The sacred haggis

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This article was published 18/01/2017 (3384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Scotsfolk everywhere will celebrate Robbie Burns Day Jan. 25. For dedicated diners, next Wednesday evening’s meal will include tatties and neeps (potatoes and turnips), toasts with scotch, and of course, haggis.

Some will be more dedicated than others.

Miller’s Meats has been producing its own haggis for years. It’s a Robbie Burns Day staple in the city for families and social groups who celebrate the Scottish poet.

One year, proprietor Shawn Miller decided the haggis recipe needed an update. That’s when, like a shaken hornets’ nest, the late Jack MacDonald, a longtime customer, stormed into the shop.

“He was probably 85 at the time and this was the first time we had met,” says Miller.

“He came in and actually yelled at me and my co-worker, Alberto, and he whacked him with his cane — that’s how passionate he was about haggis!

“We kind of laughed afterward and we became good friends.”

How did they get him to come round?”

“We changed it back,” he says. “He was so passionate that after that we just did whatever he wanted.

“It was more than just a dish to him, it was a symbol of who he was and what he represented — and he was a great guy, too.”

Haggis is the national dish of Scotland and it likely came out of the need to use all parts of the animal — a nose-to-tail philosophy that home cooks and chefs are starting to revisit.

“It’s a pudding that contains beef, pork, onions and suet and oats mixed with broth and spices and encased in a sheep’s stomach,” says Miller.

“We started making haggis because my Scottish grandmother, Katherine Miller, loved the dish from her homeland, so her son Cameron Miller, who owned Miller’s at the time, started making it.”

Miller says people with a Scottish background have a real nostalgia for the dish and they embrace the dish’s grand history.

“It would be safe to say that haggis is eaten everyday somewhere,” he says.

“I have a friend named Lindsay Hill, from Glasgow, and he tells me that in Scotland, every butcher shop has its own version of haggis so there is no one uniform or set way to make it.”

The national celebration of Scotland’s great poet falls annually on Jan. 25. Miller says that a number of societies and clubs, including people like Rob Tisdale, Paul Haverstock and Tim O’Toole, keep the tradition going. He says they’ve also been instrumental in keeping the haggis orders coming for a number of years.

“One of the reasons we started making it was we understood there was no one in the city making large batches of haggis, and as far as we know we are the only ones who make it,” he says.

The haggis Miller makes and sells is already fully cooked so it only needs a reheat with a light roast. He recommends 135 C to 150 C (275 F to 300 F) for 25 to 30 minutes.

“One of the accompaniments is a good quality single malt whisky because, while haggis can be an acquired taste, it pairs very well with scotch whisky,” he says.

“Our haggis has a good thyme taste and a good amount of white pepper. We also use steel-cut oats, which help to make it thick as it cools down — when it’s warm it has a more crumbly texture.”

Readers can get more information and place orders at millersmeats.com or call its St. Mary’s Road location at 204-233-5409.

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Here are three accompaniments to go with haggis. These are a bit of a play on the traditional ‘tatties and neeps’ that are really just simple mashed vegetables. These recipes are a boiled and then oven-crisped potato with a yummy lemon zing, a mixed root vegetable mash with a hint of maple syrup, and a whisky-tinged red berry sauce.

 

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Make sure the oven is really hot before you roast the potatoes so they’ll crisp.

1 medium yellow or white potato per serving (scrubbed)
chicken broth to cover potatoes (about 750 ml or 3 cups)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic crushed or grated on a micro-plane
olive oil
sea salt
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F)

Put chicken stock and extra water (if needed) in pot large enough for stock and potatoes. Stir in the zest from the lemon and the garlic. Add the scrubbed potatoes and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 12 to 15 minutes or until fork tender. Do not break them up. Drain and allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes.

Spread a sheet pan generously with olive oil (you can also line it with parchment paper). Place the potatoes on the pan. Carefully flatten each potato with a fork or a masher. Drizzle each potato with olive oil and a good sprinkle of sea salt and some lemon zest. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until potatoes are crisp. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Serve hot.

 

Root Vegetable Mash

Keeping this to a rough mash (not smooth) gives you different combinations of vegetables in each bite. The sweet potato brings out the best in the other vegetables. This is my new favourite.

1 small to medium sweet potato
2 medium parsnips
1 small to medium turnip
1 medium carrot
15 ml (1 tbsp) butter (to your taste)
10 ml (2 tsp) maple syrup
splash of cream
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut the vegetables a little larger than dice. As you cut them, place them in a bowl of cold water until they are ready to be cooked. This will take off some off the starch and keep their colour. Drain and rinse the vegetables, place in a medium pot, cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil for 12 minutes or so until vegetables are fork tender. Drain well. Return to warm pot. Toss vegetables in butter, maple syrup and cream. Mash roughly. Taste for salt and pepper. Serves four.

 

Red Berry and Whisky Sauce

This is best if made at least one day before and reheated. If it seems very thick the next day, add just a little splash of orange juice when warming. Although it’s meant for haggis, it would be good with kishka or even turkey.

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
30 ml (2 tbsp) onion, grated or very finely minced
250 ml (1 cup) cranberry sauce (from can)
15 ml (1 tbsp) whisky
1 ml (1/4 tsp) cayenne pepper
5 ml (1 tsp) apple cider vinegar
5 ml (1 tsp) brown sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) orange zest
pinch of salt

Melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add cranberry sauce, whisky, cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, salt, and brown sugar. Stir together and heat through gently until flavours blend. Serve warm with haggis.