If the Isle of Man can lay claim to a ‘best known dish’, it would be bonnag. The name probably comes from the same root as Scots bannock and I believe it would originally have been a simple soda bread or griddle cake made with barley or oats, though today an oven-baked cake made from wheaten flour is more common. The combination of alkaline bicarb soda and the acid in the buttermilk produces carbon dioxide, which acts as a raising agent. You could use tartaric acid and regular milk, or even skip the bicarb and acid altogether and just use self-raising flour. I expect bonnag was originally a plain bread, though I’m sure some cooks threw a handful of dried fruit into the mix, and today many versions contain fruit. My recipe is inspired by one I found on the Isle of Man website and is a perfect sweet treat with a cup of tea. Cooking is all about taking inspiration from what’s around you and making recipes and dishes your own, and the trick of soaking the currants in strong tea is one I learned from making Welsh bara brith (see video below). So, while it may not be traditional for bonnag, it is Celtic and I hope the Manx don’t mind.
Makes 10 slices
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