Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
1 large swede, about 800g, peeled and diced
1.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 x 375g sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
75g butter
3 tbsp milk
1 x 454g haggis
100ml whisky
2 tbsp chopped parsley, optional
For the gravy
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp tomato purée
600ml chicken stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grain mustard
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Prepare to the end of step 5 up to 24 hours ahead. Allow an extra 10-15 minutes cooking time, to heat through completely from chilled.
Start off by cooking the swede and potatoes in separate pans of salted boiling water until tender. The swede will take 30-35 minutes, the potatoes about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, use the pastry to line a deep 23cm tart tin or metal pie dish, rolling it out a little further first if needed. Trim off the excess, prick the base, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5.
Drain the swede and potatoes and return them to their separate pans to steam dry for a couple of minutes. Add 25g butter and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg to the swede, and 40g butter to the potatoes, along with the milk. Mash the potatoes first, followed by the swede, seasoning to taste. Leave to cool slightly.
Place the tart case on a baking tray, and line with crumpled baking paper. Add some baking beans, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Lift out the beans and paper then return the tart tin to the oven for 10 minutes until the pastry looks crisp and dry. Remove from the oven.
Crumble the haggis into a bowl and mix in 50ml of whisky, and the parsley if using; stir to combine. Spoon into the tart case and press down to make an even layer. Add the swede as the next layer, followed by the mashed potato. Rough up the surface and dot with the remaining 10g butter.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and piping hot in the centre; cover with foil if it is browning too much.
Meanwhile, for the gravy, cook the onions in the oil in a medium pan for 8-10 minutes until soft. Turn up the heat, sprinkle in the sugar and cook until starting to caramelise. Stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat and gradually blend in the stock. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until thickened. Leave to bubble for 10-15 minutes on a low heat. When ready to serve, add 50ml whisky, the Worcestershire sauce and mustard, and season to taste. Strain if you wish, then serve alongside the tart.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A BURNS SUPPER? Everyone enjoys a hearty Burns Night meal (which includes haggis, neeps and tatties, rounded off with drams of whisky), some of Burns' poems and songs are recited and tributes are made to the great Bard.
Haggis is traditionally served with tatties and neeps. For the non-Scots amongst us, "tatties" are mashed potatoes and "neeps" are mashed swede. To make things more confusing, swedes are known by many other names depending on where you are from. They are sometimes called yellow turnips and known as rutabaga in America.
While it is eaten all year round, haggis is particularly associated with Burns Night, when it is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (Scots: swede, yellow turnip or rutabaga and potatoes, boiled and mashed separately) and a "dram" (i.e. a glass of Scotch whisky).
Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties; mashed swede and potatoes. Some people also like to serve haggis with a little dram of whisky – the earthy, warmth of the spirit is delicious with those rich meaty flavours.
Today, the haggis that is widely available in supermarkets and served commonly in restaurants is made from either lamb, beef, pork, or sometimes venison. The stomach has been replaced with artificial casings.
Haggis imports into the United States were prohibited in 1971 as part of a ban on the consumption of all livestock lungs. Authentic versions of old school haggis remain culinary contraband in the US, as hard to lay your hands on as Cuban cigars.
Meat is much easier to store, carry and to cure than the 'pluck' (or offal) - all that yummy stuff that comes out of the body cavity like the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. And then of, course there is the blood, another valued ingredient, but is not used in making haggis.
Neeps are what Scots, Irish and a lot of Northern English people call turnips - ie the big orange veg. Others call those a swede. The wee white ones - whether you call those a turnip or not - are not part of a 'neeps and tatties' recipe.
Traditionally a Clan Chieftain or Laird may have had an animal or two killed for a particular feast, the offal being passed to the slaughterman as his payment. Haggis was always a popular dish for the poor, cheap cuts of nourishing meat that would otherwise have been thrown away.
Heart and lungs will provide some iron, zinc and selenium and the oats included in haggis will contribute to fibre intake. It's important not to over indulge in haggis as it tends to be high in fat and saturated fat as well as high in salt, so be mindful of the portion size.
It's made from 'sheep's pluck' - the finely chopped liver, heart and lungs, mixed with oatmeal, suet, herbs, spices and seasoning, packed into a natural casing (traditionally sheep intestines), which is not eaten, then boiled.
Haggis has an earthy, gamey flavor due to the offal; the oats give it nutty flavor as well.The liver in the mix also lends of bit of a classic paté flavor. Haggis is scooped out of the casing when served and has a crumbly texture. Even in Scotland, haggis is an acquired taste.
Pour it on (anoint) the haggis or drink alongside. I like the taste of haggis and prefer it enhanced by whisky rather than overpowered by it. So I'd go for an elegant blend like Cutty Sark or perhaps BNJ (Bailie Nicol Jarvie) I'd keep the malt for drinking alongside!
And as for the dubious habit of pouring neat whisky over haggis, we can only assume that has been a necessity when faced with extremely inferior haggis! Without sounding unpatriotic – we suggest that haggis should have a fling or two with a pint of beer.
Nothing compliments a great haggis better than a good whisky! Scotland's National dish and Scotland's finest whisky are combined in this haggis to produce Stahly Quality Foods' Whisky Haggis.
And it's in Scotland that the word dram was first used to describe a glass of whisky. It isn't an official measurement; a dram is most often referred to as “any amount of whisky that you could swallow in one mouthful.” The word originates from the ancient Greek word drakhme, used in reference to coins.
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Prep time: 45 mins
