[Sca-cooks] Haggis: [Fwd: News of the Weird]

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Elizabeth A Heckert wrote:

> On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 09:39:57 -0400 "Philip W. Troy & Susan Troy"
> <troy at asan.com> writes:
>
> >. While I don't consider myself a real authority on the subject, I will
> state that
> >none of the dozens of haggises I have encountered myself have been gray,
>
> >and I would pit my experience against the non-experience of the
> >urban-legend-spreading journalists any day, canned-haggis aberrations
> >notwithstanding.
>
>     So what is good haggis like?  I had some at the Richmond Highland
> games and Bleeaahh!  I happen to love scrapple, although I haven't had
> any in years, and that was wonderfully spiced.  The haggis had all the
> qualities I despise in oatmeal:  bland, glutinous and heavy.  If it had
> been spiced a bit, I would have enjoyed it, and from scotch eggs to
> scones, the rest of the food at that fair is fantastic ... well maybe not
> the deep-fried Mars bars, but then I've never worked up the intestinal
> fortitude to try those ...
>
>     Elizabeth

The reason that Haggis made by most Americans is goopy and awful is because
they use American rolled oats.  Using steel-cut oats, the result is more like
the real thing, a kind of oatmeal dressing with lamb giblets.  I use plenty
of onions and a large pinch of sage as well as salt and pepper.  The color
can be improved with the addition of commercial browning or just by sauteeing
the organ meats onions and/or toasting the oatmeal before stuffing into the
paunch.   But any steamed pudding is going to have a generally pale color as
compared with baked or roasted products, just deal with it.

Selene, Caid