How Do You Cook a Haggis?

TLDR version: Bought a haggis but have no idea what to do with it? Read on.

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For those of you who are veggie, vegan, or just the very idea of a haggis worries you, we now have a great Vegan Haggis on the store!

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So, you've got your haggis in hand, but you've never had one before and now you have no idea what to do with it. No worries, we'll get you through this; and then you'll wonder why you waited so long in your life before trying it. I felt the same trying one for the first time after 38 years without.

Looking good there haggis pal...

Before we begin there's the small matter of what exactly a haggis is. You'll no doubt have some idea, but it's unlikely you'll know exactly what's to be found inside. The haggis is, in fact, a small mammal native to the Scottish Highlands. It comes in long haired and short haired varieties, with the former being much rarer and therefore fetching high prices at auction. Both varieties are so wary of humans that they are rarely seen outside of the annual haggis hunts. One of the more interesting facts about the haggis is that it's legs are not of uniform length. This means that when being chased it tends to run in large circles, at speed. This makes it far easier to catch than would otherwise be the case, with one person giving chase, whilst the others simply wait with a net for it to complete the circuit. Though this technique was only stumbled upon during the 18th century, leading to an explosion in haggis eating rates.

The Lesser-Spotted Long-Haired Haggis, found mainly on the slopes of Beinn Eighe...

During the mating season the wild haggis lets out a distinctive call that has been likened to a fight between two ashthmatic cats, and it is thought that this sound led directly to the invention of the bagpipes. So two great Scottish traditions have come out of the same delicious animal!

Now on to how to cook the wee beastie (make sure you defrost them fully before you begin any of these methods)...

Frying

This is my preferred option mainly down to the fact that you end up with crispy bits like the rice in a Korean stone bowl. Crispy bits improve pretty much any dish. 

I don't have a picture of me frying a haggis, so have this amazing picture of a haggis doughnut instead...

This is a simple recipe. All you need is a haggis, some fat (I prefer to use lard), and...well that's it. Personally I add a couple of chopped red chillies to the mix, and I highly recommend that course of action to those of you chilli inclined, but it isn't the most traditional. Simply melt the fat, mash the haggis up, and fry over a medium-high heat, turning occassionally (but not too often) to allow to crisp/stop it burning. And you're done. Easy, simple, quick, delicious.

EDIT: Our chef suggests boiling the haggis and then frying it. More of which below...

Boiling (or simmering to be more precise)

The more traditional way (especially for Burns Supper) to cook a haggis is simply to boil it. This leads to a far moister finished product than frying it, though whether this is better is a matter of taste. 

A man who is rightly proud of his haggis...

This one is even simpler than the frying option was. Simply bring a pan with enough water to cover the haggis to the boil, add the haggis (do not remove the cover), bring back to the boil, and simmer for around 40 minutes. Job done. 

You can also steam it for a similar amount of time for similar results. 

Less traditional approaches...

Haggis is an amazingly versatile ingredient, and as such has been increasingly used in all manner of fusion foods in recent years, and here's a few of them. Feel free to be as creative as you want, and be sure to send us a pic of the finished dish...

1. Haggis pizza!

Either make a pizza from scratch, or get a frozen one from the supermarket, crumble some haggis on top, then bung it in the oven. Simple as.

2. Haggis Pasta

Sticking with the Scotalian fusion we've got Haggis Pasta. The dish above is simply fresh cherry toms, swede, garlic, haggis, and olive oil sauteed together, then tossed with spaghetti, extra virgin olive oil, and topped with freshly grated parmesan and torn basil leaves.

3. Haggis Pakora

Haggis, battered, and deep fried...what could be more Scottish? And with the Indian twist of spices, and a decent fresh chutney for dipping this is the perfect accompaniment to a decent ale or five.

4. Haggis Burger (with Battered Neeps & Tatties) 

If you wanted a good reason to make more than enough Haggis, Neeps & Tatties on Monday this is it. Take your leftover haggis and squish it into a burger, take the lefteover neeps & tatties and do the same. Shallow fry the haggis, and dip the neeps & tatties in batter before deep frying it. The most Scottish burger in the world awaits.

 5. Haggis Bubble & Squeak

This is my personal haggis go to, and another reason to double up on everything on Monday night to make sure there's enough to do this on Tuesday. Simply mash all the leftovers together (it's good to have a bit of greens in there as well if you can), add some flour to both dry it out and give it a crisper finish, shape into patties, and then shallow fry until the outsides are golden brown. Serve with a tin of baked beans and a glass of ice cold Irn-Bru.

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However you end up cooking it just be sure to remember that;

Some hae meat and canna eat,
   And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
   Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Happy Burns Night from Breakfast Champion!

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