Burn's Night on 25th January is always a celebration in my house, not only as it reminds us of our heritage, but it's also my dad's birthday - he'll be 97 this year. He loves a wee dram, so pairing it with some Scottish food is a lot of fun. I've put together a few of our tried and tested favourites. Why not give one a go? And don't forget to toast the haggis (the Robbie Burns poem is too long to post in it's entirety).
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!
Slainte Mhath!
Balmoral Chicken
This dish is very easy to make and it's a delicious dish that is a great introduction to anyone trying haggis for the first time. I do know that a lot of people, especially Americans, are rather scared of haggis, this could be the dish which converts them!
This Scottish favourite is a really simple recipe that is perfect for entertaining. It's basically boneless and skinless chicken stuffed with haggis and wrapped in bacon.
Perfect for making in advance for fuss free entertaining too. We like this served with Rumbledethumps on the side and a whisky sauce (made with a finely chopped shallot sauteed in butter, a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, a slug of whisky and cream - heat until slightly thickened).
Ingredients
Chicken – boneless and skinless chicken breasts, about 200 grams each. 1 per person
Haggis - haggis is widely available in most supermarkets in the winter months. You will only need about ¼ of a haggis for this recipe.
Bacon - smoked streaky or belly bacon for flavour and to secure the chicken with the haggis stuffing.
Butter - salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter adjust the seasoning
Salt and pepper
Method
Wipe the chicken dry with kitchen paper and trim any pieces of fat.
Carefully make a slit in the chicken in the side of the breast about 5 centimetres or two inches in length.
Divide the haggis into four pieces and place each piece inside the chicken.
Chop the haggis, if needed, to stuff the chicken.
Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with two slices of the bacon and secure with a cocktail stick.
Place the chicken on the oven proof dish.
Melt the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds on high, or in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Use a pastry brush to cover the top of the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Check that the meat is cooked through by seeing if the juices run clear, when poked with a skewer, in the thickest part of the meat.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This makes the chicken easier to slice.
Remember to remove the cocktail sticks before serving!
Serve with a simple whisky sauce - chopped and lightly fried shallot, cream, Dijon mustard and whisky to taste warmed until a bit thickened.
Rumbledethumps
This is another dish which can be prepared well in advance, taking the stress out of entertaining. Similar to bubble and squeak, rumbledethumps are a traditional Scottish dish of buttery mash, cabbage/kale and swede (called neeps in Scotland), baked until golden brown and crispy. You can cook them earlier in the day and reheat in the oven – give them an extra 20 minutes or so from cold or less if using an air fryer.
Ingredients
To be honest I do this by eye rather than measurements, you want a bit more potato than swede, but if it helps, here's a suggestion:
600g/1lb 5oz large potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
400g/14oz swede (known as (neeps) in Scotland), peeled and chopped into large chunks
75g butter
250g savoy cabbage or kale, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated cheddar for the topping
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Cook the potatoes and swede in a saucepan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain well and return to the pan.
Heat 50g/2oz butter in a pan and gently cook the cabbage/kale for a few minutes, until the cabbage/kale is tender but retains its colour.
Add the cabbage to the pan with the potatoes and swede. Add the remaining 25g/1oz butter and crush together - you don't want this to be too smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the crushed vegetables into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until it's piping hot and golden-brown on top.
Haggis Pakora
This dish is a bit of a Scottish legend, and by using shop bought haggis it's very simple to make. It works with vegetarian haggis too, though I found that the end result was rather more crumbly. Serve with your favourite chutney or raita. It's an ideal way to use up any left over Haggis from your Balmoral Chicken.
This recipe is from Gary Maclean's Scottish Kitchen cookbook.
Ingredients
200g Haggis (if you buy a gluten-free one, the whole recipe is suitable for gluten intolerant people)
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 packet of baby spinach, shredded
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, shredded
1 green chilli, finely diced
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon tandoori masala powder
salt and pepper
200ml cold water
300g gram flour (chickpea flour).
Oil for frying
Sliced red onion and pinch of garam masala for garnish
Small bowl of water for the pakora preparation
Method
Place the haggis, vegetables and herbs into a large bowl
Add the spices, salt and pepper
Add about 200ml of cold water to the bowl
Mix together using your clean hands
Gradually add the gram flour. You want a sticky consistency, more of a paste than a batter. Add more gram flour if necessary.
To cook, get your oil to about 165C or 330F. You will need to fry slowly to cook the vegetables and the gram flour.
Wet your hands in the bowl of water and form a golf ball size of the mix, flatten it and place carefully into the hot oil. Do this until all the mix has been used up, and each pakora is golden and crispy.
Remove onto kitchen paper to absorb excess oil
When ready to serve, plate up and top with a little of the sliced red onion and a sprinkle of garam masala.
Roast Venison Haunch
Venison is such a beautiful tender lean meat, which always feels like a luxurious treat. Deer are abundant in the Highlands, so this feels like an alternative Sunday roast.
Ingredients
1.3 kg venison haunch
25 g thyme
2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
16 juniper berries
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
1 onion
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
300 ml beef stock
100 ml red wine
Method
Scrub the carrots and celery and peel the onions. Cut the vegetables into even sized chunks and place in a deep roasting dish.
Pat the meat dry with paper towel. Use a sharp knife to make slits at regular intervals all over the meat.
Poke a sprig of thyme and a juniper berry deep into each slit.
Smear the butter over the meat and sprinkle over the salt and pepper.
Put the meat on top of the vegetables in the dish.
Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F / 200 FAN / Gas 7 and cook for 20 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 for 10 minutes per 500g for a medium roast or 15 minutes per 500g for medium to well done.
Transfer the meat to a warm dish and loosely cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes.
Add the wine to the roasting dish over a medium heat.
Use a wooden spoon to loosen any crispy bits and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly.
Add the red currant jelly and the beef stock then tip into a blender and process until smooth.
Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and bring to simmer.
Carve the meat into thick slices and serve with the gravy.
Cranachan
This is another famous Scottish dish, it's roots are actually in a breakfast dish made using Crowdie Cheese. Cranachan is Scottish Gaelic for 'churn', originally a celebration of harvest, consumed with raspberries when in season, but now served throughout the year. This is a simple, yet delicious dessert.
Ingredients
85g porridge oats
50ml whisky - smokey whisky such as Laphroaig works really nicely in this dish
50g honey
565ml double cream
150g raspberries - reserve a few for a garnish
Method
Place the oats in dry frying pan and lightly toast them. Once you get a little colour, add the whisky. Next, add the honey and remove from the heat. Leave to cool - do not mix this into the cream mix whilst still hot.
Whisk the cream into soft peaks
Once the oat mix is cool, fold in the raspberries and whipped cream.
Spoon into serving dishes - I like to use glass ones
Garnish with the reserved raspberries.
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