Traditional Recipe

1 pound beef heart, cut into 2-inch-wide strips
1 pound beef liver
1/2 pound lamb stew meat, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped yellow onion
4 tablespoons Scots whisky
2 cups oatmeal, toasted on a cookie sheet in a 375F oven for 10 minutes)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme, whole
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 beef CAPS (Talk to a sausage shop about these)
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salt for soaking

Place the beef heart in a 4-quart covered pot and just cover with cold water. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Add the beef liver and lamb stew meat, and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the contents of the pot and cool. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Grind everything coarsely.

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients, except for the beef caps, vinegar, and salt for soaking. Mix well and set aside.

Rinse the beef caps in cold water. Turn them inside out and soak them in 2 quarts of cold water with the salt and vinegar for 1/2 hour. Drain them and rinse very well, inside and out.

Divide the meat mixture into three parts. Fill the beef caps with the meat mixture and tie the ends off with string. Two will have to be tied on just one end, but the third piece will be tied on both ends. Prick the Haggis all over with corn holders or a sharp fork. Place in a steamer and steam for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Recipe taken from Recipezaar.com

Modern Take

Rosti with steamed haggis wrapped in leek

For the rösti
a little oil
knob of butter
½ potato, peeled and grated
1-2 carrots, peeled and grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
For the haggis
1 leek, kept whole and blanched
85g/3oz haggis, diced
For the sauce
¼ pint beef stock
dash of Worcestershire sauce
knob of butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash of soy sauce
splash of Scotch whisky

For the rösti, heat the oil and butter in a small non-stick frying pan. Place the grated potato and carrot in the centre of a clean tea towel, wrap up and squeeze out the excess water. Place in a bowl. Add the seasoning and rosemary and stir to mix well. Spoon the mix tightly into the pan and fry for 5-6 minutes on each side or until crisp, golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, for the haggis, place 3-4 outer leaves from the leeks onto a flat surface. Spoon the haggis into the centre and then wrap up to form a parcel. Steam the parcel in a steamer placed over a pan of simmering water for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
For the sauce, heat the stock, Worcestershire sauce, butter, seasoning, soy sauce and whisky in a pan and simmer gently for up to 10 minutes, until reduced. Whisk occasionally.
To serve, transfer the rösti and haggis parcel onto a serving plate and drizzle the sauce over to serve,
Recipe taken from BBC Food

Vegetarian recipe also available


	Haggis

		Traditional Recipe 1 pound beef heart, cut into 2-inch-wide strips 1 pound beef liver 1/2 pound lamb stew meat, cut in 1-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped yellow onion 4 tablespoons Scots whisky 2 cups oatmeal, toasted on a cookie sheet in a 375F oven for 10 minutes) 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme, whole 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 3 beef CAPS (Talk to a sausage shop about these) 1 cup distilled white vinegar 1/2 tablespoon salt for soaking Place the beef heart in a 4-quart covered pot and just cover with cold water. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Add the beef liver and lamb stew meat, and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the contents of the pot and cool. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Grind everything coarsely. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients, except for the beef caps, vinegar, and salt for soaking. Mix well and set aside. Rinse the beef caps in cold water. Turn them inside out and soak them in 2 quarts of cold water with the salt and vinegar for 1/2 hour. Drain them and rinse very well, inside and out. Divide the meat mixture into three parts. Fill the beef caps with the meat mixture and tie the ends off with string. Two will have to be tied on just one end, but the third piece will be tied on both ends. Prick the Haggis all over with corn holders or a sharp fork. Place in a steamer and steam for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Recipe taken from Recipezaar.com Modern Take Rosti with steamed haggis wrapped in leek For the rösti a little oil knob of butter ½ potato, peeled and grated 1-2 carrots, peeled and grated salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped For the haggis 1 leek, kept whole and blanched 85g/3oz haggis, diced For the sauce ¼ pint beef stock dash of Worcestershire sauce knob of butter salt and freshly ground black pepper dash of soy sauce splash of Scotch whisky For the rösti, heat the oil and butter in a small non-stick frying pan. Place the grated potato and carrot in the centre of a clean tea towel, wrap up and squeeze out the excess water. Place in a bowl. Add the seasoning and rosemary and stir to mix well. Spoon the mix tightly into the pan and fry for 5-6 minutes on each side or until crisp, golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, for the haggis, place 3-4 outer leaves from the leeks onto a flat surface. Spoon the haggis into the centre and then wrap up to form a parcel. Steam the parcel in a steamer placed over a pan of simmering water for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. For the sauce, heat the stock, Worcestershire sauce, butter, seasoning, soy sauce and whisky in a pan and simmer gently for up to 10 minutes, until reduced. Whisk occasionally. To serve, transfer the rösti and haggis parcel onto a serving plate and drizzle the sauce over to serve, Recipe taken from BBC Food Vegetarian recipe also available


What is it? What is more authentically Scottish than Haggis? Its the only thing that springs to American minds when they think of food in Scotland. Apparently, many Americans still believe that the haggis is an animal whose meat is used to make the dish. Over here, you always hear stories of haggis hunting and such. I have, by the way, tried haggis. If I liked mutton, it would have been pretty good. It really doesn't taste bad! We even learned about the haggis in my vet anatomy class due to their specialized limb structure. The haggis are adapted to live on the hills of Scotland so their legs are longer on one side of their body. This allows them to easily run around the sides of hills, but makes it difficult to go up, down, or turn around. My stylized rendering of a haggis To catch a haggis, it must be startled into attempting to turn and flee. When it turns, the short legs are then on the downward side of the hill and the haggis tumbles to the bottom where it can be retrieved. It is still possible to book haggis hunting vacations in Scotland through some travel agencies. Haggis even rates having its own sonnet by Robert Burns. Check it out at Robert Burns Country. They even have translations for all the Scots words in the poem.

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