Simplified Haggis Food

SIMPLIFIED HAGGIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
• Warm the butter in a pan. Finely dice the onion and cook over a medium heat in the butter until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile take any fatty of tough pieces off the chicken livers and roughly chop.
• Add the various spices and thyme to the onion and cook a minute then add the lamb and chicken livers.
• Brown the meat then once it is all cooked, add the stock and cover. Allow to simmer for around 20mins.
• Then add the oatmeal, mix well and transfer to an oven dish (unless you started with a dish that can transfer).
• Cover the dish and put in the oven for 30mins.
• Remove the lid and cook another 10 mins.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and mashed rutabaga/swede.
• Note: I allow around 4oz/110g rutabaga/swede and potato per person, skin them, boil them then add some butter and pepper to the rutabaga/swede and some butter and milk to the potatoes and mash each of them.

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.

VEGETARIAN HAGGIS

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in carrot and mushrooms, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Stir in broth, lentils, kidney beans, peanuts, hazelnuts, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Season with thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and mixed spice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in oats, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch baking pan.
• Stir the egg into the saucepan. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Bake 30 minutes, until firm.