Haggis

[ohareward]

In Dunedin, ( which is Gaelic for Edinburg) NZ, they were celebrating their Scottish heritage, so they produced a large haggis. It weighed 100kg, took 7 hours to cook and they had to use the stomach of a bullock because it was so large. It took 4 blokes to lift it into the cooking pot. My mouth drooled.

[Bonniegirl]

[Shirley]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm yum!!!

[Wombat]

[Andy Hamilton]

My girlfriend is Scottish and her aunty is visiting at the moment. She gave me a haggis last night, so thats what I am having for dinner. I can see why people can be put off haggis as it does not sound the most appetizing - A Scottish dish consisting of a mixture of the minced heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the slaughtered animal.

but it is delicious!

[Wombat]

And don't forget Groundskeeper Willy's comment Andy - "Tastes as good as it sounds!"

Nev

[red]

i love haggis - not sure I could manage a whole one of that size though..

[funkypixie]

Haggis is great! Sort of always reminds me of black pudding somehow - lovely

[Milims]

I'd best not let my daughter read the ingredients - we had Haggis neeps and tatties for tea last night and she loved it so dan't watn to put her off!!!

BTW - speaking of local foods - did any one else have Carlins yesterday - or is it just peculiar to our bit of the North East?

[Andy Hamilton]

but whats the best way to cook a haggis? Steamed, boiled or in the microwave. Or even..... used to stuff a chicken.

[Thomzo]

I'd best not let my daughter read the ingredients - we had Haggis neeps and tatties for tea last night and she loved it so dan't watn to put her off!!!

BTW - speaking of local foods - did any one else have Carlins yesterday - or is it just peculiar to our bit of the North East?

Erm - what are Carlins?

[Milims]

Ah - obviously peculiar to here then!!!

The Sunday before Easter was Carlin Sunday, a custom unique in this corner of the country, would be observed, which it was said celebrated the fortuitous wrecking of a ship on the rocks. The locals were destitute and near starvation. The vessel was carrying a cargo of maple peas and the people were saved! On this day the mothers put the carlins to soak, the night before, then on the little brown peas were boiled then left in their juices to cool and soak. In the evening they were strained and slowly cooked in butter, sugar and pepper, and in some pubs, a shot of rum! The result was a delicious feast of luscious peas in thick black gravy, with predictable effects the next morning

Basically they are maple peas - also called pigeon peas - an Elizabethan pea that grows to about 6 feet tall with purple and white flowers.

We always had them with the Rum sauce on the 4th Sunday of lent. My granda always sat at the table with a big grin on his face and said - "Carlin Sunday - Fartin Monday!!" much to grannys disgust!!!

Chris was so impressed with them that he grabbed a handful before I boiled them and he's planted them - I'll let you know how they grow!!!

[circlecross]

we have carlins for sale in NW, and my mum always says "Carlin Sunday , Fartin Monday", but we have never actually eaten them.

Haggis - as with everything else around Fringe time - battered and deep fried. This is my husbands preferred way to eat it.

My mum tends to buy me vegetarian haggis (I suppose they are grazers...) every time she crosses the border (we are 10 miles away), and so I usually have vegetarian haggis, in a skin...in a tin!

[cir3ngirl]

I've had to switch to a low cholesterol diet Hagis is on the try never to eat list. What a shame.

[Shirley]

but whats the best way to cook a haggis? Steamed, boiled or in the microwave. Or even..... used to stuff a chicken.

I prefer boiled - but it's scrummy in slices and fried or put inside a toastie!!