I'm going to be making a Haggis for Robbie Burns night (i know, i know, it's like 3 months away its my birthday for crying out loud) and i want to do it up right.  anyone have particular favourite recipes?  theres gotta be some Scots on Arfcom, cuz i know theres a lot of Scotch drinkers!

The Dreaded Haggis (from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course)
       1 sheep's stomach
       1 sheep heart
       1 sheep liver
       1/2 lb suet, fresh (kidney leaf fat is preferred)
       3/4 c oatmeal
       1 ts salt
       1/2 ts pepper
       1/4 ts cayenne
       1/2 ts nutmeg
       3/4 c stock
Wash stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.

Cover heart and liver with cold water, Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.

Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. Serve with a spoon.

I see you are in Virginia.  If you are in Southwest Virginia, how about joing the rest of the Scots in the area.  I can give you details if you are interested.  Haggis, Whiskey Toasts, music and dancing...

I live in Chesapeake, but i most recently moved from Radford so unfortunately i missed out.  but please PM me and let me know if theres a games or festival going on, the wife and i make regular trips to blacksburg.

I've never tried cooking it, mainly because I don't know where to get some of the ingredients, but here is Alton Brown's recipe:



1 sheep stomach
1 sheep liver
1 sheep heart
1 sheep tongue
1/2 pound suet, minced
3 medium onions, minced
1/2 pound dry oats, toasted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried ground herbs

Rinse the stomach thoroughly and soak overnight in cold salted water.
Rinse the liver, heart, and tongue. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook these parts over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove and mince. Remove any gristle or skin and discard.

In a large bowl, combine the minced liver, heart, tongue, suet, onions, and toasted oats. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Moisten with some of the cooking water so the mixture binds. Remove the stomach from the cold salted water and fill 2/3 with the mixture. Sew or tie the stomach closed. Use a turning fork to pierce the stomach several times. This will prevent the haggis from bursting.

In a large pot of boiling water, gently place the filled stomach, being careful not to splash. Cook over high heat for 3 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes, if you serve it at all.

Quoted: I've never tried cooking it, mainly because I don't know where to get some of the ingredients, but here is Alton Brown's recipe: 1 sheep stomach 1 sheep liver 1 sheep heart 1 sheep tongue 1/2 pound suet, minced 3 medium onions, minced 1/2 pound dry oats, toasted 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried ground herbs Rinse the stomach thoroughly and soak overnight in cold salted water. Rinse the liver, heart, and tongue. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook these parts over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove and mince. Remove any gristle or skin and discard. In a large bowl, combine the minced liver, heart, tongue, suet, onions, and toasted oats. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Moisten with some of the cooking water so the mixture binds. Remove the stomach from the cold salted water and fill 2/3 with the mixture. Sew or tie the stomach closed. Use a turning fork to pierce the stomach several times. This will prevent the haggis from bursting. In a large pot of boiling water, gently place the filled stomach, being careful not to splash. Cook over high heat for 3 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes, if you serve it at all. netgate4.newnanutilities.org/~ewhitley1/postpics/GE-Haggis.jpg

oh man, i'm a big Good Eats fan (that sounded kinda Teh Ghey...) so i'll definitely be using Altons recipe.

I was in Edinborough a couple of years ago, and after walking the Royal Mile wandered into Deacon Brodies for lunch.  Never having had Haggis before but being adventerous, I ordered it with a cold Strongbow.  The waitress looked me in the eye and asked "Are you sure you'd be wanting the Haggis?".  After replying that in fact I did, she smiled and said I was a brave man.  Now I've never had a waitress compliment my bravery just by ordering off the menu.

The Haggis was great!  I don't know why people have a aversion to it.  With a nice side dish of Neeps and Tats it was one of the best meals I had on that trip.

So I have to ask where one finds the ingrediants for Haggis?  Can you get sheep's organs at a butchers shop?  I also live in VA (Smithfield, best know for our ham production), and I'd love to be able to attempt to make it for my sons.