Scottish haggis savory pudding (Printable)

A hearty Scottish dish blending spiced meats, oats, and root vegetables for a rich, flavorful experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Offal & Meats

01 - 1.1 lb sheep's heart, liver, and lungs (or lamb/liver mince substitution)
02 - 0.44 lb beef or lamb suet, finely chopped
03 - 0.66 lb lamb or beef mince (optional for texture)

→ Grains & Binders

04 - 0.33 lb steel-cut oats, toasted

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

05 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped

→ Liquids

06 - 1 cup beef stock

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
08 - 1 tsp ground coriander
09 - 1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - ½ tsp ground allspice
11 - 1½ tsp salt

→ Casing

12 - 1 cleaned sheep's stomach or large sausage casing (or oven-proof pudding basin with foil cover)

→ Neeps & Tatties

13 - 1.1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
14 - 1.1 lb turnips (swede/rutabaga), peeled and cubed
15 - 0.11 lb butter
16 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse offal thoroughly. Place in large pot, cover with cold water, bring to boil. Simmer 1 to 2 hours until tender. Remove offal, reserve 1 cup cooking liquid if desired, cool, and finely mince.
02 - In large bowl, mix minced offal, suet, toasted oats, onions, and optional minced meat until combined.
03 - Pour in beef stock and reserved cooking liquid if used. Add seasonings and mix thoroughly to a moist, non-runny consistency.
04 - If using casing, rinse well and loosely fill with mixture allowing room for expansion. Secure ends with kitchen twine. If using pudding basin, spoon mixture in and cover tightly with foil.
05 - Place casing or basin in large pot of boiling water, water level below top. Simmer gently for 2 hours, maintaining water level.
06 - Boil potatoes and turnips separately until tender (20–25 minutes). Drain, mash each with butter, season with salt and pepper.
07 - Remove haggis carefully, allow to rest briefly, then slice open. Serve hot alongside neeps and tatties.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes impossibly rich and complex despite being made from humble ingredients that Scottish cooks have always had on hand.
  • Once you taste it, you'll understand why haggis has survived five hundred years and earned its place at every Burns Night table.
  • The combination of spiced offal, toasted oats, and tender suet creates layers of flavor that linger long after dinner ends.
02 -
  • The offal must simmer long enough to become truly tender, not just cooked through—rushing this step will result in a chewy, unpleasant texture that haunts the entire dish.
  • Don't overfill the casing thinking you're maximizing yield; haggis expands as it cooks, and an overstuffed one will burst mid-cooking, sending your mixture into the pot.
  • Toast your oats before adding them, even if it feels like an extra step; raw oats will taste raw and grainy, but toasted ones contribute warmth and depth.
03 -
  • If you can't find a sheep's stomach, don't skip haggis—a pudding basin covered with foil works beautifully and tastes identical, even if it looks less dramatic on the table.
  • Make this dish a day or two ahead if you can; the flavors meld and deepen, and you'll thank yourself on Burns Night when you just have to reheat and serve.
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