Haggis....where do you stand on it?

[mopaul]

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. As far away as I can.....

Years ago, saw some in a shop window in Edinburgh. Gross looking stuff.

[Dob Bole]

3. Never had haggis

Only heard mention of it from Mike Myers. I will stay away.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. Yikes! I haven't eaten it.

Perish the thought!!!!

[Tripper11]

5. LOL..my reply is....

running away as fast as I can!!!! Bleah! And yes, I have tried it before.

[SOteric]

2. I think standing in the middle so it squeezes out both ends

makes kind of a nice, dramatic visual effect.

[rwheeler31]

4. What is it and why would you want to stand on it?

nt

[jmowreader]

26. How to make a Haggis

1 sheep's stomach
2 lb. dry oatmealÊ
1 lb. suet
1 lb. lamb's liver
2 1/2 cups stock
1 large chopped onion
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, Jamaica pepper and salt

Boil the liver. Parboil the onion. Mash together. Lightly brown the oatmeal, then stir everything together, pack it into the sheep's stomach, tie the ends, prick a few holes in it so it doesn't explode, and boil it for five hours.

Some recipes also call for hearts, lungs, windpipes...

On this haggis page, you learn that the Haggis is merely a large sausage made from oatmeal mixed with a variety of meats, spices and onions. And the sheep's stomach is not required if you can't get one. Which means you could make a haggis from hamburger, and that would taste pretty good.

But a traditional "all the shit no one else would eat" haggis? No thank you!

[PatGund]

34. Then there's Cajun Haggis

Cajun Haggis
Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients

      1    sheep's lungs (may be omitted if not available outside of louisiana.)
      1    sheep's stomach
      1    sheep heart
      1    sheep liver
    1/2 lb fresh suet (kidney leaf fat
      1    is preferred)
    3/4 c  oatmeal ( steel cut, not
      1    rolled oats)
      3    onions, finely chopped
      1 ts salt
    1/2 ts freshly ground pepper
    1/4 ts cayenne
    1/2 ts nutmeg
    3/4 c  stock

Instructions

Wash lungs and stomach well, rub with salt and rinse. Remove membranes and excess fat. Soak in cold salted water for several hours. Turn stomach inside out for stuffing.

Cover heart and liver with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop heart and coarsely grate liver. Toast oatmeal in a skillet on top of the stove, stirring frequently, until golden. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Loosely pack mixture into stomach, about two-thirds full. Remember, oatmeal expands in cooking.

Press any air out of stomach and truss securely. Put into boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours, uncovered, adding more water as needed to maintain water level. Prick stomach several times with a sharp needle when it begins to swell; this keeps the bag from bursting. Place on a hot platter, removing trussing strings. One can eat it at this stage, but we Creole Scots go a step further:

Heat the skillet red hot with an oxy/propane torch. Throw in chunks of the haggis, burning to a crisp on all sides. Serve on a bed of fresh green cayenne peppers. Eat with chopsticks.

Wine suggestion: Mulled Asti Spumante.

[flamingyouth]

6. My husband's family is Scottish

I'm glad that I have something to throw back at him whenever he brings up lutefisk. :eyes:

[madrchsod]

7. no thanks

i cant think of anything more disgusting other than some asian food. boiled nettles would taste better

[youngred]

8. ALL FOR IT

Yummy! :7


PS. Good to see you around these parts mopaul

[ironflange]

9. I figure if I stand on it,

it would prevent anyone else having to eat it.

[Aristus]

10. Just goes to show you how ridiculous some traditions can be.

Time was, the impoverished, thrifty Scots ate haggis because there wasn't nuthin' else. Now Scotland is prospering, just like the rest of the UK, and there are better things to eat now, so come ON! Sheesh!

[dae]

11. I'd rather let those bagpipes play Amazing Grace and be done with it.

:)

[supernova]

13. Yuckiest thing you've ever eaten

there was a long running thread in the old DU about "what's the nastiest thing you've ever eaten?"

I've never laughed so hard in my life at the replies in that thread. A real eye-opener!

Your post just reminded me.

As to the question, no I've never eaten it. Yuck!

[Burma Jones]

14. My Scottish Ancestors Emigrated to these shores

Just to stand as far away from that nasty looking shit as possible.

[clyrc]

15. I tried some two weeks ago

I thought it was delicious.

[Bertha Venation]

16. On the ends, otherwise it'll likely explode.

:shrug:

[bikebloke]

17. Tried it and liked it.

Last I was in Scotland, they were offering haggis at a fest along with tatties and neeps. So I gave it a go. It was good. Better than the neeps. Of course I was travelling around on a beloaded bike when food is petrol. So anything could have tasted tasty.

[alittlelark]

18. Tried it in Edinburgh

It was a MISTAKE:puke: :puke:

[RebelOne]

30. I tried it in Inverness. Really liked it.

I was on a tour to Loch Ness and the guide gave it to everyone. I was reluctant to eat it, but found it quite good. Of course, I wouldn't think of eating it now, since I have become a vegetarian.

[NightTrain]

19. Actually, I try *not* to stand on haggis.

It gets my shoes all messy! :silly:

[Deja Q]

20. Well, I always like to stand to the left of things...

(How else could I use the sadly worn out "it's not wise to stand on edible food" jokes. :D )

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. I think I'd be standing in the bathroom...or kneeling over the toilet

rather quickly. That looks like a giant slug. Blech!

[Screaming Lord Byron]

22. It's one of those jokes the Scots have played on the world, like bagpipes.

A real Trompe le Monde, that one.
For the record, The Proclaimers are another.

[ikojo]

23. I'll stick with gefilte fish!!

Yum, yum!

[arikara]

24. There is really good haggis and there is really bad haggis

There is an annual Robbie Burns event that I've gone to a couple times and the haggis that they serve is excellent, tastes similar to a very good turkey stuffing. Apparently, they fly it in from the best haggis maker in Scotland.

But my husband came home with a haggis that he bought from the grocery store and it was totally inedible. It tasted like boiled mushy moose liver and looked even worse.

[NoPasaran]

33. mmmmm Moose Liver

[RebelOne]

25. Had the real thing when I was in Scotland.

That was before I turned vegetarian. But I admit it was very tasty.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. I'd rather have a Bridie.

(Kind of a meat pie/fritter)

[gula]

28. Delicious if properly done

But of course I also like tripe, heart, brain ,sweetbreads, etc. although with BSE most of those are now out. :cry:

[rasputin1952]

29. UH..just let me say...

from my point of view...Thank God!

:evilgrin:

[EstimatedProphet]

31. I am pro-Haggis

FAIR fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

Robert Burns-To a haggis

[opiate69]

32. I'd love to try it sometime...

But I think I'd be best to stay away from that canned stuff in your post..

[alwynsw]

35. You have to try MY butcher's haggis!

(If you've been to Scotland, you understand.)

[Seldona]

36. Where do I stand on it?

Hopefully on consecrated ground, about 6 feet above where it is buried.

ICKY

:)

[sendero]

37. Despire my Scottish ancestry...

.... I don't care for 'variety meats'. I guess if I was really, really hungry I could eat the stuff :)

[Padraig18]

38. It is one of the most VILE culinary creations in history!

One must wonder if haggis was not first invented by a group of Celts driven mad by hunger who, looking about for some way to last a few more days finally said, "Well, I guess we could stuff the lungs into the stomach and boil it, until we find something fit to eat."

:P

[jmowreader]

39. No, one must not wonder that...

because it's exactly how haggis was invented.

Same deal with Rocky Mountain oysters, chitlins, escargots, pork brains in milk gravy..."yeah, you'll do."

[chocolateeater]

42. No the Picts invented it,

That's why there aren't any left.:evilgrin:

[ChoralScholar]

40. "I think it's repellant in every way.

Actually, I think most Scottish food is based on a dare."
-Mike Myers in "So I Married an Axe Murderer"

[Djinn]

41. personally I don't like it

but the ingredients are basically the same as in any sausage - offcuts and odds and sods wrapped in a casing - very few are served in sheeps stomach's these days usually just a sausage casing.

I always wondered whether my ancestors came up with whiskey to cover the taste of the awful food (not a lot grows in the rocky cold climes of northern scotland) or if because they were so sloshed on the whiskey they just ate anything?