Haggis Neeps And Tatties Recipe

Christmas is over, my thoughts now turn to the New Year.  My thoughts, of course, involve food.  I've been thinking about putting together this recipe for a while.  I finally got around to it. You can make this recipe ahead of time.

Many myths abound around one famed savoury pudding. What savoury pudding??  Haggis. As the legend goes, the recipe was supposed to have originated from Scotland..WRONG.  According to a food writer (Historian Alan Davidson), haggis was being cooked upon the fires of the Ancient Romans.  Another myth is that the Scots consume tons of the sheep offal stuffed stomachs of farm animals, known to us as haggis.  WRONG! apparently, the English actually enjoy tucking into this boiled dish far more than their Highland brothers.  And lastly, the myth that vegans cannot eat it.  WRONG!  If you want to join in an age old tradition of eating haggis to ring in the New Year in the spirit of Hogmanay (what the Scots call New years eve), and/or gather with friends to eat and be merry for the anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet Robbie Burns each January 25th, I've just the recipe for you.  It is gluten free, too.  It is a great recipe that you are going to love!  

My recipe is made with tempeh. For those that don't know, tempeh has it's origins in Indonesia, here it is traditionally made from fermenting soybeans in a compacted or caked form. It is has no cholesterol, it is high in protein and fibre with a nutty flavour and chewy texture. It takes on flavours well and is really versatile. For this recipe I used a delicious garbanzo tempeh, for a soy-free haggis, made by a company in Texas called The Hearty Vegan. If you cannot get hold of this then any tempeh will work.

Haggis

1/3 cup lentils cooked

1 pkt tempeh (I used garbanzo tempeh by 

3/4 pinhead oats

grating nutmeg

5 cremini mushrooms

1 med white onion

1 tbs cilantro dried

1 tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp fresh marjoram

1 tsp fresh rosemary

1 vegtable bouillon in 2 1/2 cups of water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp freshly grated horseradish

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

2 tbs olive oil for sautéing

parsley rosemary marjoram

finely dice the onion. sauté in the olive oil.  add tempeh and break it down to crumbles with a fork

add the oats to allow them to toast slightly

add the bouillon, water, herbs, nutmeg, lentils, mushrooms, salt & pepper

Gently simmer for twenty mins. Keep a watchful eye on it, if the oatmeal gets too stiff during cooking add a little more water.

Allow to cool so the oats can absorb any remaining liquid and become drier.  You don't want a sloppy mess.

If possible, pop a lid on the pan and leave in the fridge (or a cool place) overnight to allow the flavours to fully develop.

Now you have two choices.  Place the mix onto foil to make a dome.  Cover with foil and seal the edges and roast for 30mins, cut open the foil at the lid and then bake for a further 10 mins uncovered.

or,

Heat oil in a pan and fry. Roasting is of course healthier and easier, no fry pans to scrub!

It is traditional to eat haggis with 'neeps' and 'tatties'.   The 'neeps' are turnips. This is a little confusing as the turnips are actually boiled and mashed swede. Just boil and then mash with a pinch of white pepper. 
The 'tatties' are, of course, mashed potatoes.  I made a creamy mash from cauliflower, parsnip and potato in equal quantities.  When cooked, about 20mins, sprinkle over some salt and then mash with lots of black pepper.  It needs nothing more. Delectable.

The following day (one of my favourite things) leftovers. Fry the haggis in oil.  Grab two slices of bread, spread a thin layer of vegan butter, spoon on some leftover mash and slather to cover to the edges.  Add a generous layer of the crumbly, crusted fried haggis, and then close it up with a slice of bread onto the top.  You can lift the lid and squeeze on a zig zag of mustard if you so desire.  Get ready with a napkin, it is a messy business, and sink your teeth into it.  The layers of flavour, the peppery swede, the fluffy mash and the chewy, savoury 'meaty' haggis, the hot and the cold things going on, are delicious! 

The perfect New Years Eve or New Years day dinner. If you can rustle up a kilted bagpipe player or two, all the better.

Happy New Year!! Of course, Auld Lang Syne was written by Burns himself.  No doubt you'll be singing it at some point.

As for 2014.  My hopes for thee? That you enjoy a great, nay utterly FABULOUS year.  To assist the deliverance of the nub of my wishes...as penned by Master Burns….

“Hope Springs Exulting on Triumphant Wing.”
― Robert Burns

and Lang may yer lum reek!  (Scottish for live long and happy).