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A squeamish cook's guide to haggis - 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns
The Times ^ | 1/16/2008 | Claire Bowman

Posted on 01/15/2009 8:06:31 PM PST by bruinbirdman

Thankfully, you don't have to make your own haggis; you can get it straight from the chill cabinet at your local Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer - in fact, you can even get a lentil-packed vegetarian version if you so desire. In the run-up to Burns Night, Macsweens of Edinburgh exports up to 800 tonnes around the world, from Canada to Kazakhstan, which is an awful lot of haggis by anyone's standards. And Americans will go to extraordinary lengths to lay their hands on a haggis (importing sheep's lungs is banned in the States), even smuggling them through Customs to make sure that their Burns Night has that authentic Scottish touch.

Haggis is a braw dish, so long as ye dinnae look at the ingredients,” said one canny Scotsman - and how right he was. A haggis recipe from my mother-in-law's 1975 Glasgow School of Cookery book (see recipe, right) makes me queasy just reading it.

Any recipe that involves grating liver (if life's too short to stuff a mushroom, it's definitely too short to grate offal), washing your “sheep bag”, ensuring that your windpipe is “hanging out of the pan” and then boiling it for three hours until it is “warm-reekin” is not for the faint-hearted.

And what exactly is meant by the ingredient “pluck”? A quick inspection of the dictionary reveals it to be the liver, heart, lungs and windpipe of the sheep - a gruesome combination on any shopping list. Times may be tough and the recession may have heightened the appeal of the cheap cut, but there are limits. Much as I love lamb, I draw the line at wolfing down its vital organs.

Which is odd really, because to my mind this strange, furless creature looks as unappetising as it's possible for food to

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: burns; haggis; robertburns; scotland
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1 posted on 01/15/2009 8:06:31 PM PST by bruinbirdman
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To: bruinbirdman
I went to a Haggis Ceremony this last summer. Very formal. All the proper tartins were worn, the Haggis brought in on a silver platter.
Every one was given the smoothest scotch I ever had (about 2oz) you where supposed to slam it down then eat the Haggis.
When I tasted the Haggis I knew why they gave you the scotch first.
2 posted on 01/15/2009 8:15:13 PM PST by svcw (Great selection of gift baskets: http://baskettastic.com/)
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To: bruinbirdman
Goat lungs will work if you can't get sheep lungs. And I use rice instead of oatmeal (bad memories from my first enlistment).

Haggis is a wonderful thing. The tex-mex fusion I make is pretty darn good, too.

/johnny

3 posted on 01/15/2009 8:16:01 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: MozartLover
Happy Birthday. A ping to the Haggis thread was all I could afford.

/johnny

4 posted on 01/15/2009 8:17:18 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: bruinbirdman

...wasn’t there a Monty Python Skit on this “Glorious” dish / meal...


5 posted on 01/15/2009 8:18:17 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (just b/c you're paranoid, doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get you.. :^)
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To: bruinbirdman

“God created Haggis to train the faithful.”

One cannot go against the word of God.


6 posted on 01/15/2009 8:18:19 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg
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To: bruinbirdman

There is nothing more distasteful than haggis.
What civilization ever concocted this abomination?


7 posted on 01/15/2009 8:20:15 PM PST by aShepard (Maybe 12/6 is the time to launch a constitutional amendment that lays out POTUS requirements!)
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To: bruinbirdman

I swear haggis was invent by two scots on a dare to see which one could come up with the most bizarre thing to eat.

Black pudding as I understand it came in second....


8 posted on 01/15/2009 8:20:55 PM PST by usmcobra (Your chances of dying in bed are reduced by getting out of it, but most people still die in bed)
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To: bruinbirdman

“My theory is that all of Scottish cuisine is based on a dare.”


9 posted on 01/15/2009 8:20:57 PM PST by dighton
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To: bruinbirdman
The very best part of Haggis is the "sauce" and "the company" when eating it. Being 75% Scotch and 25% Dutch Gin, I am a Haggis boy form the hills.

Picture a Scots lad at his Pub for a late night, Darks and Haggis, for sure.

He climbs the trail to his sheep herders cabin for the night but does not make it and naps on the side of the trail.

In the morning, two young Lasies walk by and see the herder sleeping at the side of the trail. They decide to check hout his "Manhood" under his kilt and do, with one of them taking a blue ribbon from her hair and tieing it on his member.

He wakes, stands to relieve himself and sees the ribbon.

His words are, with a Scottish burr I can't type say:

Laddie, I don't know where were you've been or what you did, but I am Proud You Took First Place.

Have a good evening.

10 posted on 01/15/2009 8:25:54 PM PST by jws3sticks (Hillary can take a very long walk on a very short pier, anytime, and the sooner the better!)
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To: jws3sticks

My ancestors going back to Great, Greats is almost 100% Scottish, with one Irish girl in their somewhere. Despite that, the idea of eating Haggis makes me weak in the knees.

Of course my own Father used to love Hog’s head cheese, chitlins and baked Possum.


11 posted on 01/15/2009 8:34:20 PM PST by yarddog
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To: aShepard
I get the feeling that I'm in the minority here, applauding the Scots answer to charcutrie.

/johnny

12 posted on 01/15/2009 8:38:32 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: bruinbirdman
I prefer the poetry of Montgomery Burns.

"Smithers, release the hounds."

He doesn't even need a metaphor. Brilliant.

13 posted on 01/15/2009 8:41:39 PM PST by sig226 (1/21/12 . . . He's not my president . . . Impeach Obama . . . whatever)
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To: yarddog
Correctly prepared, stuffed, rolled and tied, slightly chilled baked possum is a wonderfully flavorful, gelatinous slice of heaven.

Like a ballentine, without the chicken fat.

Can't stand the stuff warm, way too greasy....

/johnny

14 posted on 01/15/2009 8:43:29 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: bruinbirdman

I cook deer hearts and livers for my old dog. She loves them. I can’t imagine that I would get that hungry.


15 posted on 01/15/2009 8:44:37 PM PST by JustaDumbBlonde (America: Home of the Free Because of the Brave)
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To: bruinbirdman

I’ll not be squeamish o’er ye’r Haggis so long as ye dinna forget the ‘neeps and tatties!


16 posted on 01/15/2009 8:48:47 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Peace means one guy has a bigger stick than the other guy. Period.)
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To: All

I vaguely remember eating “scrapple” as a wee girl, and finding it quite tasty.

Should I go get some counseling?


17 posted on 01/15/2009 8:51:28 PM PST by jacquej
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To: jacquej
No counseling required. Just stop by the next 4-star restaurant you pass, have a fois-gras on brioche appetizer, and the RIGHT wine with it (not the one the waitron is trying to push).

It is good eats.

/johnny

18 posted on 01/15/2009 9:09:57 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: svcw
''Tartins''?? You wee stupid bugger.

As if any true Scotsman would waste good whiskey after a dish of haggis. Or waste good whiskey at all.

19 posted on 01/15/2009 10:04:22 PM PST by SAJ
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To: svcw

I went to one of those on Robert Burns day in England in 1996. I liked the Haggis, but then, I like everything.


20 posted on 01/15/2009 11:00:37 PM PST by MarkeyD (11-4-08 For the first time I can say I am ashamed of my country.)
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