How To Make A Traditional Haggis From Scratch (Yes With the Sheep's Stomach and All)
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 6 hours
- 1 sheep's stomach
- 1 sheep's heart
- 1 set sheep's lungs
- 110g/4ozs. portion sheep's liver (a whole one is much heavier)
- 450g/1lb lamb lean and fat trimming
- 250g/8.83ozs. suet, chopped
- 3 onions, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup pinhead oatmeal, toasted*
- 1.5 tablespoons salt (approximately)
- 1.5 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
Whisky Sauce
- 300ml/10.6 fl ozs cream
- 3-4 tablespoons whisky
- 2 tablespoons seeded mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper to season
*To toast oats, lay them out on a baking tray and bake in a 180C/350F oven for 10 minutes or so (be careful they don't burn). You can also toast them in a large dry frying pan. You cannot use rolled oats for haggis as they have a completely different texture.
Step 1 - Wash the heart, lungs and liver and place in a pot full of water along with the lamb fat and lean trimmings and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2.5 hours (I started a bit late so I put this in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes).
Step 2 - While this is cooking, clean the stomach by scrubbing it well with detergent and a scrubber. It is tough and flexible so you can turn it inside out to wash out the smell. The stomach smells while it is cooking but it doesn't impart a flavour to the haggis once cooked and cooled if you clean it as best you can in this step.
Step 3 - Remove meat and offal from the pot reserving the liquid and place the meat and offal in a mincer (I used a food processor). Place the minced meat and offal in a bowl and add the chopped suet, onions, oatmeal, salt, pepper, curry powder, cayenne pepper and allspice. Mix to combine. Taste a little for seasoning. A lot of the flavour gets cooked out in the water so don't worry if the curry is too strong at this point. You may even want to add more.
Step 4 - Place a large pot of water onto boil (one large enough to fit the haggis). Stuff the stomach about 80% full with the haggis meat. You can tie the ends with string to seal them shut or you can sew the ends together. You don't need a particularly strong needle and thread, any kind will do.
Step 5 - Place the haggis in the simmering water and bring to a boil. Prick in a couple of places with a needle so that it doesn't explode. Prick it every 30 minutes or so in different areas. Cook for 3 hours. Drain the water away and refrigerate or serve straight away with whisky sauce.
Step 6 - To make whisky sauce, place the cream, whisky, mustard, honey, salt and pepper into a small saucepan and allow the alcohol to evaporate by boiling for a couple of minutes. The sauce will thicken a little.
To make haggis bon bons
Makes 18 bon bons
- 6 sheets filo pastry
- 120g/4ozs. butter, melted
- 1.5 - 2 cups cooked haggis
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line two baking trays with parchment. Lay out one sheet of filo pastry and brush with butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with butter. Cut into six squares and place a ball the size of a walnut in the centre of each square0 Gather up the pastry on all sides and gently secure shut with a gentle twist. Brush with a little extra butter and place on baking tray.
Step 2 - Bake for 13 minutes. Serve hot or warm (not cold!) with whisky sauce to dip or pour.