# Haggis help please



## cooking=love (Aug 9, 2004)

Here's my problem,
My Sister made a vacation trip to England and Scotland. She brought me back a can of Haggis. I don't know what to do with it!? I am pretty adventurous but this really scares me. I am afraid to even open it, I don't know what I am going to see.   
I might consider trying something like that if over there in a restarant, but canned? I am sure she meant well. 
Thanks for any advice you all have for me. I appreciate it.


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## kyles (Aug 9, 2004)

Haggis is an acquired taste. It is made with oats and unspeakable bits of dead animals, and it's one of those things you either like or you don't. I have not had tinned haggis, only the fresh kind. 

Best of luck, give it a try and report on your findings. Drown it in ketchup!!! The Scots are a strange race, apparently they claim to be the first to batter and deep fry mars bars. Weird people. And the put butter and salt on their porridge instead of sugar or syrup!


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## Bangbang (Aug 9, 2004)

*Re: Need Your Advice about this one*



			
				cooking=love said:
			
		

> Here's my problem,
> My Sister made a vacation trip to England and Scotland. She brought me back a can of Haggis. I don't know what to do with it!? I am pretty adventurous but this really scares me. I am afraid to even open it, I don't know what I am going to see.
> I might consider trying something like that if over there in a restarant, but canned? I am sure she meant well.
> Thanks for any advice you all have for me. I appreciate it.



I would dump it. I am adventurous too but I have seen it made and have decided not to try it. Canned :?:  :?:  :?:   Yuck :?: The other day I tried some canned creamed peas. I took one bite and tossed in in the garbage. One of the worse things I have ever tasted.


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## Barbara L (Aug 9, 2004)

*Re: Need Your Advice about this one*



			
				cooking=love said:
			
		

> Here's my problem,
> My Sister made a vacation trip to England and Scotland. She brought me back a can of Haggis. I don't know what to do with it!? I am pretty adventurous but this really scares me. I am afraid to even open it, I don't know what I am going to see.
> I might consider trying something like that if over there in a restarant, but canned? I am sure she meant well.
> Thanks for any advice you all have for me. I appreciate it.


You could serve it to your sister when she visits!  lol  Or you could do what I would probably do--bury it far from home!  I've never had it, but I've heard enough about it.

 Barbara

P.S.  Is your sister a jokester?  Did she bring it back as a joke or was she serious?


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## Jermosh (Aug 9, 2004)

I would just keep it as a novelty item. I am not sure what it would taste like though. But if you want to try it, I would fry it like corned beef hash.


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## cooking=love (Aug 10, 2004)

I don't think she was joking...she said that she thought I was the only one she knew brave enough to try it. I don' t  think I am.


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## kyles (Aug 10, 2004)

Canned green peas are a staple food in Lancashire!!! Fish and chips and mushy peas. I can't eat them either, unless I have drunk a lot of beer!!!


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## kitchenelf (Aug 10, 2004)

bangbang - I never knew there was such a thing as canned creamed peas.  When I was little Bird's Eye made frozen creamed peas with little cubes of potatoes and I loved them - but I haven't found them in years (I mean YEARS) and when I tried to make them one time they weren't even close - and gosh, how can one get close to processed food? LOL

I don't know what Haggis is and apparently I don't want to know     The only thing that comes to mind is Haggard (sp?) in the Harry Potter books, and that's not that great either!  

I'm just trying to be brave enough to look it up?

kyles - I was making mushy peas before I knew they were an actual dish!  It was a good way to get vegetables down.  I also do the same thing but boil carrots along with the potatoes and lightly mash everything together.  They're good too!


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## kyles (Aug 10, 2004)

Difference is, I bet your mushy peas taste nice. Ours are made from a dreadful blue thing called marrow pea, then soaked, boiled, mushed, tinned, not nice at all!!!! Oh and heavily salted and doused in vinegar once re heated!!!


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## kitchenelf (Aug 10, 2004)

ewwwwwwww


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## Dove (Aug 10, 2004)

*Haggis*

A haggis is a small animal native to Scotland. Well when I say animal, actually it's a bird with vestigial wings - like the ostrich. Because the habitat of the haggis in exclusively mountainous, and because it is always found on the sides of Scottish mountains, it has evolved a rather strange gait. The poor thing has only three legs, and each leg is a different length - the result of this is that when hunting haggis, you must get them on to a flat plain - then they are very easy to catch - they can only run round in circles. 
After catching your haggis, and dispatching it in time honoured fashion, it is cooked in boiling water for a period of time, then served with tatties and neeps (and before you ask, that's potatoes and turnips


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## cooking=love (Aug 10, 2004)

Nigella Lawson makes mushy peas look really good. She puts lots of butter! I like watching her she's neat. I love how she doesn't fuss she just cooks.


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## lindatooo (Aug 10, 2004)

I have a good friend who is British and loves mushy peas....can't imagine it myself!


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## lindatooo (Aug 10, 2004)

Cooking!  Food 911 tonight is about Haggis!  What great timing!  After reading the recipe...well...I'm pretty adverturous as well but count me out!


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## kitchenelf (Aug 10, 2004)

When I make mushy peas (or at least my version) I use the canned sweet peas.  Just make mashed potatoes and then add the peas and give them a good stir.  I can't imagine going through what kyles described! LOL


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## ironchef (Aug 10, 2004)

That was very interesting about the haggis. I had thought that "haggis" only refers to the traditional stuffed sheep's stomach dish.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 1, 2005)

moved to Ethnic Forum


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## Ishbel (Jun 1, 2005)

Dove
Tsk, tsk.... don't you realise that there are people out there who will BELIEVE your folk tale?!  

As for the tinned haggis.  The only time I tried it was in the USA.  BLECH!!!!!  Avoid at all costs!

Although many will doubt my assertion, haggis is great.  BUT, I know where mine is made (my local butcher - whose family has a farm not 10 miles away from his shop).....


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## jpmcgrew (Jun 1, 2005)

Never have I heard anything good about haggis.
Maybe you could get someone to try it on a bet at a party after they have had plenty of beers.
Or serve it as an appetizer and dont tell anyone what it is and see what happens.


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## Constance (Jun 1, 2005)

It has OATMEAL!


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## Ishbel (Jun 1, 2005)

And you think of yourselves as gourmands...?  Pshawwwww...... 

If I have managed to bring mysel to try Durian fruit and other delectable foodstuffs....  you lot are WIMPS


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## Constance (Jun 2, 2005)

The one eighth of me that is Scottish might like it...


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## Ishbel (Jun 2, 2005)

What about the other seven eighths, though?


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## Ishbel (Jun 17, 2005)

Hmmm - the last two posters will consider that they are giving deadly insult to my national dish, I hope? 

For a nation that eats grits, scrapple, loose meat etc....  well, I think it's a case of kettle, pot and black!!!


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## GB (Jun 17, 2005)

I think we need to keep this on a positive note and remember what all of our mothers have told us a million times...

If you can't say something nice... 

I have never tried haggis, but I saw it being prepared once on one of Tony Bordains shows. I have to say that the thought of some of the organ meats is hard for me to handle, but I think it would taste good if I could get past the mental part of it. I will definitely try it if it were put in front of me.


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## Ishbel (Jun 17, 2005)

Seriously, it is NICE!  But the tinned stuff is nasty... blech


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## Shunka (Jun 17, 2005)

I think there are many that would like it if they did not know what they were eating at the time. I admit that I am like that at times. I had haggis once when I was a small child and it was not bad. Of course it was made by a true Scot; I think that is what made the difference.


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## Robo410 (Jul 8, 2005)

I also am well versed in haggis and other British sausages and pates.  They are differently spiced than American pork sausages.  And a Haggis is made from lamb parts, so the flavor is quite different, plus it is usually steamed, where most Americans would prefer such items fried in a pan or grilled.Pretty much haggis is "lamb scrapple" using oatmeal instead of whole wheat and corn meals.  A butcher made one is very fine (but I do like it fried up!) A "tinned one" would be not so good.  Keep it as a door stop.


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## TomW (Jul 9, 2005)

My wife & I once attended a semi-formal dress Scottish event at the local civic center.  I forget the exact focus, but the event was replete with bagpipes, kilts, and a processional for "bringing in the haggis".

Also seated at our table was an older, scholarly-looking gentleman who was apparently married to one of the event's (Scottish) organizers.  He declined the haggis when the server got to him.  After everyone was served, and I was getting ready to try haggis for the first time, I asked him why he declined.  With a knowing smile he said, "I know what's in it".

Not something I could eat every day, but thought the haggis was good.   

Tom


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## SousWee (Jul 9, 2005)

From what I understand, canned Haggis is nothing like fresh Haggis, so you wouldn't be getting the true "Haggis experience" from it


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## Bee (Jul 9, 2005)

Haggis, neeps and tatties is one of my all time top 10 favourite meals. Haggis is delicious - rather like a sort of peppery sausagemeat. Is offal not favoured in America then?

Like tinned haggis, tinned mushy peas are dire and proper dried peas are a whole different ball game. I've no doubt that 'real' American hot dogs are a world away from some of the offerings we get here....


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## GB (Jul 9, 2005)

Bee said:
			
		

> Haggis, neeps and tatties is one of my all time top 10 favourite meals.


What are neeps and tatties? I don't know what they are, but I like the way it sounds


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## amber (Jul 9, 2005)

I asked my british hubby what haggis is and he said stuffed sheeps stomach and oatmeal.  When asked if he tried it, he said NOPE.  This coming from a man who eats steak and kidney pie!  Im not much into organ meats at all.  I've tried beef liver, and chicken liver, thats as far as I go.  I quite liked chikens livers with onions actually.


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## Ishbel (Jul 9, 2005)

Neeps is mashed Swede (don't ask me HOW we corrupted Swede to 'neeps) or I think it is known in the US as rutabaga

Tatties is just mashed poh tah toes.....  Tattoes - tatties...

Amber, I'm assuming your British husband is English or Welsh?  Cos no British person of Scots derivation would admit they didn't like Haggis (even if they didn't!)

Unfortunately, most of the stuff available in the US is tinned - which kind of defeats the object, as the US Agriculture folk insist it is pasteurised (or some such process)... weird from a county which boast scrapple as a dish!


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## Robo410 (Jul 9, 2005)

most of our "sausages" derive from Roman cooking, and haggis can be traced to such a recipe.  As can scrapple.  Obvoiusly local ingredients change flavors and local cooking methods do to.  But a frugal people don't waste any part of the animal so that which was too tough or too small (little strips of meat) were ground up with meal and stuffed into something.  Offal (inards or organs) are quite wonderful fresh.  In America, often the liver is frozen and that really changes the texture and the taste.  But Liver with bacon and onions, or with a tomato sauce is quite wonderful, medium rare.
Kidneys are not done much in the US but a few restaurants can serve them and my mom from British Columbia introduced me to them early in life.  A steak and kidney pie is the richest beef stew you'll ever eat.  awesome.  and on it goes.  properly prepared it is all quite wonderful.  Eel anyone??


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## Ishbel (Jul 10, 2005)

I don't eat kidneys - afraid they smell a little 'wild' to my nose.  

But, eels - I like.  I love the smoked eels from the Kiel Canal in Germany...   yum.  Can't stand the English stewed eels with loads of jelly and mash potatoes...


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## pdswife (Jul 31, 2005)

We went to the Scottish Highland games today and had 
Haggis for the first time.  I thought it was really good.   
I need to find a good recipe and try making it.

steak and kidney pie too.  It must be good!!


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## Ishbel (Aug 1, 2005)

See...... and people laughed when I said it was good!!!


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## pdswife (Aug 1, 2005)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> See...... and people laughed when I said it was good!!!



I've been in Greece and had goat brains.  I
wouldn't laugh at a lambs tummy.


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## GB (Aug 1, 2005)

pdswife said:
			
		

> I
> wouldn't laugh at a lambs tummy.


Of course not, you just laugh at the lambs jokes


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## pdswife (Aug 1, 2005)

GB said:
			
		

> Of course not, you just laugh at the lambs jokes


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