Haggis
1 sheep's stomach
Sheep's pluck (heart, liver & lungs)
1 LB lean mutton
1/2 LB oatmeal
2 TBS salt
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS ground allspice
8 oz. finely chopped suet
3 large onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Lemon juice or vinegar for flavoring (optional)
Wash the sheep's stomach in cold water until it is completely clean, and then soak in cold, salted water for about 10 hours. Place the "pluck" in a large pot and cover with cold water. The windpipe should be held outside the pot and hung over the edge, with a container underneath to catch any drippings. Gently simmer the pluck for about two hours, or until tender. Leave to cool. Remove the windpipe and any gristle or skin. Mince the pluck and add to the mutton. Lightly toast the oatmeal over an open fire or under the broiler until it is crisp, dry and a pale golden color. Add the toasted oatmeal to the pluck and mutton mixture, and then mix in the onion and suet. Season the mixture, and stir in enough of the pluck broth to moisten. Pack the mixture into the stomach, filling it just over half-full as the stuffing will swell during cooking. Press down to remove any air, and then sew up the bag tightly, or secure each end with string. Prick the haggis a few times with a needle, and then place it in a large pot of boiling water. Simmer for approximately four hours.
Suggestions: Serve Haggis with Neeps (mashed turnips) or Tatties (creamed potatoes).
*Haggis image (C) Kim Traynor (2011). Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, a freely licensed media file repository.
History Note: There are no concrete records of the origins of Haggis, but there is mention of a similar sausage in Greek writings (Aristophanes' Clouds). It is generally believed Haggis might have originated in Greece and was then passed on by the Romans to France and then to Britain either directly or through the alliance between Scotland and France. The basis of the word Haggis is apparently not Latin in origin, but derived from the Swedish word hagga (meaning to hew or chop) and the Icelandic word hoggva (which has the same meaning as the Swedish version). And yet other historical notes claim Haggis came directly from the French hachis, combined with the word "hag" (to chop). The survival of Haggis is a testament to the national Scottish gift for "making the most of small means."
Related Link:
Food Fare Culinary Collection: Scottish Vivers
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