Traditional (Almost) Haggis

fatboy's menu four

Haggis is revered as a national symbol of Scotland. Aficionados hold haggis contests and quarrel over recipes the way Texans fight over chili. Scots like to tell visitors the haggis is a small native animal that has adapted to Scotland's steep hills by growing legs shorter on one side. In fact, it's a logical food for people who once had to feed families on tight resources. Each winter, a farm family would sacrifice an adult sheep or two so the sparse grazing land could support the spring lambs.

Traditional (Almost) Haggis
Haggis	Traditionally, the haggis is made with a sheep's stomach as a casing. It is filled with oats, onions, spices and the other edible organs that are cooked first and then chopped up. These are called "pluck" (e.g, things plucked from the sheep carcass and include the "lights," or lungs). For all its strange look and lore, the haggis is basically a big, round, spicy sausage. If you have difficulty find the ingredients, you might try ordering from the internet. You can try McKeans or McSweens.
Ingredients	1 Sheep's stomach 1 Sheep heart 1 Sheep liver 1 Sheep's lungs (It is illegal in the U.S. and can be omitted from this recipe.) 1/2 lb fresh suet (kidney leaf fat is preferred) 3/4 cups oatmeal (NOT the Quaker Oats type purchased in most U.S. stores. The real, fresh and ground type oatmeal.) 3 onions (medium sized), finely chopped 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3/4 cup stock (chicken stock works well)
Cooking Instructions	Wash lungs and stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for about three hours. Turn the stomach inside out to prepare it for stuffing. Cover the heart and liver with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover it while it simmers for about 30 minutes. Chop the sheep heart (a fine dicing) and grate the liver (coarsely). Toast the oatmeal in a skillet, stirring frequently, until it is a rich, aromatic golden brown. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into the sheep's stomach until it is about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Keep in mind that the oatmeal will expand during cooking as it absorbs the juices. Press any air out of stomach and tie it up securely with a strong, clean, cotton thread (much like lacing up a shoe). Put the stomach into boiling water (making sure it is covered completely). Simmer for about three hours with no lid but adding more water as needed to maintain water level (covering the stomach). Puncture the stomach several times as it cooks with a sharp needle when it begins to swell (This keeps the stomach from bursting. A mess you want to avoid.). Place on a warm platter, removing the lacing (cotton thread).
Comments	Serves about six (eight if you add the lungs). Serve with a spoon. This dish is often served with "neeps and nips" which are mashed turnips and nips of fine Scotch whisky.

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