Easy & Tasty Haggis Bon Bons Recipe - Scottish Scran (2024)

FAQs

Should I defrost haggis bon bons before cooking? ›

If freezing, freeze on day of purchase and use within one month. Defrost thoroughly in a refrigerator before use and consume within 24 hours.

haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled.

A traditional haggis recipe describes haggis as "sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and boiled".

So all you have to do is heat it up until it's pipping hot. Wrapping it in foil first helps to contain the contents if you are unlucky enough to burst it. Don't cook it at too high a temperature. Haggis prefer a wet, steamy heat to a dry one, so if you have a double pan steamer or steam oven, use that.

Made with haggis and pork sausage meat that is wrapped in a sage and onion breadcrumbs, these bon bons can be eaten hot or cold, but I opted to warm them up just for my own personal preference.

hag·​gis ˈha-gəs. : a traditionally Scottish dish that consists of the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep or a calf minced with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the animal.

Haggis has a terrible reputation which it really doesn't deserve. It actually tastes good but is definitely a flavour and texture to get used to. It's a bit like crumbly sausage, and surprisingly peppery. The oats in the mix give it a pleasant earthiness as well as making it a very hearty meal.

Scotland's iconic dish began as a nod to the necessities of harder times, when using as much as possible of a slain animal was essential. But while some cuts of meat could be salted or dried for preservation if not eaten immediately, internal organs were far more perishable.

Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties; mashed swede and potatoes. Some people also like to serve haggis with a little dram of whisky – the earthy, warmth of the spirit is delicious with those rich meaty flavours.

Cook in water

There are different ways to cook your Haggis, however, the traditional way is by wrapping it tightly with tinfoil and placing it in a simmering (NOT boiling) pot of water. It will take approximately 60 minutes to cook (from frozen) or 45 minutes (from thawed).

What does haggis taste off? ›

Haggis has an earthy, gamey flavor due to the offal; the oats give it nutty flavor as well. The liver in the mix also lends of bit of a classic paté flavor. Haggis is scooped out of the casing when served and has a crumbly texture. Even in Scotland, haggis is an acquired taste.

Haggis. Haggis is our national dish, and the first recipe dates back to the 15th century (in recorded history).

The Haggis

Heart and lungs will provide some iron, zinc and selenium and the oats included in haggis will contribute to fibre intake. It's important not to over indulge in haggis as it tends to be high in fat and saturated fat as well as high in salt, so be mindful of the portion size.

Haggis is traditionally served with tatties and neeps. For the non-Scots amongst us, "tatties" are mashed potatoes and "neeps" are mashed swede. To make things more confusing, swedes are known by many other names depending on where you are from. They are sometimes called yellow turnips and known as rutabaga in America.

Once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within 2 days and by date shown. Suitable for freezing. Freeze by date mark shown and use within one month. Defrost thoroughly at the bottom of the fridge before use and use within 24 hours.

Cooking instructions

FROM FROZEN: To colour, deep fry for 2 minutes at 170C. Then place on tray in the centre of a preheated oven at 180C for 14 minutes. FROM DEFROSTED: As above but reduce the oven time to 12 minutes. Ensure the core temperature of 82C is reached.

While the haggis is sealed, it will stay fresh until 'Use by' date on product. Once the skin is broken, please consume within one week. Suitable for freezing for up to 3 months, defrost thoroughly before cooking.

There are different ways to cook your Haggis, however, the traditional way is by wrapping it tightly with tinfoil and placing it in a simmering (NOT boiling) pot of water. It will take approximately 60 minutes to cook (from frozen) or 45 minutes (from thawed).