flipStruan Micheil, the Michaelmas Offering Bread
Struan Micheil, the Michaelmas Offering Bread
Why this dish? In the Gaelic islands (Hebrides, and throughout the arc of Michael's cult from Skellig Michael in Ireland), on the eve of Michaelmas a large flat bread was baked, kneaded from ALL the grains grown on the farm that year. It was blessed, shared, and given to the poor 'in the name of God and Michael.' It is the offering of the entire harvest to the archangel.
A thick, golden griddle cake mixing barley, oats, and rye, enriched with eggs, butter, and a drizzle of wild honey, perfumed with caraway. Rustic, comforting, slightly sweet-savory. The bread of gratitude.
Here is the bread that the islanders consecrate to me, and this I receive with joy: not because I eat it, but because they have put into it every grain of their land, barley and oats and rye, keeping nothing back for themselves first. The mother of the household kneads it on the eve of my feast, anoints it with cream and eggs, bakes it before the hearth on the lamb's skin. Then a piece is broken for the neighbor, another for the poor, yet another for the souls of the dead. Understand well: to offer the entire harvest — that is what rises to me.
- •Barley flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- •Oat flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- •Rye flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- •Butter — a good knob (binder, richness)
- •Eggs — two or three (binder)
- •Cream or milk — as needed (moisture, wash)
- •Wild honey — a drizzle (festive sweetness)
- •Caraway seeds — a pinch (traditional flavor)
Struan Micheil, the Michaelmas Offering Bread
A thick, golden griddle cake mixing barley, oats, and rye, enriched with eggs, butter, and a drizzle of wild honey, perfumed with caraway. Rustic, comforting, slightly sweet-savory. The bread of gratitude.
Why this dish? In the Gaelic islands (Hebrides, and throughout the arc of Michael's cult from Skellig Michael in Ireland), on the eve of Michaelmas a large flat bread was baked, kneaded from ALL the grains grown on the farm that year. It was blessed, shared, and given to the poor 'in the name of God and Michael.' It is the offering of the entire harvest to the archangel.
Here is the bread that the islanders consecrate to me, and this I receive with joy: not because I eat it, but because they have put into it every grain of their land, barley and oats and rye, keeping nothing back for themselves first. The mother of the household kneads it on the eve of my feast, anoints it with cream and eggs, bakes it before the hearth on the lamb's skin. Then a piece is broken for the neighbor, another for the poor, yet another for the souls of the dead. Understand well: to offer the entire harvest — that is what rises to me.
Ingredients (period version)
- Barley flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- Oat flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- Rye flour — one part (grain of the harvest)
- Butter — a good knob (binder, richness)
- Eggs — two or three (binder)
- Cream or milk — as needed (moisture, wash)
- Wild honey — a drizzle (festive sweetness)
- Caraway seeds — a pinch (traditional flavor)
Ingredients
- Barley flour — 150 g (grain)
- Oat flakes (finely ground) — 150 g (grain)
- Rye flour — 100 g (grain)
- Melted butter — 60 g (binder)
- Eggs — 2 (binder)
- Milk — 200 ml (moisture)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Caraway seeds — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
Method
- Mix the three flours with the salt and caraway.
- Beat the eggs with the milk, honey, and melted butter, then incorporate into the flours to obtain a thick, supple dough (no yeast: it is a flatbread).
- Shape a large round cake 2 to 3 cm thick on a baking sheet.
- Brush the top with a cream-egg-honey mixture, and bake at 190°C for about 30 to 35 min until nicely golden.
- Let cool slightly, break into pieces by hand and share. Eat plain or with butter.
How it was made : The struan was traditionally cooked on a lamb's skin (craitheann) set before the peat fire, and was successively sprinkled with a mixture of cream, eggs, and butter which made it swell and brown. One large one was made for the family and small ones for each member, living or dead.
The contemporary twist : Bake individual small struans marked with a cross by a knife, and offer them in a 'Michaelmas sharing' basket to give around — as the custom dictated.
Sources : Alexander Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica (struan Micheil, Fèill Mhìcheil)
Archangel Michael · Charactorium
