Haggis Neeps and Tatties Recipe

Haggis Neeps and Tatties - Easy Scottish Comfort Food

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish and is eaten on Burns night to celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns.

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Burns Night is held on the 25th of January, to celebrate his birthday.

So, what is haggis?

Haggis is a kind of savoury sausage pudding consisting of heart, liver, and lungs, (I know) 😨 all minced together with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt.

I believe haggis is banned from being imported into the USA because it contains lungs.

Traditionally this mixture is encased in the animal's stomach, although these days an artificial casing is often used instead - thank goodness! 😉 

Vegetarian?

Yes, you can buy vegetarian haggis! 

What are haggis neeps and tatties? 

Neeps

Neeps is the Scots word for a turnip (a little confusing as a turnip isn't a swede) a swede is a larger, yellow root vegetable. 

I wonder what the Scots call an actual turnip? 

I'm not trying to be funny, I truly don't know, so if you do then please let me know in the comments below!

Anyway, 'neeps' (swede) or rutabaga to those of you in the USA, is peeled, sliced and boiled in slightly salted water until it's nice and soft and then roughly mashed, you can add a little nutmeg if you wish.

Tatties

Tatties are simply mashed potatoes. I hate giving an amount of potatoes for mash, there are no set rules. I say make as much mash as you can eat! 😀

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

• 454g haggis - most can be cooked in the microwave (far easier) check the package instructions

• 1 x swede (rutabaga) 

• 800g potatoes - I used Maris piper potatoes plus you will need milk and unsalted butter to mash

• salt and pepper to season

Creamy mash is easy to make, especially if you use a potato ricer - you'll never have lumpy mash again!

Clapshot (an alternative to just swede)

Some people serve haggis with clapshot, a dish originating in the Orkney Islands.

Clapshot is a vegetable dish of swede if you live in England (turnip if you live in Scotland) and potatoes.

They are boiled, drained then all mashed together with butter and snipped chives stirred through for extra flavour.

Do you serve gravy with haggis?

It's entirely up to you, I love gravy, so went for it!

However, another is Chicken Balmoral - chicken breast is stuffed with haggis and then wrapped in bacon.

It is usually served with a whisky cream sauce - that's going on my never-ending list of recipes to try. 😋

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

haggis neeps and tatties recipe, how to make haggis neeps and tatties

main

Scottish

Yield: 3-4

Author: Jan Bennett

Haggis Neeps and Tatties Recipe

Serve with or without gravy - it's entirely up to you.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

• 454g haggis
• 1 x swede (rutabaga) - peeled and sliced
• 800g potatoes - peeled and cut similar-sized pieces
• salt and white pepper to season

Instructions

Cook the potatoes and swede separately.

1. Start with the swede as it will take longer to cook than the potatoes.
2. Add the swede to a large saucepan of salted cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for at least 45 minutes until it's nice and tender, swede tastes better the longer it is cooked. Drain the swede and mash it along with a little white pepper - you can always reheat it in the microwave.
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a large pan of generously salted cold water, then bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 10-12 mins until very tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Using the saucepan lid, drain the potatoes well and leave to steam-dry in the saucepan for a couple of minutes and then mash with a little milk and a good amount of butter.
5. Serve the haggis on a plate alongside the side dishes

How to cook the haggis in a microwave

1. Important - This is a raw product and must be fully cooked before consumption. Before cooking remove the haggis from the outer bag.
2. Remove the haggis from all packaging, including casing and metal clips. Slice into chunks and place in a microwavable dish. Cover with clingfilm, pierce film and cook on full power (1000W) for 3 minutes.
3. Remove the dish from the microwave and gently break up the haggis with a fork, re-cover with the clingfilm and return to the microwave to cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Once ready, carefully remove the film due to hot steam and serve.

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