A tale of canned haggis

[Redbert31]

Well, not really a tale about it, at least...not, yet. I just received--direct from Scotland--a couple cans of haggis. I realize that sounds like some heinous crime against the universe, but I keep being told this brand is actually quite good. There's a brand done here in Texas that's only okay/somewhat tasty (IMO); I'm hopeful the Scot-canned type is better.

Even fresh, it's not everybody's thing, but I love haggis. It's difficult to get stuff in the states that truly tastes as good as it does in Scotland (duh), and it's been a few years since my last visit there, so I gave in to the craving...So, canned. At least this brand uses the proper lamb lungs missing from most stateside.

I plan to munch a can of it today, and will report back on whether it's a go or no-go. Anybody else tried this one, or like haggis in general?

My box of (hopefully) tasty goodness:

Enjoy! I haven't had the pleasure yet, but my Scottish friend loves it.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Redbert31]

I meant as opposed to no lamb lungs. As I understand it, such parts of critters aren't normally sold in the states for human consumption; there's some kind of restriction on it, at least when for sale (I think). Much of the U.S.-made haggis I've tried has other kinds of meat to make up for the lack of lungs.



Nah, I'll at least heat it up in a saucepan (or, maybe, nuke it). We don't have any rutabaga for the "neeps and tatties", so I'll just have it with potatoes and something else on the side.

Yes...lol; my wife knows I do things like this. I cook (a LOT), and have spent a number of years overseas, picking up various (some say odd) tastes. If it helps, not everything I do is crazytalk...The regular Valentine's dinner I cook for my wife--from scratch--is a three cheese lobster ravioli in cream sauce, sautéed spinach, and asparagus.

I don't even have a man cave...I just hang Colt/S&W/Winchester tin signs/old print ads, F. Remington paintings, a couple (quality) swords and such throughout the house. My wife loves it almost as much as I do. Of course, she also buys her own guns and loves shooting, so it's no wonder we get along well enough to excuse my occasional haggis-like thing.

They do use the lamb lungs here for dandy dog treats, usually dried in very thin slices. My dogs go crazy for it and I can only get it in the gourmet dog store[emoji4] That being said, my dogs have good taste, they chose me

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Spook76]

How do you cook it?

The fresh stuff gets simmered on the stove or wrapped and baked (it's in a casing made of sheep stomach), but this canned stuff (no casing) is usually just heated in a saucepan or microwaved. Oh, and some people crumble it and heat it in a skillet, to go with eggs and such for breakfast.

In a bit of a rush, I heated this first can in the microwave, and just ate it with some potatoes (the haggis, not the can itself). Some of it--even after fluffing--seemed a little dry, so those bits got a splash of 18 year Macallan or HP sauce (maybe both on a bite or three...lol). As I said, I was short on time, but I'm plotting doing things a little more involved for the next meal of this.

I think it's pretty decent, all things considered. Having been spoiled on some truly good fresh version at a particular couple pubs on High Street in Edinburgh and some done by a friend's family, I still found this canned haggis just fine. I'll very likely buy more.

 

[Snapping Twig]

There's a reason you can't find it here.

I'd imagine there's legislation to prohibit in the works.

 

[BigBill]

At Amazon they have many brands of haggis. The scottish one is the best?

 

[CalmerThanYou]

It is "Premium" you should be fine.

 

[Muley Gil]

If that is the PREMIUM, I'd hate to see the cut-rate haggis.

My great grandmother was a Stewart. Our branch of the family was given two choices back in the 1660s by the Brits. The first was an extended stay in the Tower or a pleasant little cruise to the colony of Mary-land. My forebearers, I have heard it said, made only one comment: "Let's ride the boat, let's ride the boat!"

I'll pass on the haggis, thank you much.

 

[shell627]

I would rather lick armpits than eat haggis again.

 

[drgbike]

No wonder its accompanied by several shots of Scotch before and after.

 

[Bill Raby]

I love haggis! That stuff is delicious. Its not so great on pizza. But then I never had any pizza in Scotland that was really all that good. Never tried canned haggis. I might have to give it a try. I have not had any haggis in a while.

Black pudding is just nasty.

I ordered cockentrice once. First thought when waiter brought it out is "What the **** is that thing?" I think they only serve it restaurants where the chef does a lot of LSD. But it does taste pretty good.

 

[JayFramer]

It looks good to me. I love chicken's livers and things of that sort. I believe I saw a filmed review on this brand of canned haggis and the person was quite impressed with it. I'll have to order a can from Amazon and try it myself!

 

[Spook76]

At Amazon they have many brands of haggis. The scottish one is the best?

This brand, Grant's, is what I just tried and liked better than the few other canned options I've tasted. There's at least one more Scottish brand, but I've not had that one. The one made here in Texas uses slightly different ingredients, but is at least decent. The Texas-made one is Caledonian Kitchen, and I've tried three of their options.

Both these are available via Amazon, though the Grant's will take a couple weeks to about a month to arrive from Scotland. Hope that helps.

It looks good to me. I love chicken's livers and things of that sort. I believe I saw a filmed review on this brand of canned haggis and the person was quite impressed with it. I'll have to order a can from Amazon and try it myself!

Yeah, outside the couple weeks to a month shipping time, I think it's certainly worth trying. As I said, I'll likely order more of it, FWIW.

 

[Texas Star]

Spook 76 is my son. I tried to raise him better, but he has occasional bad habits that I presume arise from his mother's quirks. (I'm divorced. )

My father's family are from northern England and some into southern Scotland. Maybe that's why I like tea. Possibly Spook's affinity for haggis is hereditary. I do like Scotch whiskey, the Highland malts, not the junk like Cutty Sark and J&B that put so many people off of Scotch.

What sticks in my mind about lung tissue is that Jack O'Connor said that no one but Bushmen eat lung tissue, so that was one reason why he put his .270 bullets into high lung shots on game.

I presume that Scots eat haggis because the poor there had no better food, like Koreans eat things like kimchi.

I've never had to eat raw subsistence foods that more affluent people throw out.

Haggis reminds me of that. I'll leave it to Spook. He's a certified (tested) genius, but he eats...this?!

As for his lovely wife, she's a brilliant scientist who cleans her own game and has dissected many lab animals. She tolerates Spook very well, and haggis is one of his few questionable tastes.

In the main, he's pretty normal. I think their little son will be well raised. But I hope he never develops a taste for things like haggis.

I have an ancestor who was a Medal of Honor recipient. That I want people to know. Haggis eating will remain a dirty little secret, as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't happen elsewhere in the family... just a quirk of Spook's. God has forgiven people for worse. Though thy sins be as scarlet...

 

[500SNW]

My mom and I both have haggis on occasion. We get Grant's locally at Jungle Jim's International Mkt. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Did you ever notice that, in the same aisle they have cans of "vegetarian Haggis" on the shelf. Every time I see it I think "why even bother if you can't have the real thing?"

 

[dben002]

The fresh stuff gets simmered on the stove or wrapped and baked (it's in a casing made of sheep stomach), but this canned stuff (no casing) is usually just heated in a saucepan or microwaved. Oh, and some people crumble it and heat it in a skillet, to go with eggs and such for breakfast.

In a bit of a rush, I heated this first can in the microwave, and just ate it with some potatoes (the haggis, not the can itself). Some of it--even after fluffing--seemed a little dry, so those bits got a splash of 18 year Macallan or HP sauce (maybe both on a bite or three...lol). As I said, I was short on time, but I'm plotting doing things a little more involved for the next meal of this.

I think it's pretty decent, all things considered. Having been spoiled on some truly good fresh version at a particular couple pubs on High Street in Edinburgh and some done by a friend's family, I still found this canned haggis just fine. I'll very likely buy more.

Recipe for Haggis......works every time!!!

In a skillet on med low heat, fry onions until they are translucent. Add salt, pepper and Soy sauce and stir.

Add Haggis to mixture and reduce heat to med low, cover with lid and let simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove lid and add diced potatoes, chopped celery, and bay leaves. Stir in well.....

Remove skillet and dump contents into a heavy duty garbage bag and dispose of.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

A while back, was up at Tierra Wools, Los Ojos, NM.
It’s a sheep raising, rug making co-op.
It was open house and they were cooking and serving Lamb Tacos out front.
Had one, very good!
No Haggis in sight!
I expect that if I pushed the lamb cooker about what happened to the lungs, he would probably confess to feeding them to the dogs!

 

[Collo Rosso]

My niece married a guy from Scotland. They served haggis at the reception and I thought it tasted like dirt.
Proof once again my Grandfather was right. "Italy, we taught the world how to eat!".

 

[47knuckle]

Eastern third of SC (the poor side of the state) has a dish called "liver and lights", a pot of boiled hog liver and lungs. I tried it once.......just once.
I'll pass on the lamb lungs.

 

[H Richard]

I was stationed for two years in Great Briton and traveled to Scotland. After having the dish described to me I couldn't bring myself to try it.

 

[moosedog]

Being Polish and Ukrainian, you can imagine some of the stuff we eat. The Haggis doesn't looks bad nutrition wise from the can contents description. I might just buy a can.
They could have picked a better name for it though. Sound's like an old girlfriend.