Clapshot: Orkney's Potato and Neep Mash, Done Properly

Clapshot is potato and swede mashed together with butter and chives. It comes from Orkney, it is the traditional accompaniment to haggis in the north, and it is what "neeps and tatties" becomes when you stop serving them in two separate heaps.

That is the substance of it. What follows is the difference between good clapshot and the grey, watery version that has given mashed swede a reputation it does not deserve.

The ratio

Equal weights of potato and swede is the standard and the right place to start. Shift it towards potato for a milder, smoother mash; towards swede for a sweeter, more strongly flavoured one with a looser texture.

Do not go much past 60/40 in either direction. Too much potato and the swede becomes a rumour; too much swede and the mash will not hold together, because swede has far more water and far less starch.

Cook them separately. Always.

This is the one rule.

Swede takes considerably longer than potato and holds much more water. Boiled in the same pan, the potato disintegrates while the swede is still hard, and you mash the resulting excess water into the dish. Watery clapshot is the entire failure mode — it will not hold a shape on the plate and it tastes of nothing but its own liquid.

So: two pans. Then drain both thoroughly, and return each to its dry hot pan for a minute so the residual steam escapes. Only then mash.

Cut the swede small — much smaller than the potato — and it will finish at roughly the same time in the second pan.

Butter, pepper, chives

Clapshot has four ingredients and no hiding places.

Butter, properly. A traditional Orkney version uses beef dripping in place of some of it, which is excellent and unsurprising in a dish built to sit next to meat. Black pepper, far more than you think — swede is sweet and needs it. Chives are traditional here in a way they are not in ordinary mashed neeps, and they matter: a raw green allium note through a sweet root mash is what makes clapshot taste like a dish rather than a side.

Salt at the end, after mashing. And mash it — do not blend it. Swede in a processor goes stringy, and potato goes to glue.

Buying and prepping the swede

Swede is the awkward half of this dish and it is worth two minutes of advice.

Choose a smaller one. Large swedes are more likely to be woody at the core and take longer to cook. Look for firm, heavy-for-its-size roots with no soft patches around the crown.

Peel it properly. The skin is thick and often waxed; a vegetable peeler is not enough. Top and tail it flat so it sits stable, then work down the sides with a knife, taking the skin and the tough layer immediately under it in one pass.

Cut it small — 2cm dice or less — for two reasons: it cooks far faster, and it mashes without leaving fibrous strings. Swede left in large chunks will still be firm when the outside has gone to mush.

A large swede is more than this recipe needs. The remainder roasts well, goes into scotch broth, or keeps a fortnight in the fridge wrapped.

What it goes with

Haggis, first and foremost. In much of Scotland a Burns supper arrives as haggis with separate mounds of mashed neeps and mashed tatties; the Orkney answer is to mash them together, and it is better — the potato tempers the swede's sweetness and the whole plate stops being three things that have never met.

Beyond that: sausages, any roast, boiled beef, or under a stew where a firm mash is wanted. It is also the base for a very good potato-topped pie.

Clapshot vs rumbledethumps vs neeps and tatties

• Clapshot — potato and swede mashed together, butter, chives. Orkney.
• Rumbledethumps — potato and swede plus cabbage, baked under cheese. Scottish Borders.
• Neeps and tatties — the same two vegetables, mashed and served separately, which is the standard Burns supper presentation across most of Scotland.

The last of those is the useful distinction: clapshot is not a different recipe from neeps and tatties so much as a different decision about the plate, with butter and chives added on the way.

Making it ahead

Clapshot reheats better than most mash, because the swede holds its texture. Make it a day ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and reheat gently in a pan with a knob of butter, stirring — or covered in the oven. Add the chives after reheating rather than before, so they stay green.

It also freezes, though it loosens slightly on thawing; drive off the extra moisture in a hot pan before serving.

Frequently asked questions

What is clapshot?

An Orkney dish of potato and swede mashed together with butter and chives, seasoned with plenty of black pepper. It is traditionally served with haggis, and sometimes made with beef dripping alongside the butter.

What is the difference between clapshot and neeps and tatties?

Ingredients, no; presentation, yes. Neeps and tatties are mashed and served as two separate portions, which is the usual Burns supper arrangement. Clapshot mashes them together and adds butter and chives.

Why is my clapshot watery?

Almost certainly because the potato and swede were boiled in the same pan. Swede holds far more water and takes longer to cook, so the potato breaks down before the swede is ready and the excess water ends up in the mash. Cook them separately, drain both hard, and steam-dry each in its hot pan before mashing.

What is the ratio of potato to swede in clapshot?

Equal weights is standard. Up to about 60/40 either way works — more potato for a smoother, milder mash; more swede for a sweeter and looser one.

Can you make clapshot in advance?

Yes. It reheats better than plain mashed potato because the swede holds its texture. Refrigerate for up to two days and reheat gently with a little butter, adding the chives at the end so they stay green.