Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Today is St. Andrew's day; the patron Saint of Scotland (amongst a few other places). To mark this I will be wearing my kilt but that doesn't really have much of a place in a food blog so I thought I would share my recipe for the most traditional of Scottish deelicacies... haggis, neeps and tatties.

For the uninitiated, haggis is a small hairy creature with legs shorter on one side than on the other. This allows them to run round hills more easily. Obviously male haggises (haggi) have legs shorter on one side and female on the other allowing them to meet half way round the hill. 

Back in the real world, it is a dish of sheep offal, oatmeal, onions and spices. On paper I'll admit, this isn't the most enticing of combinations however most people are converts on tasting. With an open mind, it is the perfect hearty dish for these ever colder winter evenings. If you're looking to buy some then it can be found in many good butchers and some good supermarkets such as Waitrose. I  recommend McSweens as the best to go for. To get the best results I usually stand it in about 2 inches of water in a baking tray, add a wee sploosh of whisky then cover it with tinfoil and cook in a medium-hot oven for about an hour.

Tatties are potatoes, ideally mashed. For best results I infuse the milk for the mashing with the potato skins and simmer the butter gently until it goes a lovely nut-brown colour. It is also worth rinsing the chopped potatoes a few times under running water to remove some of the starch.

For the neeps I generally use mashed swede. This does tend to have a bit of a watery flavour if not treated carefully. For that reason I tend to mix in some chopped parsnips to add a bit of flavour and texture. I also only use butter for the mashing.

Finally, to finish all this off, a Balmoral sauce does the job nicely. Around 300ml of lamb stock simmered until it is thick and viscous with a glass of white wine, whisky (naturally), some lemon juice and a tablespoon of good quality heather honey with a few twists of black pepper will make the perfect sauce. The quantities can be played with until the desired flavour and consistency have been achieved.

Obviously, to finish all of this properly a whisky is required. I think on this occasion, depending on the weather, either an Aberlour 10 year old or an Arran 10 year old should hit the spot nicely!

Sliante

TFB