Haggis

[Highlander]

Thoughts?

I've had Haggis a few times, the first time, I believe it was "TOO DONE". Just seemed to taste a little burned. My friend loved it. Had it again, seemed "JUST RIGHT", not as done, I loved it, my friend thought it wasn't done enough?

Anyway, always enjoy it on Burns Night with a Scotch Ale at dinner followed up by an Islay Single Malt!

 

[Vintage lover]

I would be willing to try it. But good luck finding it in New Mexico

 

[Miss sofia]

Our local butcher makes it and it is becoming increasing popular, perhaps due to the fact that it's not expensive and makes a wholesome supper in these lean times. I personally love it, especially with the neeps and tatties (and a wee dram)!

 

[dhermann1]

I think this question has been asked before. And I think my answer was (more or less) that no amount of mustard and/or Scotch could salvage the experience. I wish I could be a haggis lover, but sadly, I'm totally not. [huh]

 

[Chasseur]

Excellent stuff when done properly! Especialy with a pint of bitters in a Scottish pub.

 

[1961MJS]

Apology for trashing my ancestor's food

Hi, I have a theory that the reason Scottish, English, and German booze is so great, is that their food is so bad. lol Haggis seems to help support that theory. If memory serves, it's sheep guts, and after checking Wikipedia:

"Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach."

That has to be something that the Scots thought up to dare English tourists to eat. HAS TO BE. Of course, after a couple (4 to 6 for me) of good single malts and a few ales to wash it down with, it might actually STAY DOWN.

So you know I'm not trashing anyone I don't know, my ancestral names include Brokamp, Mueller, Williams, Dunbar, Seeman, and Lindemann.

Later Y'all (I don't like chitin's either)

 

[Chasseur]

Reminds me of one of my cuisine mottos: Everyone needs to eat more offal!

 

[Puzzicato]

I love it - try to only eat it a couple of times a year because it is extremely calorific. I have had both the legendary MacSween's haggis and some made by smaller producers, and they were all delicious. Rich and spicy. I heat it up in a baking tray with some water, covered in foil, and it is never dry.

And as for what is in it, I believe in using as much of an animal that dies for my food as possible, so that is good AND I am fairly sure we've all eaten worse things in cheap sausages.

 

[Edward]

The veritable food of the gods. No more, no less. Traditionally served with neeps and tatties, though there are a couple of other variants I'd suggest...

- deep fried in batter, with chips (a 'Haggis supper') - especially in Edinburgh, where you can have it with 'salt and a soak' ('soak' is a mix of brown sauce and vinegar, consistency of a good gravy).

- surprisingly good as a filling in a toastie

When cooking a haggis at home, such as a MacSweens, I would always recommend boiling - bring to boil in a saucepan, then simmer for 45 minutes. a shot of whiskey added to the water helps bring out the flavour of the haggis. I don't know the science of it, but it definitely enriches the flavour without any detectable and specific whiskey flavour. Never microwave it - yes, it only takes five minutes, but it's an insult to the haggis and it can also make it unpalatably dry. Never tried the oven myself (though probably eaten many cooked that way), sounds like an interesting approach. AFAIK, the boiling is the original method - for obvious reasons.

 

[benstephens]

You have made me hungry now Edward!

Kindest

Ben

 

[AntonAAK]

I love haggis. And I agree, we should eat as much of the animal as possible if we are going to kill it.

Besides which offal is delicious... I'm getting very hungry now just thinking about chicken livers...

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Especialy with a pint of bitters in a Scottish pub.

A pint of BITTERS? Too much surely for even the most ardent of admirers of bitters.

My favourite.

Never tried the oven myself (though probably eaten many cooked that way), sounds like an interesting approach.

In the oven, wrapped in foil, in a pan with a bit of water in the bottom.

bk

 

[MisterCairo]

The best traditional haggis I've had (regularly) is at the Highlander Pub on Rideau St. in Ottawa. The best "fast food" haggis I've had was at the Embro, Ontario Highland games, deep fried with chips (fries). He wasn't there this year though.

The key to haggis eating is to not think about it. It's meat, oats and seasoning. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... haggissssssssssssssssss....

 

[gliderace]

Had haggis for breakfast (!) one morning in Glen Nevis at a B&B...it was absolutely fantastic. I wouldn't've thought it a morning meal, but you know what? It works! Love it.

 

[cycle1667]

I canna find naught in the states. Is it nigh legal here?
________________________
5.11 Tactical

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's legal if it's made here -- the ban just applies to imports. The difficulty is in finding ingredients -- a lot of supermarkets don't carry offal any more because people are afraid of it or something. We ate offal -- or "variety meats" -- all the time when I was little, and heart, especially, was just about my favorite meat, so Americans haven't always been so squeamish.

My issue with haggis isn't the meat, alas, but the onions -- I am deadly allergic to them. Otherwise, I think I'd love it.

 

[1961MJS]

...And as for what is in it, I believe in using as much of an animal that dies for my food as possible, so that is good AND I am fairly sure we've all eaten worse things in cheap sausages.

Hi, somehow all of the guts etc taste good in sausage. I haven't had Haggis, but I have had chitin's and I've had the daily special at a Mexican Restaurant which turned out to be chitin's in a green chili sauce. The flavor was good, but the texture wasn't. I got through 2/3's of it before I gave up. I really gotta learn a little more Spanish.

I'm also not much on the etc that the Vietnamese put in Pho.

Later

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Hi, somehow all of the guts etc taste good in sausage. I haven't had Haggis, but I have had chitin's and I've had the daily special at a Mexican Restaurant which turned out to be chitin's in a green chili sauce. The flavor was good, but the texture wasn't.

Granted...its been a good while since I had proper haggis, but I recall it being texture wise like a firm pate (insert your own accent over the e)......

so its not an unpleasant texture at all.....

 

[Tomasso]

I canna find naught in the states.

You can find it in most cities. Here's where you can get it in your town.


MacNiven's Restaurant & Bar
339 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 632-7268

 

[Panache]

As a planner and MC of an annual Burns Night Supper I was thinking about Burn's "To A Haggis" yesterday while writing this year's Immortal Memory.
Tasty stuff and I should make a point of enjoying it more often.

While I like haggis but I suspect that the mild oat and lamb sausage that we enjoy here in the states is a far cry from real Scottish Haggis with its organ meat.



Cheers

Jamie