Monday 25th January marks Burns Night and while Robbie Burns has more significance in Scotland than in Dorset, who doesn’t love an excuse to eat, drink and be merry? As the UK is currently under a national lockdown, there won’t be many Burns Night gatherings taking place outside of your usual households, but if you fancy livening up January and having something a little different to feast on, take a look at these traditional Burns Night foods.
We all know what the main course is going to be, but haggis isn’t the only thing you can expect to enjoy on a Burns Night menu.
To start: Cullen Skink
What, you might wonder if Cullen Skink – simply put it’s a fish soup, but with a Scottish twist. A classic for Scots, it is created using smoked fish (usually haddock), leeks and potatoes. As with most soups, you should always serve it with warm, crusty bread.
Once the soup is done, that’s when the haggis, neeps and tatties makes an appearance. For those not in the know, a haggis is like a large oaty sausage, created with lamb, beef, oats, onions and spices. While it traditionally included the heart, liver and lungs and was cooked in a sheep’s stomach, it is more often in an artificial casing and with more commonly found cuts of meat. You could always go the traditional route and get the original ingredients from your local butcher and give it a go, or you can find ready made haggis, that just needs cooking at shops across the county. Now, haggis is always enjoyed with neeps (mashed turnip) and tatties (which we know are potatoes.) Perfect for this time of year!
Did you know you can’t get traditional haggis in America? In the 1970s they made it illegal to import haggis from Scotland because rules on food ban the import of animal lungs which make up part of the traditional recipe. Fun fact, Black Pudding is also banned in America. Got vegetarians/vegans to cater for? Don’t worry, you can get vegetarian and vegan versions of haggis these days, just look out for them when you do your food shop!
Once you’ve eaten your Cullen skink and enjoyed your haggis, neeps and tatties it is time for dessert. A tradition on Burns Night is to serve Clootie Pudding – which is a little like Christmas Pudding. It’s a rich fruit cake which is often served with cream and a dram of whiskey. Of course.
Will you be enjoying a Scottish themed dinner on Monday 25th? You can let us know and share your dinner creations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
