Staffordshire Oatcakes

My absolute favourite food is the Staffordshire oatcake, I can never have enough of them and they were a regular part of my diet, growing up in North Staffordshire.

A delicacy of "The Potteries" the oatcake is enjoyed particularly in  North Stafforshire and the Stoke-on-Trent area, but if you are lucky, you can also track them down in South Staffordshire and on the Staffs borders such as the Derbyshire moorlands, Cheshire and Shropshire.

Not to be confused with the biscuit-like Scottish oatcake, the Staffs oatcake   could be described as a "hearty" pancake, with the oaty batter being cooked on a flat griddle.

When I was growing up, oatcake shops were as common as fish and chip shops and I have fond memories of standing in the oatcake shop, watching (and smelling) the oatcakes being cooked.  Unfortunately all of the oatcake shops have now disappeared although they are still produced in a larger scale  oatcake bakery and its still fairly common to buy filled oatcakes in local take-aways and cafes (and if staying in the area, B&B's may even serve them up for breakfast if you are lucky!).

oatcakes are a healthy "fast food" and can be grilled, microwaved or cooked in the oven

I normally heat my oatcakes up in the microwave before adding a favourite topping of cheese, tomato and brown sauce before giving it another quick blast to melt the cheese

Then I roll it up into a sausage shape to keep the heat in - and then enjoy.

Usually fillings are one or a combination of cheese, bacon, sausage, tomato, baked beans, mushroom and served with or without brown sauce or ketchup.  However, some people enjoy them with sweet fillings such as jam or syrup.

If you'd like to know more about oatcakes, then visit the Staffordshire Oatcakes website