Scottish Haggis

by | Nov 7, 2015 | 0 comments

A champion Haggis should be firm and slightly sticky, with no tendency to dry out or crumble too much. Most traditional Scottish butchers sell their own homemade Haggis and guard the recipe fiercely. Our recipe is from the Glasgow Cookery Book from around 1926.

Yields1 ServingDifficultyBeginner
 1 lamb’s paunch (stomach)
 Lights of a lamb (lungs, separated from the windpipe)
 1 lamb’s heart (cleaned and trimmed)
 1 lamb’s liver (cleaned and trimmed)
 350g coarse oatmeal (try and buy organic and gluten free)
 350g beef suet, shredded (fresh or packet)
 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
 850ml of water
 2 tsp grated nutmeg
 2 tsp Changing Habits Seaweed Salt
 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
 1/2 tsp mace
 2 tsp fresh parsley (leaves only chopped fine)
 2 tsp fresh thyme (leaves only chopped fine)
 2 tsp fresh sage (leaves only chopped fine)
The day before:
1

Prepare the lamb’s paunch (stomach) by washing it out under clean running water, then stirring 3 tablespoons of salt into 2.5 litres of cold water in a clean plastic bucket and soaking the paunch in it overnight.

2

Prepare the lamb lights (lungs) and heart. Wash the lungs and heart under clean running water and place them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and a tablespoon of sea salt, bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes.

3

After 45 minutes drain the lights and heart well and place into a bowl, when cool put them in the fridge to be used the next day.

The next day:
4

Turn the soaked paunch inside out and rinse under cold running water for at least ten minutes, to wash all the salt water off it. Then set aside to drain as you make the filling.

5

If you are using fresh beef suet shred it very small, almost to breadcrumbs (it should shred easily) and reserve in a very large mixing bowl – if using packet suet add it into the bowl.

6

Cut half the liver into 1.5 cm cubes while the other half should be cut up very fine or coarsely minced. Add this to the suet in the large mixing bowl.

7

Cut the lights and heart up very small or coarsely mince. Add this to the large mixing bowl with everything else.

8

Into the bowl add and thoroughly mix each ingredient in – the fine chopped onions, the oatmeal, the herbs and spices and then finally stir in the stock.

9

Make sure everything in the bowl is mixed thoroughly and no one ingredient is clumping together.

10

Using a spoon put the Haggis filling into the prepared lamb’s paunch (turned back the right way out). Once put in sew up the opening with linen thread or thin butchers string. Note: The paunch must not be too tightly packed or it will burst as the oatmeal swells during cooking after absorbing the stock.

11

Put the Haggis in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours. Using a sharp needle prick the paunch once or twice in the first hour to allow steam to escape and prevent the Haggis from bursting.

12

After 3 or 4 hours, serve the Haggis turned out of the paunch on to a large dish and serve with mashed swede.

13

Enjoy!

Category

[cooked-sharing]

Ingredients

 1 lamb’s paunch (stomach)
 Lights of a lamb (lungs, separated from the windpipe)
 1 lamb’s heart (cleaned and trimmed)
 1 lamb’s liver (cleaned and trimmed)
 350g coarse oatmeal (try and buy organic and gluten free)
 350g beef suet, shredded (fresh or packet)
 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
 850ml of water
 2 tsp grated nutmeg
 2 tsp Changing Habits Seaweed Salt
 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
 1/2 tsp mace
 2 tsp fresh parsley (leaves only chopped fine)
 2 tsp fresh thyme (leaves only chopped fine)
 2 tsp fresh sage (leaves only chopped fine)

Directions

The day before:
1

Prepare the lamb’s paunch (stomach) by washing it out under clean running water, then stirring 3 tablespoons of salt into 2.5 litres of cold water in a clean plastic bucket and soaking the paunch in it overnight.

2

Prepare the lamb lights (lungs) and heart. Wash the lungs and heart under clean running water and place them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and a tablespoon of sea salt, bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes.

3

After 45 minutes drain the lights and heart well and place into a bowl, when cool put them in the fridge to be used the next day.

The next day:
4

Turn the soaked paunch inside out and rinse under cold running water for at least ten minutes, to wash all the salt water off it. Then set aside to drain as you make the filling.

5

If you are using fresh beef suet shred it very small, almost to breadcrumbs (it should shred easily) and reserve in a very large mixing bowl – if using packet suet add it into the bowl.

6

Cut half the liver into 1.5 cm cubes while the other half should be cut up very fine or coarsely minced. Add this to the suet in the large mixing bowl.

7

Cut the lights and heart up very small or coarsely mince. Add this to the large mixing bowl with everything else.

8

Into the bowl add and thoroughly mix each ingredient in – the fine chopped onions, the oatmeal, the herbs and spices and then finally stir in the stock.

9

Make sure everything in the bowl is mixed thoroughly and no one ingredient is clumping together.

10

Using a spoon put the Haggis filling into the prepared lamb’s paunch (turned back the right way out). Once put in sew up the opening with linen thread or thin butchers string. Note: The paunch must not be too tightly packed or it will burst as the oatmeal swells during cooking after absorbing the stock.

11

Put the Haggis in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours. Using a sharp needle prick the paunch once or twice in the first hour to allow steam to escape and prevent the Haggis from bursting.

12

After 3 or 4 hours, serve the Haggis turned out of the paunch on to a large dish and serve with mashed swede.

13

Enjoy!

Notes

Scottish Haggis
VIP Club featured

You May Also Like…

Inner Glow Berry Whip

Inner Glow Berry Whip

Cool off this summer with a simple 4-ingredient recipe that’s both nourishing and delicious!
Packed with the natural goodness of Inner Glow, this treat will leave you glowing inside and out.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My cart
Your cart is empty.

Looks like you haven't made a choice yet.