Not Quite Burns' Night Haggis Tea

I've never been that into Burns' Night - it always struck me as a bit odd and something the man himself would find ridiculous. Then again, I'm a sucker for any excuse to eat haggis, especially when the shops suddenly have some in stock where I live. As I was out on the night itself I instead made something for Sunday dinner and it was soooo delicious I have to tell you about it.

So, to start off; what is a haggis?  Those of you thinking it's some disgusting lump of offal in a bag are only slightly right - it's true that less desirable cuts of meat can be used in haggis but this is one of the things I love about it. Too much perfectly good meat is wasted and not appreciated in my opinion and haggis is a great way to use up those bits you might not want to think about but are just as tasty. The McSween ones are made with cooked minced lamb and minced beef mixed with oats and lots of other secret herbs and spices. I love the McSween one because it's actually a proper spicy haggis, unlike some that can be bland as hell. If you've ever had a spicy sausage it tastes a lot like that. If you still think "eeew", then I hope you don't eat hot dogs - those have far worse ingredients.

Now, because haggis has quite a distinctive flavour it can be a bit much for folks on both sides of the border. I hated it when I was a kid but saw the error of my ways as a teenager. But I've rarely made it at home as I was never sure if I could get my man to eat it. Well thanks to a friend of mine I now have a regular go-to recipe that I know both of us like - and I really think everyone should try it. Head to Megabekatron's site for Haggis Pie. The cook is a friend of mine and I've been meaning to give one of her recipes a go for ages - Sunday proved the perfect opportunity. I'm not going to tell you how to make it - go to the link and see for yourself. And if you do want to experience the glorious scrumchousness make sure you get a decent haggis - MacSween is lovely.

Below is the results - served with some spinach and green beans along with a more tradition parsnip or two. The recipe made enough for four hungry people, so I have leftovers to look forward to later in the week. Assuming I can hold off and not eat it tonight... The plate below was eaten clean very quickly!