Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr

1 x 2lb - haggis

1 lb - swede or turnip

7 oz - unsalted butter

1 tablespoon - double cream (heavy cream)

- salt and pepper

1 lb - potatoes

FOR THE SAUCE

5 tablespoons - whisky

¼ pint - double cream (heavy cream)

- salt and pepper

Make Creamed (Mashed) Potatoes (using half of the butter) then set aside and keep warm.
Meanwhile, peel the swede/turnip and cut into cubes about 1" (2.5cm) across. Place them in a glass dish, add two tablespoons of water, cover with cling film and microwave on high for 6 minutes. Agitate the dish to mix the turnip and add another spoon of water if required then microwave on high again for a further 3 minutes. Drain off the water then add the other half of the butter and the tablespoon of double cream (heavy cream). Mash until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
For the sauce (which you can also make while the tatties and neeps are cooking), add 50ml of whisky to a hot saucepan and set it alight (please be careful as the flames can get very high). The purpose of lighting the whisky is to burn off some of the alcohol, otherwise the sauce will be too bitter. After about 10-15 seconds add the double cream (heavy cream), season with salt and freshly ground pepper then reduce the heat and allow the liquid to reduce to a nice thick consistency (do not allow the cream to boil). Once the liquid has reduced (usually by half), take it off the heat and use it to pour over the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties
For the haggis, the simplest way is to cut open the envelope, roughly break up the haggis into a glass bowl, cover with clingfilm and microwave for about 6 minutes, stirring once. The haggis is already cooked, so it only needs warming through.
If you don't have a microwave, you need to strat with the haggis before the vegetables. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, carefully add the haggis, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 75 minutes, topping up with water if necessary. (If you can't get a 2lb (900g) haggis, 2 x 1lb (450g) will work just as well).
To serve, place about 7oz-9oz (200-250g) of haggis into the centre of each of four serving plates. Spoon the neeps and tatties alongside and drizzle over the whisky sauce.
To serve Haggis, Neeps and Tatties as a starter course, reduce the quantities above by 50% - 60%. When serving, use a 1½"-2" (4-5cm) diameter circular pureed food mould. Add the haggis first (about one third of the required height) then add a layer of turnip (again, about one third of the required height) and then a layer of potato (for the final one third). Top off with the whisky sauce or Onion Gravy if you prefer.
If you can't get a tall mould, use a glass to "cookie-cut" the ingredients, then carefully stack them one above another.