UKC

Mrs sculptor has been away in Scotland this weekend on a hen do and has had the presence of mind to return with a haggis. Now, I'm pretty handy in the kitchen but I've never cooked haggis. I know the traditional thing is with neeps and tatties (and rusty nail) but I'm interested in any special tips that anyone might have to make the whole experience the best that it could be.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

P.S. Mods I've put this in "down the pub" so that any great recipe/cooking tips for the five legged Scottish beastie will be saved for all eternity!!

In reply to sculptor:

deep fried in batter, a la Royal mile chippy

In reply to John Wood:

..........followed by that all time classic - a deep fried mars bar?


Feeling sick

lol

In reply to John Wood: Here's what to do... Heat your oven to 175C. Place your haggis in a roasting tin with 2 inches of water in it. Cook until piping hot. Meanwhile, prepare your neeps and tatties. Consume copious amounts of single malt whisky. Fall asleep. Wake with a start, run into the kitchen. Enjoy the smells of burning and deal with them accordingly. When everything has cooled down, remove the food from the pans with steel wool and deposit in the bin.

There are numerous recipes for cooking haggis, but, as a chef of many years standing, I think this is the best. Largely because it involves the whole traditon of cooking haggis but neatly avoids the eating of it.

Whilst, at first glance, it may appear wasteful, it is important to weigh up the cost of cleaning your house after you've eaten the cack.

I know that this posting will start a torrent of abuse from Norrie and co., but there it is. I have one thing to say to haggis fans and that is 'Culloden'.

In reply to sculptor:

I usually steam haggis. I also find that with neeps & tatties I need to make some gravy otherwise it is rather dry.

In reply to sculptor: Boiled

In reply to sculptor: i had some lovely Haggis Neeps and Tatties up in the lovely country, but never been brave enouth to try and cook it at home!

check out the BBC food site, might be some tips on there?!?

best of luck.

Jess.x

In reply to AntiGrav: You were doing ok until your last line. 1/10

In reply to AntiGrav:

That made me chuckle

A mate of mine told me of a recipe that his Dad gave him for perch.

Take the perch and place some butter and herbs of your choice in the cavity. Liberally season with salt and pepper. Take two pieces of hardboard and place the perch between them. Tie the whole thing together with string so that the perch is sandwiched between the two pieces of board. Wrap in foil and cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and foil. Cut the string and remove the hardboard. Throw the foil, string and perch in the bin and...................
























eat the hardboard!


PMSL

In reply to sculptor:

Simmering the haggis in boiling water for 45--60 mins (depending on size) is the usual cooking method. While traditional, I've never been a fan of neeps, so usually have boiled onion instead, along with mashed tatties.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

Cheers.........like the onion option. Is haggis boiled just in water though or do you use a stock/court bouillon. And do you cook the neeps/onion/tatties in the same liquor?

Cheers

In reply to sculptor: I fry up an onion then add the haggis and fry that with a beef stock cube until it's cooked, you get lots of fab crispy bits doing it that way.

In reply to sculptor:

The easiest way is to remove it from the skin and microwave it. And before the haggis enthusiasts throw their hands up in horror it works perfectly

Unless of course you need to serve it intact and cermoniously gouge its entrials Burns supper style.

In reply to magpie:


You fry the haggis whole?! Surely not. Do you slice it to fry it? And a beef stock cube fried? No liquid? Sorry.......a bit confused here

In reply to Slugain Howff:


What.....just as it is? No liquid.......nothing else? Wouldn't that just give me a rubbery, pale blob?

In reply to sculptor:

http://www.macsween.co.uk/recipes/content.asp?PageID=13

...Macsweens know a thing or two about haggis

In reply to Slugain Howff:


Excellent....thanks.

I was, however, hoping that there was some secret/mystery to the whole thing. Obviously a romantic notion

In reply to sculptor:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/burnsnight/suppers/index.shtml

If it's romance you want you could always show the haggis a good time by piping it in and addressing it. See the link for details.

Slug

In reply to sculptor:


Water is fine. (The casing is usually fairly watertight anyhow.)


Nope, I cook them seperately.

In reply to sculptor:

If I ever have foreigners with delicate stomachs round at the house I use the above method to cook it (boiling, however microwaving it works a treat.) and then serve at as a starter with drop of warmed cream and whisky.. lovely!

In reply to sculptor: Just bought one myself this weekend, so I'll report back once cooked and (hopefully) consumed

In reply to sculptor:

Simmer in salted water. As I've been vegetarian for a couple of decades I don't recall exactly how long for but think it was 25 minutes or so.

Served with mashed potatoes and turnips (cooked separately) I find some nice freshly ground pepper on the turnips works very well. I've tried baking the Haggis but find it too dry.

In reply to sculptor:


I find this is the best way to serve haggis....http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/eryrglas/haggis.jpg?t=1205696362

In reply to sculptor:

Just boil it (around 45min per kg) and then don't go easy on the pepper.

In reply to sculptor:

Cook it as you would a proper black pudding, in water till well heated through.

In reply to sculptor:

< Prepares to be flamed>

You don't want a recipie for chilli con haggis, do you?

In reply to sculptor:
Boil it for about 45mins, cook the neeps n tatties seperatly. when cooked fluff the haggis up with a fork and add a wee splash of whiskey, then serve.

mmmmh

In reply to sculptor: the easiest and fastest way is simply to microwave it.... about 10min full power for 2 people.

Serve with neeps, tatties, baked beans and worchester sause

In reply to sculptor:

As infrequently as is possible....

In reply to sculptor:

I just break the haggis into bits over the fried onion, crumble in a stock cube and fry some more, sometimes I add a wee touch of water, but not always. It's good.

In reply to sculptor:

Just occasionally the skin of a haggis may burst while it is being simmered, leading to the haggis escaping into the water it is being boiled in. This disaster may be avoided by wrapping the haggis in kitched foil first. I think you would need to boil it a little longer.

In reply to Chris Tan Ver. L - On the Bog:


Judging from where you are posting from, I guess you must have tried it ....................


I think I'll give that recipe a miss, ............


unless I run out of senokot!

In reply to sculptor:

1) refridgerate for 3 days at not less than 3 degrees c

2) take out and leave at room temp for furtrher 3 days

3) roll the haggis in warm honey and flour, then leave for a further day

4) season sparingly with nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and place in a pre heated oven at gas mark 3 for 2 hours, turning occasionaly and adding further nutmeg and salt.

5) Remove from the oven and steam briefly then throw in the bin and go for a curry.


recipe sent in by H Blumenthal aged 11 and three quarters

In reply to Nevis-the-cat:

lol

In reply to sculptor:

I usually wrap the haggis in foil , take off plastic wrapper first , put in casserole dish and cook in oven for 1 hour - take it out fluff up with a fork and put back in oven for 10mins

Cheers
Lillian

In reply to sculptor:

If you have any left over (which in our house is never) you can stuff chicken breasts with it and pan fry, divine.

Nothing beats haggis, neeps and tatties though. Must be a mix of equal parts carrots and swede then mashed with plenty of butter and black pepper. And mashed spuds, again nice and creamy. Then get a dod of each on your fork and make like a bucket excavator.

In reply to sculptor:

I'll second Fimm's suggestion. Wrap the haggis or haggi in foil then cover with water and simmer (not boiling).

Happy munching.

S