overcook waiting for it.
Butter is generous. Chives go in at the end — fresh, finely chopped, stirred through rather than mixed in aggressively. Some versions include fried onion, which adds sweetness and depth; it's worth trying if you have the time and a pan free.
Drain both vegetables thoroughly before mashing — excess water is the enemy of a good mash.
Serves two — one portion now, one for the freezer.
Clapshot Recipe — The Method
Serves 2 | one for freezer
Ingredients
- 300g swede, peeled and diced
- 300g Monalisa potatoes (or any floury potato), peeled and diced
- Good knob of butter
- Salt and white pepper
- Small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped
Optional:
- 1 small onion, finely sliced and fried slowly in butter until golden
Method
- Cook the swede. Put the diced swede into cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20–25 minutes until completely tender. Drain well and return to the pan.
- Cook the potatoes. While the swede cooks, put the diced potato into a separate pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain well and return to the pan.
- Mash together. Combine the drained swede and potato in one pan. Add the butter and mash together until smooth — not completely uniform, a little texture is fine. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Finish. Stir through the finely chopped chives. If using fried onion, fold it through now.
- Serve alongside haggis and tatties, or as a side dish in its own right. Freezes well once completely cold.
Clapshot also sits naturally alongside Rumbledethumps — the cheesy potato and cabbage bake that completes the Scottish potato and swede cluster.
This clapshot recipe forms part of my Scottish Recipes collection. You'll also find it in my Potato Recipes hub and my Veg, Fruit & Pulses hub.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
