Trad Burns Night

I have done many variations on a Burns theme- Vegan Burns, fusion Franco-Scots Burns, Burns Night out of a tin and Burns Supper leftovers. Just search 'haggis' in the list on the right hand side of this blog for a plethora of recipes.





This year, I decided to go traditional- with haggis, neeps and tatties and Cranachan for dessert.
A couple of problems though...would the haggis make it through security in my hand luggage?
As it turns out, yes, no problem. Nestled happily in a cool bag, ne'er an eyebrow was raised by the customs men. ( Well, perhaps Rabbie's ghost was guiding them as a former excise man himself)

Our village in the snow

Next problem- as we arrived in the Auvergne, so did the snow.
No chance of taking the little Peugeot to the nearest supermarket. It was the village store or nothing.

Loulou's Shop in sunnier times

We all moan about the village shopkeeper, with his out-of-date and overpriced stock- but when it snows..boy are we glad he's there.
He even had neeps.

So,with neeps, tatties and haggis I was ready for the main course and a pumpkin from the cellar gave us a warming soup accompanied by cheese scones.

Cheese Scones (makes 10)
225g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp fromage frais or natural yoghurt
60g butter
100g grated cheese
pinch salt
1 tsp mustard
milk to mix

1. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and butter in a food processor and blitz to crumbs ( or rub in with your fingertips)
2. Add the cheese, mustard and yoghurt and blitz to a soft dough, adding a little milk if too dry.

Scone dough in the processor

3. Tip out onto a floured board and press to a thickness of 3-4 cm.
4. Cut out rounds using a cutter or jar lid.

Cut out round shapes 3-4 cm thick

4. Place on a greased baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with either more grated cheese, paprika or seeds and bake at 175 degrees for 15 minutes or so until risen and golden.

Cheese Scones

I jazzed up the main course with an onion gravy:

1. Chop an onion or 2-3 shallots finely and place in a saucepan with a little oil, a knob of butter and a pinch each of sugar and salt.

2. Cover with a butter paper cartouche and leave to caramelize and soften.

Cover simmering onions with a butter paper

3. Add a tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 150 ml of red wine and boil for 5 minutes until reduced.

4. Add 250ml of water and leave to simmer until you are ready to eat.

5. Adjust seasoning and thicken with cornflour or gravy granules.

Glossy onion gravy

Pudding however gave me problem number 3.
Loulous store yielded no oats, no porridge, not even muesli. A frantic rummage in the larder netted me two packets of Oats so Simple and a bit of muesli..  Could they fix it? Yes, they could.

I toasted the various oats in the oven on a baking dish, mixed with 2 tbsp honey and a knob of butter.
For the Cranachan dessert, I whipped up 250 ml of whipping cream with a sachet of vanilla sugar and 2 tsp of whisky.
In dessert glasses, I layered up oaty crumbs, raspberries ( some peaches too as I didn't have a lot of raspberries left in the freezer) and whipped cream.
This was all topped off with more oaty crumbs and a few whole raspberries. Yum!

Cranachan

And so ends my annual  homage to the Scottish bard. I hope you've enjoyed the few extra recipes I have added here to enhance the usual triumvirate of haggis, neeps and tatties.

Now for a tot of whisky to toast the man himself... but which one to choose?

Slainte!

Veganuary 25th- Burns Night

I confess that in previous 'Dry Januaries' I have conceded defeat on the 25th. After all, Burns Night wouldn't be the same without a wee dram to toast the Baird, would it?
But with Veganuary- now, there's an easier challenge.
As, whilst some hae meat- you don't need to!

Burns Cottage in Alloway

My relationship with Rabbie is a complicated one- going back many years- to 1973 in fact, when I got my first summer job as a tour guide in his birthplace in Alloway.
Although I didn't appreciate him then, in my later years I have come to acknowledge the genius of this working class hero and champion of the Auld Scots language and folklore.
So, every 25th January I serve a traditional meal of haggis, neeps and tatties- and say the Selkirk Grace.

Well, when I say traditional.....

It's 2018, it's Veganuary- and we're having Clapshot Soup with Buckwheat and Dill Scones, Veggie Haggis Kofte with Neep and Tattie Falafel and Chilli Jelly followed by Whisky Shortbread. Ha! But a meal's a meal for a' that...

Clapshot Soup with Haggis Samosas
http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/clapshot

The Clapshot Soup I have made many times before on this blog- with any leftover roast root veg fried up with a tablespoon of curry paste and blitzed with a litre of strong vegetable stock to make a warming and spicy starter. You can make it a more substantial main the next day by adding some haggis samosas ( made from your leftover haggis ).

The Buckwheat and Dill Scones have a blini-like flavour (whch goes well with smoked salmon for non-veggies or with cream cheese -like AlproSoya)

Buckwheat and Dill Scones

120g plain flour

100g buckwheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp chopped dill

2 tsp mustard

150 ml soy milk approx (or natural yoghurt for non-vegans)

60g veg marge

1. Sift together the flours, salt and baking powder.

2. Rub the marge into the flour and add the chopped dill

3. Mix in the soy milk and mustard gradually with a knife, until you begin to have a soft dough

4. Bring the dough together on a floured board and roll out to about 3 cm thick

5. Cut out with a pastry cutter of your choice

6. Place on a well greased baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes until risen and golden.

Now for the main event- Haggis Kofte

Vegan haggis

MacSweens do a vegetarian haggis which they say is suitable for vegans too. I often make my own- but it is not vegan as it contains an egg: 

(recipe here http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/vegetarian%20haggis)

Go with whichever one you want.

Haggis Kofte
(Photo courtesy of Macsweens)

 You will need:

1 veggie haggis or 300g homemade haggis

1 finely chopped red chilli

100g fresh breadcrumbs

50g onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or coriander

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper and oil

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 6 sausages. Set aside in the fridge to firm up.

2. Soak 6 bamboo skewers in water and then thread the patties on to them.

3. Brush with oil and grill- or bake on baking paper at 175 degrees- until brown and sizzling.

Neep and Tattie Falafel

I make falafel with all sorts of veg- butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot- so why not neeps and tatties?

1. Roast 500g of  chopped swede (neeps), 100g cubed potatoes, 2 red onions (quartered) and 3 garlic cloves in a hot oven in a tbsp of veg oil, 1 tbsp coarse grain mustard and some salt and pepper until the veg are soft and caramelized.

Roasted root veg

2. Blitz to a puree 1 tin of chickpeas (drained) with 1 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander, the juice of a lemon and 2 tbsp olive oil.

3. Add the roasted garlic cloves and onion and pulse.

4. Mash the neeps and tatties or pass them through a ricer

5. In a bowl, combine the veg and chickpeas with 1 heaped tbsp flour, 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp each of powdered cumin, coriander and cinnamon and 1/2 tsp turmeric

Neeps, tatties and spices ready to mix

6. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste

7. Roll the falafel into balls or spoon onto a baking tray lined with baking paper

Neep Falafel ready for baking

8. Brush with oil and bake at 170 degrees until browned and beginning to crisp.

If they spread (like these have)- allow to cool briefly and then gently reshape.

(I sometimes like to cook these the day before and then give them a short second burst in the oven just before serving to make them even darker and firmer).

Wee sleekit falafel

I serve these with toasted pitta breads, hummus and chilli jelly.

Chilli Jelly

I use mild chillis - but you can up the heat and flavour by using hotter ones or more of them.
You will need 6-7 sterilised jars ( passed through a hot wash in the dishwasher and then placed to dry at 50 degrees in the oven until you need them.)
750g red, yellow and orange peppers
100g chilli peppers
50g fresh root ginger
350ml cider vinegar
1 kg sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
2 sachets vegegel or agar agar

1. Wash, deseed and roughly chop your peppers

Use a selection of peppers

2. Blitz in a food processor along with the root ginger
3. Bring to the boil in a large pan with the vinegar and lime juice
4. Add the sugar and simmer until dissolved

A colourful panful simmering

5. Bring to the boil for 6-7 minutes ( watching it carefully ) in case it boils over
6. Mix the vegegel or agar agar with a little cold water
7. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then whisk in the gel
8. Pot immediately into the hot jars, seal and label.

Chilli Jelly- perfect with haggis and neeps

Now for pud.

Whisky Shortbread is an easy accompaniment to whatever pud you choose. I usually make it with butter- but it is good made with vegetable margarine too for vegans.

Whisky Shortbread

The best shortbread is made with a ratio of 3:2:1 (eg. 300g flour, 200g butter or vegetable marge, 100g sugar). I like to replace 1 tbsp of the flour with cornflour to lighten it a little.
Just put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine. Add two caps of whisky and pulse until it comes together in a soft dough.
Turn out into a greased baking tin, press evenly to fill the space and bake at 150 degrees for 15 minutes or so until lightly golden. (Keep an eye on it, as you don't want it to overcook).
Once out of the oven, prick with a fork all over and mark into slices.
Sprinkle with vanilla sugar et voilà!

Time for that wee dram and a toast!

Some hate meat and girn and weep
Resisting all coercion
So bless the tatties, bless the neeps
And the vegetarian version

Then filled with fruits o' field and vine
And feelin' fairlie frisky
The One who water turned to wine
We'd ask to bless the whisky*

Cheers Rabbie!

*Veggie Selkirk Grace- extra verses by Richard Medrington

'Forgotten Vegetables'

The 25th January has come and gone for another year- and again we found ourselves celebrating Burns Night with French friends: this time in the Auvergne.

Although last year's Haggis Parmentier and whisky went down well in the South of France, this year the traditional triumvirate of haggis, neeps and tatties enjoyed even greater favour with our fellow Lavoutaises.* This is partly because the local hearty food is not dissimilar in many ways.


Gourmets from other parts of France, dismiss the cuisine of the Auvergne as 'peasant food' but, as a good Burns Supper shows, humble dishes should not be underrated.

In fact, vegetables like turnips, swede, squashes and heritage carrots are becoming very popular and indeed a bit trendy.
A stall at my local market in fashionable Cassis specialises in what are called 'forgotten vegetables'(legumes oublies), and they feature on many a restaurant menu in the expensive little streets of the port.

For Burns Night, I refined my Parmentier dish of last year by making individual portions in little dishes- just haggis, topped with mashed potato and grated emmental cheese and baked in the oven until golden- but well received.

Individual dishes of haggis

Topped with mashed potato and grated Emmental

Individual Haggis Parmentier

I accompanied these with purees of carrot and swede.

All three of these purees can enjoy a bit of an Auvergne makeover- the local speciality is Aligot- a delicious combination of mashed potato and Tomme cheese ( which is stretchy, creamy and slightly tart like a good Mozzarella). You can make this from scratch ( as in the recipe below) or use the cheese to jazz up leftover mashed potato by beating it in as you reheat.

Aligot:

Bring peeled mashing potatoes (like Maris Piper) to the boil, and then simmer until tender.
Drain and add a splash of milk, a knob of butter, salt and pepper, a grating of nutmeg and 125g of Tomme fraiche, cut into small pieces.

Aligot

Beat in vigorously with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted and the mixture beomes sticky and stretchy- it is ready to serve.

Carrots are another simple veg that can be made glorious with a few added ingredients- boil them until tender in stock rather than water, drain, add a knob of butter, plenty of salt and pepper and a good splash of cream. Puree in a food processor, adjust seasoning and serve.

Vibrant carrot puree

Swede are known as rutabagas or navets suedois (Swedish turnips) in France and until recently were very difficult to find (other than as animal fodder!) They are now having a bit of a renaissance - and I found a recipe which marries them with apple.

Swede and apple- a marriage made in heaven

The combination is excellent and you should try it.
Just slice and boil your veg and fruit, drain, mash with a potato masher and season with plenty of salt and pepper.

I came back with quite a haul of 'forgotten veg' last Friday from the market, and used them in a variety of ways.

My veggie basket

Firstly, I roasted them all in the oven for about an hour at 180 degrees ( peeled and chopped into even sized pieces, tossed in a little olive oil along with plenty of salt and pepper and 4-5 whole garlic cloves).

A colourful trayful

A lovely accompaniment to meat dishes.

Oven roasted 'forgotten' veg

The colourful leftovers went firstly into a soup, not unlike the Clapshot Soup I've featured after Burns Night before. Beware of using purple carrots in leftover dishes though as they do turn things a funny colour!

Clapshot Soup

I also made a Squash Risotto:

You need- leftover roasted squash (abut 150-200g), 200g short grain or risotto rice, 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock, 1 glass white wine, 2 leeks or small bunch of spring onions, 1 clove of garlic- crushed, 50g Boursin or other cream cheese with herbs.
Soften the garlic and leeks/onions in some olive oil.
Stir in the rice to coat the grains with oil.
Pour in the wine and bubble.
Add ladlefuls of hot stock as the mixture begins to dry- stir in and continue until the rice is tender
( about 15 minutes).

Stir in the cream cheese and serve with optional extra grated cheese (Parmesan or Emmental.)

Squash Risotto

Finally, back to haggis and I have an Auvergne version- no, although this is a hunting area, they haven't started trapping the little beasts there yet- this is a vegetarian version which uses the delicious Puy lentils from the region:

Grate 2 carrots then pulse together in a food processor- 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 50 g mushrooms, a pinch each of cayenne or paprika and salt, 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a grating of nutmeg, 2 cups of cooked Puy lentils, juice and zest of 1/2 lemon, a sprinkling of thyme and a small can kidney beans (drained and mashed). Tip into a bowl, mix in the grated carrot and add 1 egg and 50g of oats. Shape into patties and fry like little burgers.

Vegetarian Haggis- Auvergne style

Here's tae us!

* Lavoutaises is the name given to people who live in the village of Lavoute-Chilhac in the Auvergne.

Week 49- Burns Supper Leftovers

The great chieftain o' the puddin' race- dressed for battle!

The 25th January has come round again and Burns Night is upon us. We will be raising a glass to toast the Baird, and piping in the haggis this Saturday night.

This is as much in remembrance of my teenage years, growing up in the village of Alloway in Ayrshire, as it is a celebration of his poetry.

Smoked salmon starter

As last year ( see blog entry 'Here's tae us' ), we will be dining in Caledonian style with a Scottish seafood starter, (mussels or Orkney crab or smoked salmon with rye or soda bread), the main attraction- haggis, neeps and tatties, then a pudding of whisky cake with cream. All of these recipes are on the blog or in the cloud above.

Whisky cake

Soda bread

Scottish mussels

Rye bread

However, for this year's Burns blog, as you already have the recipes for the event itself,  I thought I would look at creative ways to use up the leftovers from the feast- so I'm making spiced clapshot soup with haggis samosas, followed by a haggis hash with crispy ham and eggs, and whisky cake pieces with cranachan topping.

The clapshot soup uses up the leftover root veg from your meal. I roast mine prior to 'bashing' for the 'neeps'- but if your leftovers are already bashed, that's even simpler.

Veg ready for the soup

I fry the root veg in a tablespoon of curry paste or powder and add 1 litre of strong stock (chicken is best but vegetable is OK if you're cooking veggie). Simmer for a short while (the veg is already cooked after all, you just want the flavours to mingle.) Blitz and serve with the samosas.

Spiced clapshot soup with haggis samosas

For the samosas, I use spring roll wrappers from the Chinese supermarket, but filo pastry is fine too.

Fold the square of pastry in half lengthways, put a  large teaspoon of haggis in the bottom right hand corner, fold over, then back on itself, and again, until you have a neatly wrapped triangle.
Brush the triangles with a little melted butter or Flora and a sprinkling of black onion seeds if you have them.

Place on a greased baking tray and bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes or so until golden.

You could make spring rolls if you prefer using the technique below.

Fold over top corner

Fold in sides and roll

Any remaining haggis is delicious combined with leftover mashed potato and fried in a little vegetable oil to make patties. The flavour is like a hash.
Top with some crispy grilled Prosciuttio and a poached or fried egg.

Haggis hash with poached egg and ham

For dessert, I took some of my leftover whisky marmalade cake, cut out rounds and topped with ice cream (I used creme brulee flavour and it went well) and some toasted oats, with extra whipped cream and whisky/honey syrup.

To toast the oats, melt 100 g of butter in a frying pan, add some rolled oats and stir through until the oats begin to turn golden, add a drizzle of honey or golden syrup and as soon as it bubbles, pour over the ice cream.

Cranachan topping toasting in the pan

Whisky cake pieces with cranachan topping

Anyway, enjoy your haggis on the 25th- boiled, steamed or lightly grilled!

Lightly grilled haggis!

Slainte!