Burns night doesn't have to mean indigestion or
having all diners ending up feeling like they are only useful as door stops,
with the cultural weight of Scotland's favourite son pinning them to the spot.
Want something lighter? Try this haggis pie
recipe. It has the advantage of being prepared in advance, it's easier to serve
than a whole haggis, and layers the swede, haggis and mash, giving the right
quantity of each. The flavour and texture of the haggis is wonderful when put
together with the soft and sweet swede and the creamy mash. A little carrot
adds colour to the paler swede. It looks great on the plate, slightly reminiscent
of 70s browns and oranges, but better. So good, in fact, Scottish pals have
pronounced it genius.
The colours on the plate are fantastic. Go poncy
and prepare it in little rings.
Serving it with some sweet, lightly cooked
cabbage means you don't need any gravy. If you want something saucier try
making some whisky gravy, don’t fret, just add a slug of whisky to your usual
gravy.
If you like having the cooked haggis roll around
the plate until you pierce it and allow the contents to spill, for the drama as
much as anything, don't make this pie.
I credit my sister for this, but note that Delia
has a version (the same info in different layout), nothing’s original is it.
RECIPE
Ingredients
· 2
haggis (I use Macsween's)
· 8
medium potatoes
· 1
large swede
· 2
carrots
· salt
· pepper
· butter
or margarine
· milk
Method
- Take the printed plastic cover off
the haggis and wrap them in foil, bake for 1 hour at 360/180/gas
mark4
- Peel the potatoes, cook well in
salted water, drain and mash well with a hearty pinch of salt, good
grindings of pepper, a knob of butter and a few glugs of milk. Don't make
it too wet.
- Peel the swede and carrots, cut
into 2cm cubes and cook in plenty of salted water until tender, about 15
minutes. Drain, saving some of the liquid, about a cup. Mash thoroughly
with some butter, a little salt and pepper, and add a little of the
cooking liquid at a time.
- Lightly butter a heatproof dish,
about 25cm/10" in diameter - I used an oval dish.
- Slash open the cooked haggis and
scoop out the filling into the buttered dish. Spread out a layer, about
2cm/1" thick.
- Spread a layer of swede and carrot
mash over the haggis layer, about 2cm/1" thick.
- Top with a similar layer of mash,
and smoothing the top, then run a fork around it, to give lots of ridges
to go crispy.
- Cook for 30 minutes
at 360/180/gas mark4, until the crust is golden.
Serve with lightly cooked buttered cabbage.
