anyone buy a haggis

They had them in Aldi my husband got one and we are having it tonight with turnips and potatoes the traditional side dishes, tonight is Burns night. It looks a bit unappetising but I will taste it, then he can eat it and I will have the turnips and potatoes with lot of butter.

murpho999

Just remember Burns night does not refer to a cooking instruction.

ohnonotgmail

Irish people will find any excuse to drink whisky.

smash

It's kind of like a big black pudding isn't it?

smash

smash wrote: »

It's kind of like a big black pudding isn't it?

Well sort of of it got chopped lungs heart and live mixed with porridge and spices so it related to black pudding but not the same.

smash

mariaalice wrote: »

Well sort of of it got chopped lungs heart and live mixed with porridge and spices so it related to black pudding but not the same.

Sounds delicious. Enjoy your dinner you monster!


:pac:

GAAman

smash wrote: »

It's kind of like a big black pudding isn't it?

Taste wise it can be more like white pudding. Had it in the Conan Doyle bar in edinburgh a few months back for the first time it was delish!

smash

smash wrote: »

It's kind of like a big black pudding isn't it?

Making this one myself for a few people coming over. Some select scotch around too.

Kovu

Haven't bought one yet but if I see them tomorrow in Aldi I'll get one. Had them before and they're just like a higher spiced white pudding imo.

ScumLord

It looks a lot like a loose black pudding, I would have said it' tastes a bit like a spicier black pudding. It's really nice.

The Backwards Man

I don't like turnips

harry Bailey esq

mariaalice wrote: »

They had them in Aldi my husband got one and we are having it tonight with turnips and potatoes the traditional side dishes, tonight is Burns night. It looks a bit unappetising but I will taste it, then he can eat it and I will have the turnips and potatoes with lot of butter.

I had it just the once,20+ years ago, in Scotland don't ya know it has a very distinctive taste,it was served to me without any veg to garnish it up a bit. The best way I could describe it would be a very spicy sausage, minced. It's something I'd definitely eat again.

endacl

I.
Love.
Haggis.
Neaps 'n' tatties ftw!!!

The Backwards Man

endacl wrote: »

I.
Love.
Haggis.
Neaps 'n' tatties ftw!!!

No true Scotsman eats that dung.

jimgoose

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Aboon them a' yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin was help to mend a mill
In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin', rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro' blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned,
Like taps o' trissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!


A child of five could understand this - send somebody to fetch a child of five! :pac:

Sunny Dayz

Was over in Scotland a week ago. Couldn't get over how popular Haggis is there. It was on the menu at most pubs/restaurants with many different ways, eg included with a burger, neeps n' tatties etc. It was even available at the cooked breakfast buffet in the hotel.


Didn't try it - I've heard its quite like our white pudding, but neither black nor white pudding agree with me anymore. (I use to love them when I was young, especially when the outside was crispy!)

The Backwards Man

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Was over in Scotland a week ago. Couldn't get over how popular Haggis is there. It was on the menu at most pubs/restaurants with many different ways, eg included with a burger, neeps n' tatties etc. It was even available at the cooked breakfast buffet in the hotel.


Didn't try it - I've heard its quite like our white pudding, but neither black nor white pudding agree with me anymore. (I use to love them when I was young, especially when the outside was crispy!)

It's the bacon and cabbage of Scotland, it's all for the tourists. Scots eat puddingsuppers washed down with golden Tennent's. . . mmmmmmmmmmmm

osarusan

Never tried it. It never sounded all that appetizing, and it looks like something that got run over by a car.

c_man

Haggis is lovely. I've seen vegetarian haggis on certain menus, now that's a head scratcher!

ScumLord

osarusan wrote: »

Never tried it. It never sounded all that appetizing, and it looks like something that got run over by a car.

None of the ones I had looked like that (grey), they where really black like black pudding. The stuff you get in the hotel breakfast buffet where basically black pudding in everything but name.

sanna

Had mine last night, bought outta Marks and Spencers and washed it down with a wee whisky, fab meal!

Gandhi

I had haggis once at a tourist-trap cafe near Loch Ness. Was pretty good. Like a big pudding.

wilhelm roentgen

mariaalice wrote: »

They had them in Aldi my husband got one and we are having it tonight with turnips and potatoes the traditional side dishes, tonight is Burns night. It looks a bit unappetising but I will taste it, then he can eat it and I will have the turnips and potatoes with lot of butter.

Don't forget the deep fried mars bar for dessert.

Gandhi

Probable urban legend I heard once about haggis: Scottish lad working in London got tired of his workmates teasing him about haggis, among other Scottish-related things. He started telling them they were a bunch of Cockney nancy-boys who could not handle haggis, and said he would even cook some for them to prove it. They accept the challenge and agree they'll come to his flat one night for haggis.

He fills a condom with dog food, and bakes it in the oven for 24 hours. The lads show up and all force themselves to finish their plates to avoid looking like nancy-boys. Not too happy when they found out what they had eaten.

ScumLord

Gandhi wrote: »

Probable urban legend I heard once about haggis:

He fills a condom with dog food, and bakes it in the oven for 24 hours.

More than likely an urban legend.

kylith

I had one last week. Will probably get another couple this week, I love the stuff.

It looks like mashed black pudding, but it tastes like really good, spiced, white pudding. Leftovers are fantastic in Shepherd's pie.

endacl

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No true Scotsman eats that dung.

Luckily, I'm Irish.

Edit: Deep fry the bejaysus out of it and true Scotsmen would fling their grannies out of the road to eat it!

pawrick

Been years since I had some, this thread is making me hungry!

Cool_CM

Haggis is amazing. Make sure to wash it all down with an Irn Bru!

c_man

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No true Scotsman eats that dung.

Well that's a pile of crap tbh. But props to the use of the phrase!

Day Lewin

We bought three from Marks & Spencer who always have them at this time of year.
2 of the lamb ones and a small vegetarian one which was also delicious.

They also have (cheaper) haggis made of pork but this is so inauthentic we couldn't see the point.

I've made it myself in the past, quite simple: but you can't buy sheep lungs in Irish butchers anymore so it ends up as a mixture of liver, kidney and heart, plus a handful of gigot, chopped in food prosser, mixed with oatmeal, onions and spice, and cooked in a bowl like a plum pudding. (in greaseproof or muslin)

Bring it in with bagpipe ceremonial music, and turn out in front of the most honoured guest to be Addressed and "Cut thee up wi' ready sleight"

Bashed neeps, tatties, sprouts wi'bacon and cream. Nips of Scotch.

Don't forget that you must finish the evening with ALL the words of Auld Lang Syne!

Day Lewin

We bought three from Marks & Spencer who always have them at this time of year.
2 of the lamb ones and a small vegetarian one which was also delicious.

They also have (cheaper) haggis made of pork but this is so inauthentic we couldn't see the point.

I've made it myself in the past, quite simple: but you can't buy sheep lungs in Irish butchers anymore so it ends up as a mixture of liver, kidney and heart, plus a handful of gigot, chopped in food prosser, mixed with oatmeal, onions and spice, and cooked in a bowl like a plum pudding. (in greaseproof or muslin)

Bring it in with bagpipe ceremonial music, and turn out in front of the most honoured guest to be Addressed and "Cut thee up wi' ready sleight"

Bashed neeps, tatties, sprouts wi'bacon and cream. Nips of Scotch.

Don't forget that you must finish the evening with ALL the words of Auld Lang Syne!

Auldloon

Lived in scotland for 14 years and been to many the burns supper. Prefer the veggie version last few years, the meaty one is very fatty.

lertsnim

I love haggis. It is a pity it's not more widely available.

recylingbin

I'd rather eat lungs, kidneys or heart than that tripe.

AnonoBoy

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No true Scotsman eats that dung.

That's not true. They do.

syklops

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No true Scotsman eats that dung.

Congratulations. You've finally stepped over the line. At last, stopped being funny, surpassed being slightly annoying and graduated to being unnecessary.

You're going on the ignore list.

Menas

Auldloon wrote: »

Lived in scotland for 14 years and been to many the burns supper. Prefer the veggie version last few years, the meaty one is very fatty.

A good veggie one is absolutely lovely. The cheap veggie ones are tasteless IMO.

prinzeugen

lertsnim wrote: »

I love haggis. It is a pity it's not more widely available.

M&S stock it almost all year round in Henry St store in Dublin.

honde

smash wrote: »

It's kind of like a big black pudding isn't it?

more like a white pudding really .....there are different ones but they are tasty enough

prinzeugen

After I have done the "Haggis is like Hedgehog's but with fangs" thing when people ask, the way I describe it is being like a spicy breakfast pudding.

(The sort you get in Spar breakfast roll).

syklops

prinzeugen wrote: »

After I have done the "Haggis is like Hedgehog's but with fangs" thing when people ask, the way I describe it is being like a spicy breakfast pudding.

(The sort you get in Spar breakfast roll).

Wut?

BeardySi

I may have accidentally eaten a whole one over the course of sat/sun... The Mrs' can't stand it and it's a shame to let it go to waste! (it's lovely on toast with some cheese btw! )

Graces7

Used to raise them when I lived in Orkney. Some had a terrible time on hilly ground as they tend to have two legs shorter then the others so if they try to go anticlockwise they fall off the mountain. Never ate any personally as I never could kill anything I fed...Not going to start now either...

prinzeugen

syklops wrote: »

Wut?

Some people think Haggis are small animals about the size of a hedgehog.....

cowboyBuilder

If Andy Murray wins the Aus. Open he'll buy a golden haggis..

bnt

prinzeugen wrote: »

Some people think Haggis are small animals about the size of a hedgehog.....

They're a bit bigger than that - the fur adds a bit of volume. Their left legs are shorter than their right legs, so they can only run round hilltops in a counter-clockwise direction. It makes them pretty easy to catch: just stand in their way, and when they try to turn round, they just roll down the hill. :P

Some say that there are two species of wild haggis, the other with the right legs shorter than the left. They can't interbreed, sadly, since as soon as the male turns around to mount the female ... well, you know the rest.

prinzeugen

bnt wrote: »

They're a bit bigger than that - the fur adds a bit of volume. Their left legs are shorter than their right legs, so they can only run round hilltops in a counter-clockwise direction. It makes them pretty easy to catch: just stand in their way, and when they try to turn round, they just roll down the hill. :P

Some say that there are two species of wild haggis, the other with the right legs shorter than the left. They can't interbreed, sadly, since as soon as the male turns around to mount the female ... well, you know the rest.

Being from Fife I only ever saw the lowland haggis.. Bit smaller than the highland one and less hairy. Common to see them squashed by the roadside..

They get confused by roundabouts when trying to cross the road..

lertsnim

prinzeugen wrote: »

M&S stock it almost all year round in Henry St store in Dublin.

It's a pity that M&S is over an hour away from me

Figbiscuithead

Gorgeous stuff. Had it a lot when I lived there, usually with a few shcoops on board. Love all the pudding-type food family: black and white pudding, haggis, Spanish morcilla (the latter is the nicest). Yumzers.

bnt

If it's a food-type substance, and it's in Scotland, you can be certain that someone's going to deep-fry it. Sure enough, a search for "deep-fried haggis" leads to an article from 2004:

Shaped like the sort of thing cavemen employed to swat woolly mammoths, and sporting a threadbare coat of batter that is rarely crisp and never golden, the deep-fried haggis, affectionately nicknamed the scabby dick, is a foodstuff so greasy that if you drop it you may never pick it up.

Indeed, so densely packed is this Everest of endurance eating that few people have ever managed to finish a whole one. It lands in your stomach like a felled tree. Attach a handle to either end and the police could use it to break down doors.