Haggis

[Keith]

Any tips on cooking haggis?
I'm in the middle of cooking a Haggis & wondered if any of you professionals could offer any advice.
Answers will be required within the next 30 mins 'cos I'm very very hungry.
In eager anticipation
Keith :cheers:
P.S Took me 15 mins to catch the little b----r! :sorry

[Heather]

:D :D I usually buy mine at Marks and Sparks, I cut it open and stick it in a microwavable dish then zap it for about 5mins.
Alternatively you can boil it in the skin for about anhour in a pan of water!!!!!!
:cheers:
Heather

[Dancing Veela]

Well I skin mine, cut it in half, put it in a bowl, cover it and cook in the micro on full power for 6mins, then take it out, stir it up a bit, re-cover and cook on full again for another 5 mins.

I don't know if you can cook all haggis like this - but it's how i do my Hall's one!!!! (as per the instructions on the packet!!!!)

You weren't joking were you??? Just had a thought that this may be a wind up ????????? Oh well too late if it is!!!

[Dancing Veela]

Heather - go home or you'll be late for Ceroc!!!

[Wendy]

Read the instructions on the packet he heeeee

OK enough.

Or one way I know is so wrap it in tin foil and pop it in a very large pot of boiling water. Not sure how long for. Depends on the size of your haggis :wink: .

Wx (not being much help there then !!!)

[Keith]

Ok the boil in the bag bit I'm ok with, I'm after the extras like sauces & that personal touch, from the home country.
Common girls tell me your secrets
Keith
:wink:

[Keith]

Ok guys your time is up.
Went with a madeira, mushroom & peppercorn, red wine sauce.
:cheers:
Keith

[LilyB]

Originally posted by Keith

Went with a madeira, mushroom & peppercorn, red wine sauce.

Yummmm!!!!!!!!! You can cook for me anytime, Keith! I'll do you a fab Chinese in return. My place or yours?

LilyB

PS Just don't tell David - he hates haggis - but then he's an Englishman!.........Wait a minute.... so are you Keith!

[Tiggerbabe]

Originally posted by Keith
Ok guys your time is up.
Went with a madeira, mushroom & peppercorn, red wine sauce.
:cheers:
Keith

Sauce! with a Haggis? - the only way to eat Haggis is with tatties and neep (oh, and with a fork of course). Hope you enjoyed it:yum:

I'm with you DV - definitely Halls:wink:

[CJ]

Great thread, Kieth, and I hope you enjoyed your haggis.

Not convinced about sauce though.

That aside, where the hell did you manage to get a haggis so far out of hunting season?

[Keith]

It was one I'd captured when we came to the comp.
It had started to get restless so we decided it was time to eat it!
Are there any other varieties? This was the 3-legged one!
Keith
Oh yeh, sauce wasn't bad, as it had an edge to it, not sickly.
Chinese sounds good :yum: :wink:
Keith

[philsmove]

Just taken mine out of the freezer :blush:

I’m am told we should start with a soup

Any one got a good tradition (vegetarian) soup recipe

I am leaving the Cranachan to an expert :whistle:

[TheTramp]

Just taken mine out of the freezer :blush:

You froze him?? Poor little thing! :na:

[Beowulf]

Can't beat good ol' scotch broth.

Carrot turnip onion leek and a cup full of scotch broth mix.

Cook the haggis whatever way you like (I tried making a whiskey sauce once.. was absolutely disasterous.. but it's nice when it works)

I normally make Cranachan as a pudding afterwards it's really easy

coarse oatmeal
double cream
Drambuie
fresh raspberries

Toast the oatmeal in a frying pan on a high heat until lightly brown. Whisk the cream into a soft consistency and mix in the oatmeal ,Drambuie and rasps Serve in tall glasses

Chill before serving

[purplehyacinth]

For non-alcoholic cranachan, you can skip the Drambuie (BTW, it doesn't have to be Drambuie, simple whisky will suffice). And to make it look pretty, mix the oatmeal with the cream and whisky and layer it with the rasps.

If you want quantities of rasps, oatmeal, etc I do have a recipe somewhere.....

[Genie]

Haggis is nice with a whisky and mushroom sauce, served with neep and tatty mash :-) If you make it again, give me a shout and I'll type up the recipe.

[SteveK]

Any tips on cooking haggis?
I'm in the middle of cooking a Haggis & wondered if any of you professionals could offer any advice.

I reckon the most important thing with the cooking is start with a decent quality one. Halls etc. are ok, but if you happen to be passing Dingwall, you have to make a detour to Cockburns Butchers. Their haggis are legendary - they are really nice and juicy, and sauce additions would be just a waste....:yum: :yum:

(I tended to use the microwave technique - if you are boiling them up in a saucepan, wrapping the haggis in tinfoil reduces the likelihood of bursting).

[Lory]

Any tips on cooking haggis?


I had the same question a while back Keith, see HERE :na: (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3848&highlight=haggis)

[drathzel]

mmmm haggis, tatties and neeps. I wanna burns supper:tears: (happy burns day to all my scottish muckers)

[Dreadful Scathe]

I had the same question a while back Keith, see HERE :na: (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3848&highlight=haggis)
er...no you didnt :) Keiths post is from 2002, your link goes to your post of 2004 ;)

[Dreadful Scathe]

Can't beat good ol' scotch broth.

Carrot turnip onion leek and a cup full of scotch broth mix.

Cook the haggis whatever way you like (I tried making a whiskey sauce once.. was absolutely disasterous.. but it's nice when it works)

I normally make Cranachan as a pudding afterwards it's really easy

coarse oatmeal
double cream
Drambuie
fresh raspberries

Toast the oatmeal in a frying pan on a high heat until lightly brown. Whisk the cream into a soft consistency and mix in the oatmeal ,Drambuie and rasps Serve in tall glasses

Chill before serving
Just had cranachan the other night - cooked by my lovely wife for some visiting Dutch peeps. Went down well. Not enough Drambuie though :) I suppose you could put any Whisky in it, but if its a good Whisky its better in a glass on its own ;)

[Barry Shnikov]

:D :D I usually buy mine at Marks and Sparks, I cut it open and stick it in a microwavable dish then zap it for about 5mins.
:cheers:
Heather

Me too. I usually have it with microwaved peas and, if there is some in the house, a dram.

[Barry Shnikov]

Ok the boil in the bag bit I'm ok with, I'm after the extras like sauces & that personal touch, from the home country.
Common girls tell me your secrets
Keith
:wink:

Why the common girls in particular - do you think the snooty ones don't eat haggis?

[Mezzosoprano]

I reckon the most important thing with the cooking is start with a decent quality one. Halls etc. are ok, but if you happen to be passing Dingwall, you have to make a detour to Cockburns Butchers. Their haggis are legendary - they are really nice and juicy, and sauce additions would be just a waste....:yum: :yum:

(I tended to use the microwave technique - if you are boiling them up in a saucepan, wrapping the haggis in tinfoil reduces the likelihood of bursting).

Completely agree Steve.... Halls are cheap and easily available but there is nothing as good as a Cockburns Haggis simmered (don't boil it - the skin will burst and that's way too messy to even contemplate) for about an hour in a pan with the water coming about 1/3 of the way up the Haggis.... serve with creamed mashed potatoes and mashed turnips( sprinkled liberally with coarse ground black pepper) - Neeps to those of us across the border! Never mind the pudding...... second helpings of haggis will mean you won't have any room for pudding!

:grin:

[Dreadful Scathe]

Completely agree Steve.... Halls are cheap and easily available but there is nothing as good as a Cockburns Haggis simmered (don't boil it - the skin will burst and that's way too messy to even contemplate) for about an hour in a pan with the water coming about 1/3 of the way up the Haggis.... serve with creamed mashed potatoes and mashed turnips( sprinkled liberally with coarse ground black pepper) - Neeps to those of us across the border! Never mind the pudding...... second helpings of haggis will mean you won't have any room for pudding!

:grin:
yum :) anyone going to a Burns night then ?

[whitetiger1518]

Nope not to a Burns night - but will go to an RSCDS Country Dance tomorrow night.

Just thought that the BBC's page here looks pretty good and gives lots of Burns related recipes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_burnsnight.shtml#recipes

Cheers Whitetiger

[janey]

Cockburns in Dingwall are the Scottish champion Haggis makers & definately the best!!:drool:

[philsmove]

yum :) anyone going to a Burns night then ?

2 friends can’t make it so I have 2 spaces at my table tonight

[TheTramp]

yum :) anyone going to a Burns night then ?

Nope. But I did cook haggis neeps and tatties for dinner last night. I know it's a night early, but I don't have as much time between University and dancing in Perth today...

[Beowulf]

The butchers on the square in Stonehaven (forget their name) make the best ones i've tasted.

The also do veggie ones (IIRC) but I've never tried those.

See Genie... I DO eat meat..

[Msfab]

The also do veggie ones (IIRC) but I've never tried those.

The blue supermarket used to sell the Mcsween vegi ones for about 6 months of the year - but they stopped sometime last summer!:sad:

I went to Waitrose yesterday (while on my way to pick my Euros for tomorrow) and found them there!:clap: Cant wait to tuck into one with some mashed turnips and carrots with a dollop of mayo to finish!:drool:

[Mezzosoprano]

I don't know what to say - mayo?!? I'm intrigued but slightly revolted at the same time - how curious?

[modchick]

yum :) anyone going to a Burns night then ?

Not going to a burns night, but helped organise a burns lunch for the lads n lasses at work, so it was a "burns lunch" was a great success!!:nice:

[Genie]

The butchers on the square in Stonehaven (forget their name) make the best ones i've tasted.

The also do veggie ones (IIRC) but I've never tried those.

See Genie... I DO eat meat..

No you don't, you eat fake meat, or meat that is only just meat, or meat that is barely there and surrounded by so much rabbit food you wouldn't notice it unless it actually made a noise.

I am just teasing you babe.

You eat bacon only if it is burnt to a crisp, you eat sausages (although not the kind I normally buy, what were they?) and you eat some chicken sometimes. Which only just puts you in the meat-eater's bracket.

Although I understand why you don't eat steak and stuff. I know it makes you sick :what: :hug:

I really need a lamb casserole now :drool:

[philsmove]

Many thanks for all the advice, we abandoned the soup

Ours was a Macsween, very good indeed

My neighbor used a Cranachan recipe similar to Beo’s

With a honey and whisky sauce :drool:

[pmjd]

Did Burn's night for 15 last night, all seemed to go well and no-ones called in sick with food poisoning yet:nice:

Got four meat ones form local butcher and two MacSween veggie ones. Both were very good. Had left overs from each but think I've had enough haggis last night to face eating any more tonight:o

[purplehyacinth]

yum :) anyone going to a Burns night then ?

Nope, but taught a ceilidh class on Burns night and going to a non-RSCDS Scottish Country Dance tomorrow:)