Authentic Scottish Haggis Recipes

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH RECIPES - HAGGIS

Steps:

• Trim off any excess fat and sinew from the sheep's intestine and, if present, discard the windpipe. Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to ensure that they are all tender. Drain and cool. Some chefs toast the oatmeal in an oven until it is thoroughly dried out (but not browned or burnt!) Finely chop the meat and combine in a large bowl with the suet, oatmeal, finely chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well. Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the beef bung which should be over half full. Then press out the air and tie the open ends tightly with string. Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. If it looks as though it may do that, prick with a sharp needle to reduce the pressure. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling vigorously to avoid bursting the skin. Serve hot with "champit tatties and bashit neeps" (mashed/creamed potato and turnip/swede). For added flavor, you can add some nutmeg to the potatoes and allspice to the turnip/swede. Some people like to pour a little whiskey over their haggis - Drambuie is even better! Don't go overboard on this or you'll make the haggis cold. At Burns Suppers, the haggis is traditionally piped in and Burns' "Address to the Haggis" recited over it.

HAGGIS

Steps:

• For the wet ingredients: Remove the bones, fat and sinew from the lamb tongue and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes. Remove any fat, sinew and ventricles from the lamb heart and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes. Remove any fat and sinew from the liver and cut into manageable 1-inch cubes.
• Peel the onions and dice into 1-inch chunks.
• Separate the suet from the sinew and finely chop the fat, discarding the sinew.
• Put the cubed tongue and heart into a large pot. Cover with water by 4 inches, bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the liver and allow to simmer for a further 20 minutes. Add the diced onions and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes.
• Ladle out and reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid (offal stock) from the pot before draining out the contents into a colander. Return the hot offal-onion mixture into the pot and stir in the chopped suet.
• Grind the mixture using a hand grinder or electric mixer attachment.
• For the dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Spread the rolled oats on a sheet tray and bake until golden brown, stirring regularly, about 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the oats into a large container and add the cumin, paprika, rosemary, thyme, cayenne and some salt and black pepper.
• Add the ground offal-onion mixture to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly with your hands. Add enough of the reserved offal stock to bind the mixture together. It should feel like a wet meatball but still be able to hold its shape when squeezed into a ball.
• Test the spice levels and seasonings by sauteing a small piece and tasting. Adjust the spices and seasonings to your liking.
• Once the seasoning is correct, put the filling into an ovenproof dish that is big enough to take all the mixture, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours to meld the flavors and allow the suet to disperse through the mixture.
• To serve: For a traditional haggis supper, serve with "neeps" (turnips), "tatties" (potatoes) and a generous neat single-malt whiskey.
• For a fish and chip shop serving, form a ball of haggis, dredge in seasoned flour, dunk in beer batter and fry in 375 degree F canola oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

HAGGIS

Steps:

• Rinse the stomach thoroughly and soak overnight in cold salted water.
• Rinse the liver, heart, and tongue. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook these parts over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove and mince. Remove any gristle or skin and discard.
• In a large bowl, combine the minced liver, heart, tongue, suet, onions, and toasted oats. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Moisten with some of the cooking water so the mixture binds. Remove the stomach from the cold salted water and fill 2/3 with the mixture. Sew or tie the stomach closed. Use a turning fork to pierce the stomach several times. This will prevent the haggis from bursting.
• In a large pot of boiling water, gently place the filled stomach, being careful not to splash. Cook over high heat for 3 hours.
• Serve with mashed potatoes, if you serve it at all.