PAT - RECIPE: Haggis

[Guest guest]

Hi Marie

 

> Firstly, how essential is the Scotch? We are teetotal (including in

cooking) so would it

be possible to substitute the amount of Scotch with a similar quantity of

stock/water?

 

Of course. Best actually to skip that liquid altogether - as you say, mine is a

bit 'relaxed'

and I would have liked it to be firmer. (One never has to put alcohol into

something unless

it is something like 'brandied peaches' or 'tofu bourguignon' or something else

that gets

all its zip from the booze You know? Yes, sure you know - and I'll bet you,

as a very

clever and very inventive cook, have probably invented ways around the two

examples I

have just given too!)

 

> Secondly, how would you describe the texture of the finished product? The

only time I

have ever had vegetarian haggis was last year in Edinburgh and it was served in

slices so I

imagine it was a reasonably firm textured 'loaf'. It's hard to tell exactly

from your pictures

but it looks a little more 'relaxed' than a loaf but still fairly cohesive.

 

Was it like that? I've never had it and I was hoping someone would tell me what

it was

supposed to look/feel like. Mine is like very very very stiff porridge - which

is why I leave

the top off the casserole for a few minutes to try to dry it out a little as

well as to crisp up

the outside and therefore make it easier to serve (also giving a nice contrast

to the inside

softer part). Baking it in a loaf pan would be a good idea too - although I

think of haggis

as being roundish (because of the part of the poor slaughtered animal it was

originally

cooked in) and therefore used a round dish. I'll do the loaf pan next year!

 

And yes it's fiddly, as you also comment. If I were to have this as a regular

dish I would

find someway of simplifying the whole thing - but no one I know would have this

on a

regular basis (or its non-veg original, for that matter). It's just a

one-occasion thing and

half the fun in it for us is assembling all the bits and pieces for it across

the kitchen

counter, and then doing it in stages. It becomes entertainment that way.

Especially (excuse

me) if you've already opened that bottle of non-teetotal ingredient.

 

Love and hugs, Pat