The first time I ever tried haggis was a couple of years ago with my mother. I decided to try a little bit and surprisingly, I liked it. I, along with a good number of people get a little queasy when thinking about what exactly goes into haggis (as well as black pudding!). Sadly, haggis isn’t a furry little animal running around the Scottish hills but is in fact traditionally sheep’s stomach stuffed with diced sheep’s liver, lungs and heart, oatmeal, onion, suet and seasoning. Sounds pretty… right? Exactly. And that is why, according to Sykes Cottages, almost two thirds of people would never normally order haggis in a restaurant. The thought of all the ingredients mashed together may put you off as it did myself, but it does in fact taste lovely. Haggis is rather spicy with a crumbly texture.

Sykes Cottages want to help change people’s perceptions of haggis and have launched the Inaugural Sykes Cottages Haggis Championships to help convert people. They asked me to take part in the competition to come up with a recipe to tempt first timers into trying the delightful but intimidating Scottish dish. After racking my brains out trying to come up with a perfect ‘Introduction to Haggis’ dish, I settled for two. Both are perfect for first timers and if you are feeling a little scared, these are perfect. One is aimed more as a starter and the second is a main course which can be served on its own or with a red meat like lamb or venison. 

Haggis Bon Bons with Homemade Chilli & Garlic Jam

For the Bon Bons:

• 500g MacSween Haggis
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 Cup Plain Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper (I chose a mix of pink and black)
• 1 cup of Panko Breadcrumbs
• Handful of Rocket Leaves

For the Jam:

• 500g Chopped Tomatoes (you can use fresh ripe ones or a can of chopped tinned)
• 5 Red Chillies, you can either deseed these if you want a weaker jam or keep the seeds for extra spice
• 4 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 inch of Ginger, roughly chopped
• 100g of Caster Sugar
• 25ml of Balsamic Vinegar (or Red Wine Vinegar)

Method:

For the Jam:

1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, chillies and ginger into a food processor and blend until it reaches a purée consistency
2. Pour the purée into a sauce pan with sugar and vinegar and mix well.
3. Bring to the boil while slowly stirring. Once it has reached boiling point, reduce the heat on the pan and simmer for approximately 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Spoon the jam into a bowl (or a jar) and set aside to cool.

For the Bon Bons:

1. Heat oil in a deep fat fryer to 190 degrees.
2. Slice the Haggis into equal slices and then half each slice.
3. Roll each half slice into a ball and dip into the flour then egg then breadcrumbs. The trick is to keep one hand for the wet mixture and the other for the dry. Otherwise your hands turn into a huge gloopy mess!
4. Repeat until all the haggis has been rolled into the breadcrumbs then pop them into the fridge to firm up for 15-20 minutes
5. In small batches, drop them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
6. Serve three or four bon bons on a plate with a teaspoon of jam under each bon bon and some rocket salad for good measure.

Haggis Won Tons with Red Wine & Wholegrain Mustard Sauce

For the Won Tons:

• 500g MacSween Haggis
• 2 Egg Yolks, mixed to form an egg wash
• Won Ton Wrappers (from any Chinese supermarket, I go to Mr Lim’s on Cambridge Street in Glasgow)

For the Red Wine & Mustard Sauce:

• Small tub of Crème Fraîche
• 1 tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard
• 1 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
• 4 Button Mushrooms, chopped
• 35ml Red Wine

Method:

For the Won Tons:

1. Place a teaspoonful of Haggis in the middle of each won ton wrapper and gently glaze around the border with your egg wash
2. To wrap the Won Tons, bring one end of the wrapper into the middle and with your other hand, pinch the rest of the wrapped into the middle until it’s all neatly together in a concertina-esq fashion. There is no wrong or right to this, you can really wrap them how ever you feel.
3. Place the Won Tons into boiling seasoned water for four minutes until cooked. Once cooked, place onto a plate so they do not continue to cook in the water. If you don’t, they can go soggy and you don’t want that!

For the Red Wine & Mustard Sauce:

1. Fry the chopped mushrooms in a pan with a little butter. Once browned, add both mustards.
2. Add a tablespoon of crème fraîche and a little red wine, ensuring the mushroom and mustards have been incorporated. 
3. Add more crème fraîche and red wine in batches until you reach a slightly runny consistency. You don’t want the sauce to be too thick or too runny. You do not need to use all of the crème fraîche, it really just depends on your individual taste or how many you’re making. 
4. Once made, drizzle over the Won Tons.

Are you converted yet? Have you ever tried haggis? If you have tried haggis, what’s your favourite way to eat it?