How to Make Venison Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

Preparation

• For the Haggis
• Add the venison meat and/or organs to a large pot. Cover with water and add a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours. Drop the peeled and halved onion in for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Let everything cool, then remove the meat and onions from the liquid. Reserve the liquid.
• Either hand mince the cooked meat and onion very finely by chopping, chopping, chopping, or run everything through a meat grinder on a coarse dye. If hand mincing, make sure everything is very finely chopped. Put the chopped meat into a large bowl. Add the spices, fat or suet, and mix everything together.
• Toast the oats in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the oats begin to slightly brown and everything smells nice and toasty. Add them to the meat mixture. Add in 4 cups of the reserved broth (reserve any you may have leftover) and mix and knead everything together with your hands until it forms a stiff, paste-like texture.
• Stuff into whichever casings you chose. I used regular hog casings. You can use a sausage stuffer, or a wooden spoon and a funnel to stuff the haggis into the casings. Tie the openings closed. If using a stomach, make sure it is washed well and boiled in a few changes of water. Stuff it and then sew the opening up tightly with needle and thread.If using beef bung casing, stuff and then tie the opening closed.
• Whichever casing you use, ONLY STUFF 1/2 – 2/3’S FULL! The oats will expand while cooking and if you stuff the casing too tightly, it will burst during cooking.
• Add the stuffed casing(s) to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Lower to a very low simmer and cook: Hog casings – 1 hour, Beef bung – 2 hours, Stomach – 3 hours
• If the casings burst on you, finish cooking for the proper time, then pour the water through a sieve to catch all of the loose haggis. Drain well, then dry it by crisping it up in the oven or in a pan.
• For the Onion Gravy
• Melt 1 of the tablespoons (15g) of butter in a skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is browned. Add the rest of the butter and the flour and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes until the flour begins to brown. The browner you cook the flour, the darker and richer your gravy will be. Add 2 cups of the reserved haggis broth (or beef/venison broth), the thyme, and the Worcestershire sauce and whisk until the gravy thickens. Taste, then season with salt and lots of pepper.
• For the Whisky Cream Sauce
• Add the butter to a pot over medium heat to melt. Add the scotch. Tip the pot and use the burner or a lighter to ignite the alcohol. The flames will be quite high, so use EXTREME CAUTION doing this. You can skip this part if you’re nervous.
• Once the flames die, add the cream and mustard. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly.
• For the Neeps
• In a pot, cover the cubed rutabaga with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until the rutabaga is soft when pierced with a fork. Drain the water and put back over low heat. Add cream and butter, then mash using a potato masher. Take off of the heat. Season to taste with salt.
• For the Tatties
• In a pot, cover the cubed potatoes with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain the water and put back over low heat. Add cream and butter, then mash using a potato masher. Take off of the heat. Season to taste with salt.
• To Serve
• Split the casing and shake out the haggis. You can serve as-is, or crisp it up in the oven or in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Spoon onto plates, along with the neeps and tatties. Pour over the onion gravy and cream sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives if desired. Serve with a dram of scotch whisky. Slàinte!