Hogmanay - Haggis, Neeps and Tatties
With New Year /Hogmanay just a few days away for the rest of the week we will focuse on Scotland. The best place to see in the New Year.
Lets start with haggis you either love or hate it, (you could of course cheat and buy one ready made but where is the fun in that. Haggis is a traditional Scottish sausage made from a sheep’s stomach stuffed with diced sheep’s liver, lungs and heart, oatmeal, onion, suet and seasoning. Haggis is traditionally served with ‘neeps ‘n’ tatties’ – mashed swede and potatoes – and whisky on Hogmanay and Burns Night. Of course you can eat haggis any time of the year not just Hogmanay.
This is an authentic recipe from Scotland and the ingredients and methods of cooking may be unfamiliar but I hope you enjoy the results. I will also list an easier version .
Ingredients
1 sheep's stomach or ox secum, cleaned and thoroughly, scalded, turned inside out and soaked overnight in cold salted water
heart and lungs of one lamb
450g/1lb beef or lamb trimmings, fat and lean
2 onions, finely chopped
225g/8oz oatmeal
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground dried coriander
1 tsp mace
1 tsp nutmeg
water, enough to cook the haggis
stock from lungs and trimmings
Method
Wash the lungs, heart and liver (if using). Place in large pan of cold water with the meat trimmings and bring to the boil. Cook for about 2 hours.
When cooked, strain off the stock and set the stock aside.
Mince the lungs, heart and trimmings.
Put the minced mixture in a bowl and add the finely chopped onions, oatmeal and seasoning. Mix well and add enough stock to moisten the mixture. It should have a soft crumbly consistency.
Spoon the mixture into the sheep's stomach, so it's just over half full. Sew up the stomach with strong thread and prick a couple of times so it doesn't explode while cooking.
Put the haggis in a pan of boiling water (enough to cover it) and cook for 3 hours without a lid. Keep adding more water to keep it covered.
To serve, cut open the haggis and spoon out the filling. Serve with neeps (mashed swede or turnip) and tatties (mashed potatoes).
Traditional Scottish Haggis Without the sheep's stomach and some of the gory ingredients
Ingredients
HALF THE QUANTITIES FOR SMALLER HAGGIS
4 med. onions (if half size; omit onion from Step 1. below)
8oz (250g) lamb liver
8oz (250g) pork liver
OR 2 sheeps hearts & 250g of lamb liver
2 or 3 OXO beef stock cubes or concentrated beef stock
8oz (250g)shredded beef suet
8oz (250g) oatmeal (pinhead or coarse)
1 TBSP chopped dried sage
2 TBSP of ALL SPICE (If you don't have All Spice, mix cinammon, nutmeg, mixed spice together)
2 tsp dried corriander
1/2 or 1 TBSP freshly ground black pepper(depending on how spicey you like your haggis)
1 or 2 TBSP of fine salt (depending upon your salt preference)
How to make it
Place 1 chopped onion, livers (meat mix) in a saucepan, stock cubes cover with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, then drain reserving the cooked liquid stock.
While meat is cooking, spread the oatmeal onto a large baking tray and toast in oven @ 180/for 25 minutes. Do not burn oatmeal.
Pass the meat and onions through a mincer or chop finely in a food processor (but careful not to make it too fine), or chop finely by hand.
In a seperate bowl, mix the toasted oatmeal, very finely chopped onions, sage, spices, a little (appx. 1/4 cup) of the cooking liquid with plenty of black pepper. Mix all together then add the chopped meat and gently mix thoroughly.
Grease an overproof pudding bowl. Place the haggis mixture in the bowl and cover with double layers of foil tying the foil on with string.
You may want to do the next step in 2 stages and half the mixture to fit into a bowl that fits your saucepan? Place the bowl in a saucepan on a trivet or upside down saucer. Fill the pan with boiling water to come half way up the sides of the bowl, cover pan loosely, then return to a simmer and steam the haggis for 2 hours, Topping up with boiling water as necessary.
MICROWAVE METHOD:
Follow instruction 1. - 2.
Place ingredients in a microwave safe rice steamer add reserved liquid to dase and cover with lid.
Microwave on full power (1000w) for 15 mins (750/800 wattes) for 20 mins.
Leave Haggis to sit for 10 minutes then seperate and mix with fork.
You can reheat Haggis in the microwave or the oven (for a drier texture) at 200 for 20 minutes.
Tatties - Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, cover the pan with a lid. Bring the potatoes to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender (approx 20 mins). Drain the potatoes and keep to one side. Add half of the butter and half the milk to the pan the potatoes were cooked in. Melt the butter and warm the milk, add the cooked potatoes and mash. Add the nutmeg and stir well to create a smooth, creamy mash.
Neeps - Place the turnips (also known as swede) in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, cover the pan with a lid. Bring the swede/turnips to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender (approx 20 mins). Drain the Swede/turnips and keep to one side. Add half of the butter and half the milk to the pan the swede/turnips were cooked in. Melt the butter and warm the milk, add the cooked turnips and mash.
To Serve
Once cooked remove the haggis from the water. Place on a serving dish and cut it open with scissors or a knife and serve with the tatties and neeps.