Haggis is the Scottish dish of the new year

By Marvella Black

Special to the Herald

Around New Year’s Eve, I find myself craving haggis, the Scottish national dish.

My husband was born and raised in Scotland, so each January we like to host a Burns supper in celebration of the life, works and spirit of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Burns suppers typically feature haggis, a savory pudding containing sheep’s pluck, single malt Scotch and the recitation of Burns’s poetry, including his “Address to Haggis,” an ode to the traditional dish.

The poet also known as Rabbie Burns was born on Jan. 25, 1759. He is celebrated for his contributions to Scottish culture through his many poems and songs. Perhaps his best known work is “Auld Lang Syne,” which is sung at New Year’s Eve celebrations all over the world.

The first Burns supper was held on the fifth anniversary of his death in 1801, but these days they are held on or near his birthday, commonly referred to as Burns Night.

“We prepare and eat haggis in Scotland in January to celebrate Robert Burns, our most famous Scottish Poet,” said my husband, George Black, about the national bard of Scotland whose works are taught to this day in Scottish public schools. “There is a specific menu and format that is followed for a Burns supper. It is an honor to recite Burns’ poems and songs that have been performed since the 1700s.”

In Roberts Burns’ lifetime, haggis was a common dish of the poor. It was nourishing yet very cheap, as it was made from leftover parts of sheep, called pluck, that otherwise would go to waste.

Although haggis is made of lamb’s heart, liver and lungs in Scotland, the pluck is sold without the lungs in the United States. It is minced with onion, oatmeal, suit and spices, then boiled in sausage casing. The haggis is traditionally served with mashed potatoes or “tatties” and mashed turnips or “neeps.”

The first time I tried haggis was at the Seattle Scottish Highland Games with George in 2008. I loved it and I have been hooked every since. It is rich in flavor, very filling and reminds me of meatloaf.

When we go to Scotland every two to four years, I make sure to eat local haggis at least once a day. It is an everyday dish there. It is primarily made from lamb, but there are also beef and vegetarian haggis.

Served with chips, it’s known as a “haggis supper.” A “haggis burger” is a patty of fried haggis served on a bun. “Haggis pakora” is also deep fried and available in some Indian restaurants in Scotland. Haggis can even be found as a topping on pizza.

My favorite is a breakfast of haggis, black pudding (blood sausage), sautéed mushrooms, a fried egg, grilled half of a tomato and HP sauce (similar to a steak sauce).

Haggis recipes can differ greatly — they may call for it to be served in a casing, spread on crackers, boiled, battered or deep fried — but no matter how you cook it, it is now recognized as Scotland’s national dish and eaten all over the world in celebration of Scottish heritage, all thanks to Robert Burns.

Snohomish County, with its strong Scottish heritage, has several Burns suppers hosted throughout January.

Our fourth annual Burns supper was Jan. 8 at The Scotsman Bistro. My husband and I own the Mukilteo restaurant, which serves Scottish family recipes and bistro favorites.

At the Scotsman, in addition to haggis, the main course includes prime rib, roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, mashed tatties and neeps, and rolls with butter and gravy. The first course is chicken and leek soup, and, for dessert, we make a layered trifle.

Before we eat, the Selkirk Grace is recited, we talk about the life of Robert Burns and what he did in his short 37 years, we sing his songs and recite several of his poems. We also put on a show of Highland dancing and bagpiping. It’s our tradition to have the bagpiper play a song as we march around the guests carrying the haggis just before “Address to the Haggis” is performed.

As is also tradition, at the close of the night all of the guests are asked to join us to sing “Auld Lang Syne.”

Marvella Black is co-owner and restaurant manager of the Scotsman Bistro in Mukilteo.

Haggis

This is a traditional haggis recipe from Scotland but without the sheep’s lungs and stomach. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve of the consumption of the lungs, and the stomach is near impossible to find because it has long been substituted with beef bung or sausage casing. The ingredients and methods of cooking won’t be familiar to the average American, but the dish itself is surprisingly delicious. Buy your haggis making kit — lamb’s heart, liver and trimmings plus the casing — from the local butcher or order it online.

1 beef bung or sausage casing

1 lamb’s heart and liver

1 pound lamb or beef trimmings, fat and lean

2 onions, finely chopped

8 ounces oatmeal

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground dried coriander

1 teaspoon mace

1 teaspoon nutmeg

water, enough to cook the haggis

stock from trimmings

Wash the heart and liver. Place in large pan of cold water with the meat trimmings and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 hours. When cooked, strain off the stock and set the stock aside.

Mince the heart, liver and trimmings. Put the minced mixture in a bowl and add the finely chopped onions, oatmeal and seasoning. Mix well and add enough stock to moisten the mixture. It should have a soft crumbly consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the beef bung or sausage casing, so it’s just over half full. Tie off or sew shut the casing and prick it a couple of times so it doesn’t burst while cooking.

Put the haggis in a pan of boiling water (enough to cover it) and cook for 3 hours without a lid. Keep adding more water to keep it covered.

Cut open the haggis and spoon out the filling. Serve with neeps (mashed turnip or rutabaga), tatties (mashed potatoes) and a glass of Scotch.

Prep time: overnight. Cook time: 3 hours. Yields: 4-6 servings.

— Adapted from a British Broadcasting Corporation haggis recipe found at BBC.com.

If you go

Although the Scotsman Bistro’s Annual Burns Supper has passed, here are other suppers scheduled in January and February in the Seattle area:

A Robert Burns Night and Scotch Ale Release will be held 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Naked City Brewery & Taphouse, 8564 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle. Naked City is brewing a special scotch ale for the celebration featuring the songs and poetry of Rabbie Burns. Tickets are $15. More at www.whateverchoir.org/burns.

The Celtic Arts Foundation is hosting a Robert Burns Scottish Evening Jan. 16 at Littlefield Celtic Center, 1124 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon. A social hour at 5:30 p.m. will be followed by a formal dinner and a program featuring the song and dance of Scotland at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50. Find more information at http://celticarts.org/robert-burns-home.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s annual Robert Burns Celebration will be held 7 to 11 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Congregational Church of Mercer Island, 4545 Island Crest Way. Celebrate Robert Burns’ birthday in proper fashion with live music by Marcia Thumma & Backup Clan’, Scottish dances, a plate of haggis and praises to the poet of honor. More at http://www.rscds-seattle.org.

The Robert Burns Supper of Centennial Lodge 25 will be Jan. 21 at the Snohomish Masonic Center, 602 Ave. B. A social hour at 5:30 p.m. will be followed by a 6 p.m. haggis supper and Scottish entertainment. Tickets are $30. All proceeds will go toward college scholarships. Call 425-343-2519 or 425-349-0902 for more.

Bill McFadden presents Todd Wong’s Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a celebration of the birthday of Robert Burns and the Chinese New Year, 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle. Tickets are $40. Call 206-364-6025 or email billmcfadden@mindspring.com.