Haggis with Tatties & Neeps

6 servings
2 lb haggis
2 lb Potatoes; peeled & cut into-eighths
1 1/2 lb Yellow turnips (rutabagas),-peeled & cut into 1/2"-cubes
1 ts Salt
1/4 c Butter; melted
1/3 c Milk; warmed
Fresh lavender, rosemary, &-sage for garnish (opt)
Scotch whiskey
In a 6 quart saucepot, bring 3 quarts water to boiling. Pierce casing of the haggis once with a fork. Carefully place the haggis into the pot of boiling water and boil 45 to 60 minutes or until haggis feels firm and is cooked through.

One-half hour before haggis had finished cooking, prepare Tatties (mashed potatoes) and Neeps (turnips)/ In a 3 quart saucepan, combine potatoes and water to cover. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until potatoes are tender- about 20 minutes.

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine turnips, 1/2 tsp salt, and water to cover. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until turnips are tender- about 25 to 30 minutes.

When potatoes are tender, drain well and return to saucepan. With electric mixer, beat potatoes on low speed until all pieces are broken up. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp butter, and half of the milk. Beat until mixture is smooth. Add remaining milk and beat at high speed until smooth and fluffy. Keep warm until ready to serve. If desired, place some of potatoes in large pastry bag with large star tip.
When turnips are tender, drain well and return to saucepan. Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter and keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, place haggis on serving platter. Spoon, or, if desired, pipe several mounds of mashed potatoes around haggis leaving space between mounds. Spoon some of turnips between potato mounds. Garnish with lavender, rosemary, and sage, if desired. Pass remaining potatoes and turnips. Give each guest a glass of Scotch to pour over the haggis or to enjoy with it. If haggis has collagen casing, guests may want to remove it from slices before eating.

Notes:
This classic Scottish pudding made from oatmeal, mutton scraps, and suet is traditionally baked in a sheep's stomach. Today, butchers often use collagen casings while homemakers frequently opt to bake the mixture in a casserole. Mashed potatoes (tatties) and turnips (neeps) are the traditional accompaniment to haggis, as is a glass of Scotch whiskey, which is either poured over the pudding or enjoyed with it. To serve this traditional dinner, you can purchase a haggis by mail or prepare the Americanized Homemade Haggis (separate recipe).

Homemade Haggis

Yield: 6 servings
1 lb boneless lamb shoulder or-breast, cut into pieces, or-use ground lamb
1/2 lb Lamb liver; cut into pieces
1/2 c ;Water
1 sm Onion; coarsely chopped
1 lg egg
3/4 ts salt
3/4 ts Pepper, black
1/2 ts Sugar
1/4 ts Ginger, ground
1/8 ts cloves, ground
1/8 ts Nutmeg, ground
1 c Oats, rolled, old fashioned
Heat oven to 350-F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
In food processor with chopping blade, process together half of the lamb, the liver, water, onion, egg, salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg until well combined. Add the remaining half of the lamb and the oats; process until well combined.

Spoon lamb mixture into the greased pan; pat surface to level. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center feels firm when gently pressed. Cool 5 minutes in pan; unmold onto platter; slice and serve.
Notes: This skinless haggis is planned for American tastes, yet contains many of the ingredients found in the real thing. You can unmold the loaf and serve it in place of the purchased haggis recipes.

The Dreaded Haggis

1 Sheep's stomach
1 Sheep heart
1 Sheep liver
1/2 lb Suet, fresh (kidney leaf fat-is preferred)
3/4 c Oatmeal
3 Onion; finely chopped
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/4 ts Cayenne
1/2 ts Nutmeg
3/4 c Stock
Wash stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.

Cover heart and liver with cold water, Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.

Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. Serve with a spoon. Ceremoniously served with "neeps and nips"--mashed turnips, nips of whiskey and mashed potatoes.

Clootie Dumpling

6 oz flour
3 oz Suet; shredded
3 oz Currants
1 oz Sultanas
2 oz Caster sugar
1 ts Cinnamon, ground
1/2 ts Baking soda
3/4 c Sour milk
Mix flour with suet, fruit, sugar, cinnamon and soda. Stir in enough milk to make a soft batter. Dip a pudding cloth (cheesecloth) into boiling water, sink it in a basin large enough to hold the batter. Dredge it lightly with flour and spoon in the batter. Draw the fullness of the cloth together evenly, then tie it tightly with string, but leave enough room for the dumpling to swell. Place a saucer or plate in the bottom of a large saucepan. Lift the dumpling into the pan. Pour in enough boiling water to cover. Simmer for a full 2 hours, then untie. Turn out carefully onto a hot serving dish. Dredge with castor sugar. Serve with hot custard sauce. Yields 4 to 6 servings.

For the hot custard sauce, I usually use Byrd's Custard. If you have the availability of British goods in your area, they should have Byrd's custard. It comes in a large tin, like a container of powdered chocolate for chocolate milk. Just follow the directions to make a custard, only dilute it a little more to make it sauce-like.
Traditional Scotch Broth
1 lb Neck of mutton
2 qt ;Water, cold
1 ts Salt
2 T Pearl barley
2 T Yellow split peas
2 T Dried green peas
2 md Carrots
2 Leeks
3 T Rutabaga; diced
1 md Onion
1/2 sm Cabbage
1 ts Parsley; finely chopped
salt & pepper; to taste

Put the meat, water, salt and washed pearl barley into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil very slowly and skim. Dice the vegetables and wash and shred the cabbage and add to the pan. Bring the soup back to a boil again and simmer very gently until the meat is cooked and the peas are tender - about two hours. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste.