Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1759), of Robert Burns — commonly called Rabbie Burns in Scotland — Scots poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English with a light Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these works his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.

On or near 25^th January, Scots worldwide hold Burns suppers which may be formal or informal. Both typically include haggis, whisky, and the recitation of Burns’ poetry. Formal dinners are hosted by organizations such as Burns clubs, the Freemasons, or St Andrew’s Societies and have a traditional order. I’ve done both.  When my family lived in Australia my father (who was born in Glasgow and whose family came from Glasgow and the Shetland Islands) would round up all the Scots in town and invite them over to our house for haggis, whisky and song.

In its traditional form haggis is essentially a boiled pudding made by mixing together the chopped up organ meats of a sheep with oats, suet, and spices which are then sewn inside a sheep’s stomach and boiled for several hours.  When we lived in sheep country in Australia my father had no trouble getting all the ingredients from the local butcher who kept his own flock and did his own slaughtering.  These days it’s even tough to get all the right things in Scotland.  So you improvise.  I find that practically any organ meats mixed with oats, fat, and spices, and boiled in a muslin bag is adequate even if not fully authentic.  Here’s a completely traditional recipe. The actual spices used vary from cook to cook, and professional producers in Scotland keep their mixes a closely guarded secret.  I use allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.

Ingredients:

1 sheep’s pluck — heart, liver, and lights (lungs).
1 sheep’s stomach.
1lb lightly toasted pinhead oatmeal (medium or coarse oatmeal).
1-2 tablespoons salt.
1 level tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.
1 tablespoon freshly ground allspice.
1 level tablespoon of mixed herbs.
8oz finely chopped suet.
4 large onions, finely chopped

Instructions:

Wash the stomach in cold water until it is thoroughly clean and then soak it in cold salted water for about 8-10 hours.

Place the pluck in a large pot and cover with cold water. The windpipe ought to be hung over the side of the pot with a container beneath it in order to collect any drips. Gently simmer the pluck for approximately 2 hours or until it is tender and then leave the pluck to cool.

Finely chop or mince the pluck meat and then mix it with the oatmeal. Add about half a pint of the liquor in which the pluck was cooked (or use a good stock). Add the seasonings, suet and onions, ensuring everything is well mixed.

Fill the stomach with the mixture, leaving enough room for the oatmeal to expand into. Press out the air and then sew up the haggis. Prick the haggis a few times with a fine needle. Place the haggis it in boiling water and simmer for approximately 3 hours.