Scottish traditional haggis savory (Print Version)

A rich Scottish savory pudding with spiced meats, oats, onions, served with neeps and tatties.

# Components:

→ Offal & Meats

01 - 1.1 lbs sheep heart, liver, and lungs (or substitute with lamb or liver mince)
02 - 0.44 lbs finely chopped beef or lamb suet
03 - 0.66 lbs lamb or beef mince (optional)

→ Grains & Binders

04 - 0.33 lbs toasted steel-cut oats

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

05 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped

→ Liquids

06 - 1 cup beef stock

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
08 - 1 tsp ground coriander
09 - 1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - ½ tsp ground allspice
11 - 1½ tsp salt

→ Casing

12 - 1 cleaned sheep stomach or large sausage casing (or alternatively an oven-proof pudding basin with foil cover)

→ Neeps & Tatties

13 - 1.1 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
14 - 1.1 lbs turnips (swede/rutabaga), peeled and cubed
15 - 0.11 lbs butter
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - Rinse the offal thoroughly. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours until tender. Remove from water, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid if desired, then cool and finely mince the offal.
02 - In a large bowl, mix the minced offal with finely chopped suet, toasted oats, chopped onions, and optional minced meat until evenly combined.
03 - Pour in the beef stock and reserved cooking liquid if using. Add salt, pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir thoroughly to achieve a moist but not runny consistency.
04 - If using casing, rinse it well and fill loosely with the mixture, leaving room for expansion. Tie the ends securely with kitchen twine. If using a pudding basin, spoon the mixture inside and cover tightly with foil.
05 - Place the filled casing or basin into a large pot of boiling water, ensuring water level does not exceed the top. Simmer gently for 2 hours, monitoring and topping up water as needed.
06 - While the haggis cooks, boil potatoes and turnips separately until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, then mash each vegetable with butter, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Remove the haggis carefully from the pot and allow to rest for several minutes. Slice open and serve hot alongside mashed neeps and tatties.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes nothing like you'd expect—rich, warming, and surprisingly elegant despite being made from humble ingredients.
  • Making it at home strips away the mystery and turns it into a triumph you'll actually want to repeat.
  • This is the dish that makes people say yes to adventures at dinner parties and creates real memories.
02 -
  • Underfilled casings can burst during cooking, so leave room for expansion but don't leave so much space that it flops around awkwardly.
  • The spices are meant to whisper, not shout—add them gradually and taste as you go, because once they're in, you can't take them back.
  • Buying offal from a trusted butcher who knows how to prepare it properly changes everything; they can advise on freshness and even mince it for you if asking feels too awkward.
03 -
  • Toast your oats dry in a pan before adding them—this one step deepens the flavor so noticeably that you'll wonder why anyone would skip it.
  • Ask your butcher to mince the offal fresh; it makes a difference in texture and taste that boxed or pre-ground offal can't match.
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