Enter your email address to receive a weekly update of new posts and photos.
Happy Birthday Robert Burns
Today is Robert Burns Birthday. So, haul out your bagpipes, cook the haggis, pour yourself a whiskey and let’s celebrate our Scottish Bard.
Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796) is widely known as Scotland’s National Poet, and is certainly the best know poet who wrote in the Scottish Language. He was also responsible for preserving many traditional Scottish Poems and works, often by expanding and adapting them.
Some of his work includes:
- Auld Lang Syne
- A Red, Red Rose
- A Man’s A Man for A’ That, To a Louse,
- To a Mouse.
An important part of any Burns Supper celebration is of course the haggis, so here are two recipes – you choose which you prefer.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibilities for your results!!! Yes, I have eaten haggis (in Scotland), but to be honest it was not really to my taste. If you served it to me, I would eat it, but I don’t think I will go out my way again to obtain it.
Haggis Recipe 1 – Lady Login’s Receipt (sic) 1856
Ingredients
1 cleaned Sheep or Lamb’s Stomach Bag
900g (2lb). dry Oatmeal
600ml (1 pint) Stock
450g (1lb) chopped Mutton Suet
450g (1lb) Lamb’s or Deer’s Liver
Heart and Lights of the Sheep
1 large Onion
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper
Method
Boil and mince the liver, heart and lights, chop the onion.
Toast the oatmeal slowly until it is crisp, then mix all the ingredients (except the stomach bag) together, and add the stock.
Fill the bag just over half full, press out the air, add the remaining mixture and sew up securely.
Place in a large pot of boiling water, prick the haggis all over with a large needle so it does not burst and boil slowly for 4 to 5 hours.
Haggis Recipe 2 – BBC Foods
Preparation time overnight
Cooking time over 2 hours
This is an authentic recipe from Scotland and the ingredients and methods of cooking may be unfamiliar but we hope you enjoy the results.
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
1. 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.
2. When cooked, strain off the stock and set the stock aside.
3. Mince the lungs, heart and trimmings.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. To serve, cut open the haggis and spoon out the filling. Serve with neeps (mashed swede or turnip) and tatties (mashed potatoes).
Good luck and enjoy!
Sources:
An excellent article on Robert Burns can be found on Wikipedia.
The complete works and letters of Robert Burns are here.
More info on the Robert Burns supper is here.
Lyrics for Auld Lang Syne are here.
Related posts:
Posted in Food & Recipes