Making haggis from scratch

[mclean]

We recieved two bags from the farm, one with the lamb and the other with all of the organs:



Thankfully, the cooking station was outdoors. The odor was truly a thing to behold:





We brought the heart, liver and lungs to a boil and then simmered for about 45 minutes:



Here they are cooked. Cooked lungs have an amazingly soft and squishy texture:




We cut out the ventricles and tough squidgy bits:




And started grinding away:



Nothing makes haggis mixture more appetizing than a grainy low res camera:



We'd been soaking the bung this whole time:




We mixed in the three onions, suet (we used about 3/4 of a pound), organ stock, toasted oatmeal, and spices (salt, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, & black pepper... and quite a bit of it) and began stuffing the mixture in the bung, leaving room for expansion.




Three little haggis sacks:

[mclean]

A quick kilt change in preparation for the Burns Address:



We brought the haggis to a boil and then simmered for three hours:



Part way through the boil:



We used the larger haggis for the party, and took the other two home:



Our amazing friend piped out the haggis, followed by the Burns Address:




The cut open, finished product:



Showing off our wee beastie:



And then the rapture happened:



And considering we had the whole animal, as well as all of the organs, we had to find uses for the other "special bits." That's how we came to make white pudding... with a special ingredient.




It was not nearly as good as the haggis

[Joshua]

OUT-FLIPPING-STANDING!

Thanks for the pictures and commentary.

You mind sharing your recipe?

I'm guessing "pluck from one sheep" and spices... anything in particular?

[mclean]

Thanks so much, Joshua!

I followed Chrisupyonder's recipe, with a few slight variations:

1 each: sheep's lung, stomach, heart, liver
* 1/2 lb fresh suet (kidney leaf fat is preferred)
* 3/4 cup oatmeal (real Scots cut meal)
* 3 onions, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 3/4 cup stock

*I used one pluck, including the lung [if anyone needs a northern VA farm who is willing to give you lung, send me a PM]
*Closer to 3/4 or almost even nearly 1lb of suet - gross, but delicious
*Closer to 1 cup of pinhead oatmeal
*3 onions, very finely chopped - which seemed like way too much onion at the time, but really is worth it
*3/4 cup pluck stock

The biggest change was with the amount of spice
*I added 3 heaping tablespoons of pepper (I like a peppery haggis)
*1 tablespoon more or less salt
*1 teaspoon more or less cayenne
*1 teaspoon more or less nutmeg
*1 teaspoon more or less allspice

The cooking was identical, with 30-45 minutes cooking the pluck, and then 3 hours cooking the haggis.

I can't recommend using a bung (as most butchers do) enough, when it comes to stuffing the haggis. It makes the process easy and authentic looking. I got my bung from this company online:

http://www.sausagemaker.com/23300bee...outsideus.aspx

As far as the white testicle pudding goes... that recipe may die with me...


Best, William

[BEEDEE]

Outstanding explanation, thanks. And an especial thanks for the link to the bung, I've been looking for a good casing.

Brian

[chrisupyonder]

Looks like you all had a good time. Good idea to use the bung.

Chris.

[creagdhubh]

Wow, well done mate! I wish I could have been there to enjoy the delicious homemade haggis...yum!

Yours aye,

[mclean]

I shared the haggis with my family three days later, and reheating in the oven really works quite well. My father went back for fourths, and even my mother and girlfriend cleared their plates. That's bravery, in my book!

(Excuse the photos from last night - camera phone + dark inside)

[TheSp8]

Good pics of your process. The finished Haggis looks good. I've never used testicles in sausage though as I like them fried too well. I would like your recipe for that sausage just to play around with it.

YMOS,
Tony

[Doncarnage1143]

This is a great documentation of the process and it looks like all had fun. I will have to try your take on the recipe as it looks amazing. Well done