There’s a line in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that says, “On no account should you allow a Vogon to read poetry at you.” I feel the same way about the poetry of Robert Burns.
However, coming exactly one month after Christmas, I absolutely love a good Burns Night Supper. It’s a wonderful way to extend the holiday season at what is often the coldest and harshest time of winter.
Burns Night Suppers are celebrated on or near the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. He lived from January 25, 1759 – January 21, 1796 and his poem “Ode to the Haggis” is recited at Burns Night Suppers around the world. He was regarded as a poet of the people and wrote in the Scottish dialect of the day.
While I do have a direct connection to the Bell Clan through my grandmother, Florence Bell Kerber, I can only understand about every eighth word of Robert Burns’ poetry. After a while, the charm wears off.
Just in case you – hypothetically speaking – are given a can of Stahly Scottish Haggis for your birthday and it sits on a shelf in your pantry for a year-and-a-half because you have no idea what to do with it, I have a suggestion for how to serve it that is both somewhat authentic and delicious: a layer of haggis on toasted rye bread, popped into the oven long enough to melt thin slices of Emmental cheese, topped with a whiskey and mustard sauce and garnished with chopped fresh chives.
When I was lovingly gifted a can of Stahly Scottish Haggis several years ago, I eventually discovered that haggis on toast with melted cheese is a common method for serving, kind of like a Welsh Rarebit. It seemed to me that a big flavor like haggis needed a bread with a big flavor and I used my version of Rye Bread. I consulted with the monger at The Cheese Shop here in Des Moines and he recommended Emmental.
My wonderful partner, Debra, had the thought of adding a sauce and found a whisky and mustard cream sauce from The Hairy Bikers that we modified slightly.
This combination of ingredients, textures and flavors is crucial. No one should ever want to sit down and eat a steaming pile of haggis by itself.
This year, we decided we should try making it again for our own Burns Night Supper. However, I discovered on January 12th that if I wanted a can of Stahly Scottish Haggis for January 25th, I would have to wait until March 2nd to get it. That’s when Deb found a recipe for a homemade Simplified Haggis from the Caroline’s Cooking website.
While the thought of haggis conjures up thoughts of entrails and sheep stomachs in many people, this recipe uses only ground lamb and a few chicken livers for meat. I’ve modified the original recipe by reducing the amount of chicken livers, adding a bit of salt and increasing the aromatic spices.
The result is a dish we would gladly serve anyone as something unique and delicious and not merely as a novelty gross-out joke.
The Haggis and the Rye Bread can be made a day ahead of time.
Haggis Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. Butter
- 1 medium White Onion, chopped
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- ¾ tsp. Ground Coriander
- ¾ tsp. Nutmeg, freshly ground
- ½ tsp Ground Allspice
- ½ tsp. Dried Thyme
- ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1 lb. Ground Lamb
- 125 grams Chicken Livers, fat trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup Beef Stock
- 115 grams (about ⅔ cup) Steel Cut Oats
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet or Dutch oven and sauté onion until softened. Mix in the spices.
Add chicken livers and ground lamb and brown until cooked through. Add beef stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Add the steel cut oats and mix. Transfer to an oven-safe dish with a lid, or, if using a Dutch oven, cover and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Whiskey Sauce:
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp. Whiskey
- 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp. Fresh Chives, chopped
Step 1: Heat the double cream in a pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard and whiskey and stir to combine. Increase the heat until the mixture is simmering and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper. Stir in the chives and whisk in the lemon juice.
Haggis on Rye Toast Ingredients:
- Rye Bread (I strongly suggest using my recipe for Rye Bread.)
- Haggis
- Emmental Cheese
- Whiskey and Mustard Sauce
- Chopped Fresh Chives for garnish
Directions:
Step 1: Lightly toast slices of hearty rye or pumpernickel bread.
Step 2: Heat the haggis and spoon on the lightly toasted slices of rye bread. Top with thin slices of Emmental cheese and heat until the cheese is melted in an oven or toaster oven.
Step 3: Top with a generous ladle of whiskey and mustard sauce and garnish with fresh chopped chives.
Notes:
A side dish of mashed potatoes and rutabaga called clapshot or neeps & tatties makes a good companion along with fresh green beans or peas. For dessert, we usually have a piece of Christmas Pudding left over that we stashed in the freezer.
The recitation of “Ode to the Haggis” is an integral part of a Burns Night Supper and there is a video that does a good job of explaining the incomprehensible language.
This video is kind of an annotated version that does make me appreciate the cultural significance and humor of Robert Burns’ poem. A host provides a sort of “translation” of the poem with the aid of an actor followed by the actor performing a full recitation.
Schmecken! 