With Burns Night upon us, it's the perfect excuse for Scots around the world to indulge in Scotland's national dish.
An underrated ingredient, Haggis is often misunderstood and is definitely deserving of more love.
Not only is it great with neeps and tatties but it can and should be used more widely.
So on January 25, why not experiment a wee bit with one of these exciting recipes.
Best of all, they'll also work for your leftovers, meaning you can still go traditional on Burns Night.
Haggis Sliders and turnip and whole grain mustard slaw (Recipe by Gary Maclean and Zero Waste Scotland)
Gary says: "This is a very different twist on our traditional Haggis Neeps and Tatties. It should also attract people who wouldn’t normally have haggis. This recipe is for four people."
What you'll need for the sliders:
450g Haggis
450g Beef mince
12 Slider buns (toasted)
2 Plum tomatoes (sliced)
1 tub Cherry tomatoes
2 Red onion (sliced)
2 Large Dill pickle (sliced)
1 jar Relish
2 Gem lettuce
How to make the sliders:
1. To make the burger it’s as simple as mixing the haggis and the minced beef together and add a touch of salt.
2. Find a jar or plastic tub lid that’s about 6cm wide x 2cm deep. Take a large piece of cling film and cover the lid.
3. Take some of your mixture and press it into the cling film-covered lid, then fold over the excess cling film, upturn the lid and push down onto the work surface and press the burger. Remove the burger from the lid and cling film.
4. Heat up a griddle pan or frying pan, add a touch of oil then place the burger into the pan. The secret is to not to touch the burger or turn it over until it has a chance to brown. With the burgers being so small they will cook very quickly.
5. Once cooked you can now start to build the burger, I like to build the burger up in as many layers as possible.
What you'll need for the turnip and whole grain mustard slaw:
1 med Turnip
1 large Carrot
½ Lemon
1 small Bunch of Chives
50g Whole grain Mustard
150g Mayonnaise
How to make the slaw:
1. Peel then grate a medium-sized (450g) turnip and carrot.
2. Toss them immediately in the juice of half a lemon.
3. Mix together 4 heaped tbsp of mayonnaise the whole grain mustard and 2 tbsp of chopped chives.
4. Season with salt and black pepper, and then fold into the grated root vegetables.
Haggis Koftas with Mint Yogurt (recipe by Gary Maclean and Lidl)
Gary said: "Haggis is such a versatile ingredient and great value for money.
"Here we’re adding a Scottish twist to traditional koftas to create a simple recipe that can be served with salad and pitta breads for DIY kebabs. This recipe is for two people."
What you'll need for the koftas:
1 Haggis (454g) ( Lidl Donald & Sons 99p )
500g pork minc
2 Onions - grated
6 Garlic cloves - crushed
2 tsp Dried chilli flakes
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 Egg
1 handful flat-leaf parsley - shredded
Olive oil - for brushing
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
8 Bamboo skewers, soaked in water, this stops them burning
200g Greek yogurt
1 handful mint - shredded
How to make the koftas:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan assisted).
2. Grate the onions, crush the garlic and shred the handful of parsley.
3. Place the pork mince and Haggis into a bowl along with the grated onions, garlic, chilli flakes, ground cumin, shredded parsley, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
4. Mix together well with your hands until the mixture has bound together.
5. Divide the mixture into 8 and mould it each portion into long sausage shapes around the drained bamboo skewers.
6. Brush the kofta generously with oil and place onto a tray.
7. Cook for 10 minutes, turning them now and then, until browned all over and cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, mix your yogurt with the shredded mint and a pinch of ground cumin and mix.
9. Serve with a side salad of your choice and pitta breads.
Haggis Bon Bons, Crisp Potato Fritter, Creamed Turnip and Malt Whisky Grain Mustard Sauce. (Recipe by Jacqueline O'Donnell)
This exciting recipe by top Scots chef Jacqueline O'Donnell is the ideal way to bring restaurant quality food to your Burns Supper menu. This recipe serves six people.
What you'll need for the Bon Bons:
- 1 kg quality haggis
- 1 egg beaten
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 100g plain flour
How to make the Haggis Bon Bons
Jacqueline recommends using an electric fryer to get the most out of the potatoes and haggis.
1. Cut the haggis into small pieces and roll into balls.
2. Once this has been done roll them in a little flour, followed by the beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs (this is best all done in advance).
3. Adjust electric fryer to 160c, gently lower the Bon Bons in to the fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes until a light golden brown.
What you'll need for the Crisp Potato Fritter, Creamed Turnip and Malt Whisky Grain Mustard Sauce.
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 swede
- 50 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp Arran wholegrain mustard
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 25ml quality malt whisky
- Salt and pepper to season
How to make the Crisp Potato Fritter, Creamed Turnip and Malt Whisky Grain Mustard Sauce.
1. Bake the potatoes until just about cooked through, allow to cool then peel and cut into chunky rectangles. Cook the swede in cold water, then bring to the boil until soft.
2. Place cooked swede in a food processor or blender with a splash of double cream, and then season to taste.
3. To cook the potatoes, make the batter by whisking the flour and water together until smooth.
4. Dip the potatoes in to coat them in the batter and then put them straight into an electric fryer (Temp 170c). Cook until golden brown and crisp.
5. Bring chicken stock to the boil and reduce down by ⅔ then add the mustard followed by the whisky. Allow to cool slightly.
6. To serve, spoon turnip purée onto plate, place potato fritter on top and arrange three Haggis Bon Bons on fritter.
7. Drizzle some Whisky Grain Mustard Sauce over the top, and add a little extra on the side.
Haggis Jam Toastie (Recipe by Caorunn Gin and Mac & Wild)
Mac & Wild co-founder Andy Waugh said: "I had a bit of a eureka moment and produced the idea of combining gin with haggis, making a special haggis jam.
"I wanted to combine Caorunn Gin and its best friend, the red apple, to add sweet tangy notes to contrast the meaty flavours of the haggis.
"After a few attempts, I created the Caorunn Haggis Jam, which I now manage to use on everything!"
What you'll need for the haggis jam:
- 75g of suet
- 250g of haggis
- 3 onions, finely diced
- 2 red apples, cored and grated
- 200ml of cider vinegar
- 200g of soft brown sugar
- 200ml of coffee espresso
- 50ml of port
- 50ml of Caorunn Gin
How to make the haggis jam:
1. Melt down the suet in a saucepan and add the haggis to the pan.
2. Once added, breakdown the haggis with the back of a spoon and gently fry for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to crisp.
3. Remove the haggis from the pan and pass through a sieve, reserving the fat that passes through.
4. Using the reserved fat, cook the apple and onion for 5-10 minutes. The apple and onion should be soft and translucent, with no colour.
5. Return the haggis to the pan with the apple and onions. Once the haggis is in the pan, add the vinegar, sugar, coffee, port and Caorunn Gin.
6. Gently cook over a low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the contents become a jam like consistency.
What you'll need for the haggis jam toast:
- 2 thick slices of bread
- 1 spread of butter
- 1tbs of Caorunn haggis jam
- 2 handfuls of grated cheddar
- One large scoop of haggis
- A small handful of rocket
How to make it:
1. Lightly butter 1 x side of each slice of your chosen bread.
2. Using the non-buttered side of your bread, layer the Caorunn haggis jam with a large scoop of haggis and top with a handful of cheddar.
3. Using the non-buttered side, place the second handful of cheddar onto the other slice of bread.
4. Place both slices butter side down into a dry frying pan.
5. Fry on medium to low heat, leaving until golden on the bottom and the cheese begins to melt.
6. Add a handful of rocket on top of the slice with the Caorunn haggis jam.
7. Place the slice of bread with just the cheese onto the haggis heap.
8. Keep flipping the toastie until the cheese is fully melted.
9. Remove from the pan, slice in half and enjoy with a Caorunn and tonic in hand!
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