Welsh Tapas - Laver Cakes - Bara Lawr

Photo © Rob Jones

Herewith Part 2 of my Seaweed double bill.

I would suggest that this is the more immediately appetising of my two Laverbread recipes. For me Laver Cakes would sit more happily on a plate with the rest of the cast of the Full Welsh Breakfast.

I should point out that, just as Laverbread is not bread, Laver Cakes are not cakes. (That’s all sorted then.)

Using the other half of the tin of Laverbread you used for the earlier recipe, mix in some rolled outs. The proportion is very much up to you. But it’s usually 3 parts Laverbread to one part Oats. Plus two tablespoons of flour. Salt and Pepper liberally. I also added - in a waste not want not sort of way - the white of the egg I didn’t use in the other recipe.

Cook up some bacon, not just as an accompaniment, but mainly because the fat from the pan is perfect for cooking the Laver Cakes.

Take a spoonful of the sludgy mixture and drop into the pan. Shape and flatten with the back of the spoon.

They really don’t take long at all. Lightly brown them on both sides.

Perfect alongside bacon and egg. They are remarkably light.

It’s not solely a Welsh thing. There are similar dishes all up the west coast. I always equate it with West Wales, Carmarthenshire especially, but it’s also eaten in North Somerset.

It became a staple for miners. The great English traveller, writer, Linguist and Horse Whisperer, George Borrow described eating mutton with piping hot laver sauce in about 1865 during his grand tour of Wales.

RJ