Haggis Balmoral

This is a bit of an odd one. I invented (I had thought) a smaller version of this dish a few years ago - as a starter for some haggis virgins. A posh haggis, tatties and neeps.
Fast forward to this year - and I hear Nigel Barden describing the dish as Haggis Balmoral on the Simon Mayo show. Who knew?!
It shows there are no 'new' ideas!!.
I have printed the recipe in full - as you will see he sourced the recipe from another book.
The picture is mine!!
This really is worth trying - even for haggis virgins! -  and the sauce is a great addition - really rich, and I think haggis does benefit from a bit of liquid.
A great dish for Burns Night or St Andrews - or for when Scotland win the Six Nations...........

from The Whisky Kitchen by Sheila McConachie & Graham Harvey (GW Publishing)

Serves 4

Prep time 30 mins

Cooking time 20mins

Ingredients

400g floury potatoes like Maris Piper, peeled & quartered

225g swede (neep), peeled & chopped into small chunks

25g butter for the potatoes plus a little for the neeps

30ml cream

salt & freshly ground black pepper

350g haggis

300ml whisky madeira sauce (see below).  Choose from the plain or creamy version, both are lovely with this dish.

4 sprigs of heather or parsley for garnish

6cm mousse rings, 7cm high.

  

Method

1.    Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, sufficient to just cover the potatoes, add salt & bring to the boil.

2.    Cook until tender, about 10-15 mins, drain & return to the hot pan for a few mins to dry out.

3.    Add the butter & cream & mash until smooth, season to taste.  Set aside & keep warm.

4.    At the same time, place the chopped neep in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 mins, drain & return to the hot pan to dry.

5.    Add a small knob of butter & a pinch of sugar & season well to taste.  Set aside & keep warm.

6.    Meanwhile make the Whisky Madeira Sauce (recipe below) & set it aside.

7.    When you are ready to serve, break the haggis up, place it in a bowl & heat in the microwave for 1 minute or more, depending on the wattage of your microwave.  Do not overheat.

8.    Alternatively, spread the haggis out in a casserole dish, cover with a lid or tinfoil & place in the oven at 190C/Gas 5 until heated through, about 15 mins, but check it & stir the haggis occasionally.

9.    Now assemble the dish.  Place a ring on each plate & divide the mashed potato between them & press down.

10. Add a layer of haggis & press down neatly, finally top with the mashed neep & smooth the top.

11. Remove the rings, pour the sauce around the stacks & top with a sprig of heather or parsley.

For the Whisky Madeira Sauce

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time 20 mins

Makes 300ml

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying

2 shallots, finely chopped (about 100g)

4 mushrooms, finely chopped (about 50g)

30ml Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky (or whatever Scotch you have handy)

200ml Madeira wine

500ml good beef stock

75ml double cream

1 pinch dried thyme

1 dsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

50g butter

Method

1.    Heat frying pan with a little olive oil & gently cook the shallots & mushrooms until the shallots are transparent.

2.    Add the whisky & Madeira, increase the heat & reduce by a half.

3.    Strain & add the stock & reduce again by a further half, add the cream, thyme, parsley & seasoning & bring back to the boil.

4.    When you are ready to serve add the butter a little at a time & whisk it in.

Mini Prawn Cocktails

When I was  a child the prawn cocktail, was, to me, the height of sophistication. Mum's marie rose sauce is still better than mine - and definitely as good as those halcyon days at the Berni Inn!!
I still love prawns, and, secretly, still love a prawn cocktail.
What's not to like??
This uses all the same flavours, but this comes as finger food.

Ingredients:-

4 little gem lettuces
500g prawns
200 ml mayonnaise
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

1 Firstly I remove the outer leaves of the little gems.
2 Cut off the bottom of the lettuce, and separate the leaves - you are going to use the leaves to serve the prawns - so keep going until the get too small.
3 Wash the leaves and leave to dry on kitchen paper.
4 Meanwhile make the marie rose sauce. The only thing that is important here is to add everything to taste. Put the mayo and tomato ketchup in a bowl and mix, add the lemon juice to taste, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a background hint of heat.
5 Season the sauce and then add your prawns and mix well.
6 Next - fill the leaves - as the number of leaves you get can vary to generally fill all of them with a little of the mixture -and then go back and top up until I have run out - which save you have too much in some - and not enough in others.
7 The will keep happily in the fridge for a few hours without losing the crispness of the leaves.

Smoked Salmon Pin Wheels

Party food is my favourite food to make. This is a really simple dish - that looks great on a plate - and makes smoked salmon 'go' a bit further.
A great canape, or as part of a mixed seafood starter.
Not so much a recipe - just an assembly line - no cooking involved.
I generally do some with spinach, and others without - which give a mixture in the presentation.

I haven't given measurements - and it can be scaled up or down depending on how much salmon you have, a small pack of smoked salmon will do two - three wraps.
Ingredients:-

Smoked Salmon thinly sliced
Spinach - washed and ready to use
Cream Cheese (eg Philadelphia)
Wholemeal wraps
Salt and pepper

1 Open the wrap and spread a layer of cream cheese over the entire surface.
2 If using, lay spinach leaves on the cheese in a single layer - to approximately 3/4 of the way across the wrap.
3 Spread a very thin layer of smoked salmon approximately half way across the wrap.
4 Season with salt and black pepper
5 Roll the wrap tightly from the end with all three layers, across the the edge with just cheese.
6 Once rolled, wrap in cling film, tighten the ends, and chill in the fridge - this helps form the wrap, and will help it hold together when cut in to slices.
7 When you are ready to serve take off the cling film and cut the wrap into slices.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts

This dish is fairly rustic in style - everything cut into fairly large dice. It makes it very easy to prepare, and the different textures all compliment each other in the finished dish. The peppers retain their crunch.

350g chicken thighs
2 onions
1 red and 1 yellow pepper
100g cashew nuts (roasted)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

1 Cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm cubes
2 Dice the onion and peppers
3 Chop the garlic
4 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan
5 Add the onions and garlic
6 As soon as they begin to soften add the chicken
7 Stir constantly until the chicken has coloured all over
8 Add the soy and sugar.
9 Add some water - approx 1/2 a glass
10 Leave to simmer for 5-6 minutes over a medium heat
11 Add the cashews and peppers
12 Cook for a further 2-3 minutes

Serve with plain boiled rice

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Happy Chinese New Year!!

In honour of the year of the Snake I have included a couple of my favourite chinese style recipes.
Perhaps not 100% authentic...... - but based on the western style - and healthier than a take away!
I hope you enjoy.

Beef with Basil

If you can get hold of some I would use holy basil in this dish - but normal basil will do.
I marinate the beef in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar before cooking for an hour or so - but this is not essential.
I am generous with the white pepper - I really think it adds something special to the dish.
Forgive the photo - I am hoping these will get better!!
The peppers are added late - so retain their crunch in the finished dish

Ingredients

2 steaks ( I used rump)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
2 red chillis
1 bunch fresh basil
2 tbsp oil
salt
5 tbsp soy sauce (2 for marinade)
white pepper

1 Cut the steak into thin strips, set aside in a non metallic bowl with two spoons of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar (if you have time to marinade)
2 Finely slice the onion and pepper
3 Chop the garlic - slice the chillis
4 Pick  the basil leaves - tear any large ones in half
5 Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.
6. Cook the onion over a high heat until it begins to take colour.
7 Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes
8 Add the beef and sear
9 Once the meat has been seared add the peppers
10 After another couple of minutes add the basil leaves
11 Add the soy sauce, stir and add the white pepper (be generous)
12 The dish is ready to be served