Burns' Night: a Major Scottish Holiday.

[Mountain Cat]

In the interests of getting a new thread going, here's one.

I'll upload some Scottish recipes I've made in the past, and link to them on this thread. I made some for both the Feast of St. Andrews and for Hogamanay/First Night. I'll have to check to see what I might have already posted. Since the Asian Lunar New Year is coming up, that's where I am focusing my culinary energies atm.

I figure we can also talk a bit about Scotland. I have to leave shortly, but here goes for starters:

I've visited Scotland four times in my life. Dad was in the liquor business, and since the Scots make whisky... we were over there for parts of three summers in my youth. I went back on my ownsome in 1995, for a World Science Fiction Convention (okay, geek...) and took the opportunity to do some further explorations. I was over there for about two weeks that time, and had a lot of chance to go on my own agenda around the place.

If I get to go back, I want to see the Callendish Stones on the Isle of Lewis, and to visit the Outer Hebrides.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I have been to Scotland only once - well, only to Edinburgh - and I left 2/3 of my heart there.

I’ve appreciated a lot the food, part of it has been suggested to me from this forum.. and they was right, I ate something that I didn’t know (of course) like black pudding and other Scottish specialties.

Your idea about posting Scottish recipes is simply wonderful, I’ll look forward to them.
I hope this would also be a start for others Scottish members here to post their food. Duck59 , maybe?

 

[Windigo]

I've lived in Yorkshire for a year, got to eat Haggis there for the first time. Really liked it actually, as it was spicy and I didn't expect that. I've got some in my freezer currently left from my last order of British goods.

Don't know much else about Scottish fare, I've eaten shortbread, neeps and tatties, oatcakes, Scottish salmon, tattie scones, porridge and black pudding. Of course I have tried Scottish whiskey, but as I am not fond of alcohol in general that was not my thing.

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

I've lived in Yorkshire for a year, got to eat Haggis there for the first time. Really liked it actually, as it was spicy and I didn't expect that. I've got some in my freezer currently left from my last order of British goods.

Don't know much else about Scottish fare, I've eaten shortbread, neeps and tatties, oatcakes, Scottish salmon, tattie scones, porridge and black pudding. Of course I have tried Scottish whiskey, but as I am not fond of alcohol in general that was not my thing.

If you have a little haggis left over then crumble it, stuff a chicken breast sparingly then wrap it in bacon and cook through. I find the spice in the haggis works well for this.

 

[Morning Glory]

got to eat Haggis there for the first time. Really liked it actually, as it was spicy and I didn't expect that. I've got some in my freezer currently left from my last order of British goods.

I adore haggis. Must get some in for Burns Night. Yes - it is deliciously spicy.

If you have a little haggis left over then crumble it, stuff a chicken breast sparingly then wrap it in bacon and cook through. I find the spice in the haggis works well for this.

A great idea.

 

[TastyReuben]

Been to Scotland twice, both driving holidays when we lived in the UK. Very beautiful and gently rugged (or ruggedly gentle) in parts. On the short list for a return visit, as the wife keeps mentioning it, hoping to concentrate on the islands.

Probably the single best food I've ever eaten in my life was at The Beattock House in Mofatt (or Moffat, possibly Moffatt, but definitely not Springfield). They look to be a big giant conference center place now, but at the time we were there, they were just a hotel in the countryside, but part of the "Taste Of Scotland" scheme.

 

[Windigo]

If you have a little haggis left over then crumble it, stuff a chicken breast sparingly then wrap it in bacon and cook through. I find the spice in the haggis works well for this.

Thanks for the delicious idea!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was born in Scotland, Glasgow to be precise.
Have lived in some of the more remote parts of mainland Scotland, love the place. It's the one bit of living in Australia that I miss. Not being able to get to Scotland anywhere near as easily as we used to do. When we lived in the south of England we'd holiday in Scotland 2 or 3 times a year. In fact we were on holiday in Scotland (having an amazing holiday) when we made the decision to come to Australia (and come we did without ever having been here before) to live here for 3-4 years. That was 3½ years ago.

+4

My 2017 Calendar Photos

• SatNavSaysStraightOn
• 2 Jan 2017
• 13

Each year I inflict a calendar on family and friends. This year, despite moving to Australia...

A lot of the photos in this album are of Scotland.

Growing up we would often have tattie scones and dumpling (a fried suet fruit slice from Glasgow, it's a regional thing, outside of Glasgow I believe it is called Clottie?) often served with a fried egg and square sausage (yes it was square, again a slice of square sausage, a very regional thing, one area of Glasgow I believe).

My website features a lot of Scotland landscapes
Emma Taylor's Photographs: Scotland I
Emma Taylor's Photographs: Scotland II
Emma Taylor's Photographs: Scotland III
Emma Taylor's Photographs: Scotland IV
Emma Taylor's Photographs: Scotland V

Please feel free to look around. There are some wonderful places photographed there including the Isle of Lewis, Isle of Aran, the Orkney Isles and the Isle of Skye.

 

[rascal]

Spent about 10 days in Scotland, loved Edinburgh, I did the underground tour under the Royal mile, it was spooky. Time in Inverness where we based ourselves for a week. Isle of Skye was amazing. Like John o groats. I bought a cooking book from the locals, Scottish food. I should dig it out and try some stuff. I think I bought it at John o groats, recipes were from locals, so it should be good.

Russ

 

[Duck59]

I can't say I view the day as a "major Scottish holiday." Nobody gets a day off and most people don't take much notice of it. And I'm not about to start eating haggis, even though there are vegetarian versions these days.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I can't say I view the day as a "major Scottish holiday." Nobody gets a day off and most people don't take much notice of it.

I went to uni in Edinburgh, and I'd agree in part....its definitely not a major holiday that's true, but a fair number pf people do take notice of it - and there are often themed events happening.

In my first year I stayed in catered halls of residence...which is where I learned that haggis is not just for Burns Night: it was served at least a couple of times per month.....haggis, chips and baked beans was very popular amongst my fellow students. I wasn't a fan of haggis back then, but Scotch pies on the otherhand were great: the thin (but quite hard) pastry makes them very different to most other pies. Stovies was another dish they often served......as you can tell it was mostly cheap food they fed to us!

We'll be having haggis, neeps and tatties on Saturday night of course - though this year the tatties are going to be in the form of a potato and jerusalem artichoke dauphinoise and I'm going to try sous-viding the swede before mashing it. I do need to pop out and get another haggis though as there's going to be more of us than originally expected.

 

[Morning Glory]

I'm going to try sous-viding the swede before mashing it.

That could be very good indeed. One thing I do is slip a bit of Angostura Bitters into the swede - it seems to perk them up, no end.

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

Do you go for wild or farmed haggis? I prefer wild mountain haggis as it has a lovely heather flavour, obviously I prefer eating the left leg to the right leg as there is so much more meat on them.

 

[HairyHeaven]

Do you go for wild or farmed haggis? I prefer wild mountain haggis as it has a lovely heather flavour, obviously I prefer eating the left leg to the right leg as there is so much more meat on them.

See I heard that farmed haggis had problems with their left hinds from pacing anti-clockwise in their holding pens. Stoopid creatures don't realise they can go the other way. Wild ones don't have that problem but are so much harder to catch

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

See I heard that farmed haggis had problems with their left hinds from pacing anti-clockwise in their holding pens. Stoopid creatures don't realise they can go the other way. Wild ones don't have that problem but are so much harder to catch

Wild mountain haggis are easy to catch if you know the technique, you sneak up behind them then shout "BOO". When they turn round in fright they immediately topple over and you just jump on them.