These are the days of peak haggis. A time of year when everyone is experimenting and putting a new twist on Scotland’s most famous dish.
At the Chop Chop restaurants in Edinburgh and Glasgow, chef patron Jian Wang is pondering whether or not to try and sell haggis dumplings to the Chinese market.
Her Scottish customers can give the haggis pot stickers a whirl at either restaurant on Burns Night which is, of course, on Monday 25 January.
The 5pm Dining blog was tickled by two other haggis innovations.
At The Adamson Bar in St Andrews, the mixologists have come up with two haggis cocktails entitled For The Laddies and For The Lassies.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the Macsween haggis dynasty have rolled out their Haggis Highlander Meatballs. Below, we have a recipe for haggis meatball spaghetti – should you fancy giving tonight’s Burns Supper a little Italian tweak.
Haggis Martini
In Fife, The Adamson Bar already has some form in coming up with novel ways to incorporate haggis into unexpected recipes. Last year, they produced haggis ice cream.
This year, they have added haggis flavours to a brace of vodka and gin cocktails. As Julie Lewis, Managing Director of the bar, explains:
‘We love to take traditional recipes and ideas and put our Adamson twist on them. With Burns being such a prolific celebration in St Andrews and across the rest of the country, we felt it was only right to give one of Scotland’s most famous poet his very own set of cocktails – For the Laddies and For the Lassies.
Haggis and tattie vodka
‘While challenging, we had a lot of fun coming up with the perfect base for a haggis cocktail recipe. We are using local spirits, Ogilvy Vodka, a potato based vodka distilled in Angus, in our For The Laddies cocktail and Caorunn Gin, from Speyside For The Lassies.
‘We wanted to recreate one of the oldest cocktails, the Martini, whilst incorporating all the flavours of haggis. Each cocktail uses an egg white base to enhance the spice flavours, and includes nutmeg, sea salt, black pepper, mace and sugar. We reckon Robert Burns would more than approve, and we look forward to raising a many a glass in his name.’
Don’t drop the ball
Continuing their ongoing quest to take haggis where it may not have gone before, Macsween has unveiled the world’s first haggis meatball.
Macsween’s MD and Director of Innovation, James Macsween, comments: ‘For the last 60 years people have been enjoying Macsween haggis eaten in a traditional way, but we’ve seen an increasing trend for haggis to be used in every day dishes which is where the inspiration for our meatballs came from.
‘Scotland and Italy have a long history of collaboration so it made sense that our Highlander Meatballs combined the best of both countries, offering a delicious fusion of flavours that can be enjoyed by the family all year round. So, whether you’re a haggis aficionado or a novice, this is a product that can be appreciated by everyone.’
The Macsween Highlander Meatballs are available at Tesco and ASDA priced at £2 for a pack of 12.
Recipe for Spaghetti and Macsween Highlander Meatballs
Ingredients
One pack of Macsween Highlander Meatballs (12 meatballs)
400g spaghetti
For the sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
125ml red wine (optional)
Salt and pepper to season
Handful of basil leaves
Parmesan to serve
Method
Heat oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. Place Macsween Highlander Meatballs onto a baking tray and allow to cook for 20 -25 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time, until browned.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil in your largest pan. Add the garlic and onion and sizzle for 1 min. Stir in the tomatoes and red wine if using, and simmer for 15-20 mins until slightly thickened. Stir in the basil leaves and season to taste. Add the cooked meatballs to the pan to keep warm while you boil the spaghetti.
Add the fresh spaghetti to a pan of boiling salted water and cook until al dente.
Serve Italian style – stir them all together and serve with extra Parmesan and a few basil leaves, if you like.