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These ‘country’ Up Helly Aas are nearly all
stalwart bastions of gender equality (unlike
Lerwick, where the Committee restricts
women’s involvement in proceedings), and have
a relaxed, laid-back attitude to everything from
alcohol availability to tickets. And food. I have
seen mutton pies at Up Helly Aa – proper,
pungent, hot-water-crust fountainheads of juicy
minced sheep meat. And lentil soup as opposed
to reestit mutton, for there appear to be more
vegetarians in the Shetland countryside.
The various Up Helly Aas signal the coming
of the sun and intensify the darkness. When the
torches dim, when the galley embers burn low,
you can walk back in the absolute blackness of a
Shetland winter night, allow your eyes to adjust
and actually enjoy the absence of light, or the
f licker of the aurora. Up Helly Aa is about the
lightening of the year, but one of its great
pleasures is the celebration of darkness.

This is one for connoisseurs of

darkness. Of a winter’s night,

one of my prime occupations is

to sit by our peat-fired stove,

sipping hot porter. Add a few

spices, maybe an egg yolk, and

some obligatory dark rum and

you have food, drink, comfort

and restoration. Perhaps you’ve

been indulging too much in the

pleasures of Up Helly Aa or

some other midwinter

celebration. This is your remedy.

2 pints of dark porter or stout

(locally brewed, if possible)

2 large measures of dark

(Stewart’s) rum

75–100g dark brown soft sugar

2 egg yolks

Up Helly Aa Hangover Mulled Ale

¼ nutmeg, finely grated

Pinch of ground cinnamon

More grated nutmeg and

cinnamon sticks, to serve

1 Gently warm the porter or stout

in a large pan on the hob (or over

the fire, if feeling romantic).

2 Place the rum, sugar, egg yolks,

nutmeg and cinnamon into a

cocktail shaker. Add a couple of

ice cubes (yes, ice cubes) and

shake and shake and shake. This

is to create a thick foam.

3 Pour your eggy spice into the

pan and continue to heat, stirring

all the time, until warm. Pour

messily into goblets and drink

until you, too, are steaming

pleasantly.Skøl!

• You may perhaps better know James as a doctor-cum-series-3-Bake-Off
  contestant with a penchant for whisky and excellent knitwear. Tom is his dad.

Adapted from

Shetland: Cooking on

the Edge of the World

by James & Tom

Morton (Quadrille)*

ESCAPE (^) | TRADITIONS