Haggis - It’s What’s for Dinner
Scotland was the name of the game for my husband’s birthday this year. His family and I got him a kilt in his clan’s tartan, I got him Scotch, and yes, canned haggis. Now, haggis has a bad reputation in most circles (we’ll talk about this more, later), but we had it on our honeymoon in Scotland and fell in love with it. So I used this canned haggis, took the pie recipe from a few weeks ago, and turned it into a haggis, neeps, and tatties pie. And just for spòrs, I added a dash of Laphroaig into the filling for added depth and gaminess!
Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties Pies
Haggis, the national dish of Scotland, can be an acquired taste. It’s made from the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep or cow, minced and mixed with suet (fat) and oatmeal, and seasoned. The mixture is then boiled in a sheep’s stomach. Still with me? Great.
The true origins of haggis are debatable. Some say it came to Scotland by way of Vikings and others say it dates back to pre-historic times. Whichever way you….mince it, haggis arose from the need to use every part of the animal and eliminate unnecessary waste. Haggis is traditionally served with a side of neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). So naturally, I diced up these lovely root vegetables and tossed them in the mix as well!
Occasions: Satiating post-rugby match hunger, a warm meal during a cold winter’s evening, and a celebratory dinner after a successful castle-storming.
Pairings: pint of Guinness or a dram of peaty Scotch, such as Talisker
For the Pie Crust:
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, chilled and diced
1/2 c (8 tablespoons) shortening, chilled and diced
1/2-3/4 c cold water
Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Scatter the pieces of butter and shortening over flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles corn meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup water over the mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until dough sticks together. If the dough is too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time (better that the dough is too wet than dry). Divide the dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (can chill up to 3 days).
For the Haggis, Neeps, & Tatties Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/8 c chicken broth
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Salt and pepper, to taste
14 ounces canned haggis
1 ounce Laphraoig (or other peaty Scotch)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions to the skillet and sauté until caramelized and edges are browned. Sprinkle flour over, and combine with a wooden spoon. Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the diced turnip and potato, sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 30 minutes.
Add the haggis and Scotch and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature.
Pie Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Remove the chilled dough from the refridgerator and place on a generously floured surface. Roll out one of the disks very thin (~ 1/8-inch thick). For the bottom crust: cut out 6-inch circles. Fit the dough circles in a muffin tin, leaving the overhang. For the top crust: Roll out remaining dough disk and cut out 4-inch circles.
Fill the bottom crust generously with the meat and vegetable filing. Brush the overhanging dough (from the bottom crusts) with water and lay the top crust disks over the filling. Fold the overhang over the top crust and crimp with your fingers to seal. Cut slits in the top of each pie to create vents. Brush top of each pie with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 1 hour, rotating the pan midway through baking.
*6 pies (2-3 servings)
