Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

Serves 4

A quick and easy cheatie haggis recipe made with ingredients available in the USA. Quantities for the spices are very approximate, adjust to your own taste.

• 1 lb ground lamb.
• ¼ lb or more of calf’s liver (or beef liver) [optional]
• 80g oats (preferably pinhead), adding enough for good texture
• 50g tub of lard (or butter)
• a small onion, or half a large onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds
• 8 cloves
• some mace [optional]
• half a nutmeg, grated with a nutmeg grater
• small stick of cinnamon, broken up a bit
• 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• some oil e.g. olive or canola
• about 8 tablespoons of beer (or water)
• rutabaga (USA) or turnip (UK, elsewhere), peeled, boiled, mashed with some butter and milk (or cream).
• chives [optional]
• potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed

1. Toast the oats under 350°F / 180°C grill until darkened, or in a dry frying pan.
2. Pre-heat overn to 350°F / 180°C.
3. Make the neeps (rutabaga) and tatties (potatoes) by peeling them, boiling them and mashing them with some butter and milk (or cream). Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
4. Toast all the spices (coriander seeds to black peppercorns in the list above), let them cool a little, then grind.
5. Mix the ground spices, oats, lard (or butter), onions, salt and minced meat together
6. Add enough beer or water to get a moist consistency, then form into 4 oval balls (as pictured) and coat them with a little oil.
7. Place on a baking tray and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F / 63°C, around 30 minutes (but the actual time will vary a lot depending on your oven). Aim to get a bit of a crust on the outside, but make sure they are fully cooked right in the centre by opening one up to check, or by using a temperature thermometer.
8. Serve with the neeps and tatties and scatter a few finely chopped chives on top.
9. Ask someone to read the Address to a Haggis before eating.
10. Enjoy with a glass of Scottish whisky.