The Caledonian Society’s Haggis Recipe Is a Feast | Where NOLA Eats

The first thing you need to know about haggis is that it is as hard to find as it is controversial. You can’t expect it to taste a certain way.

The savory meat pudding is like a juicier version of a meatloaf that also includes oats. But it tastes different every time because the meat varies from year to year and there are variations in cooking, such as how quickly different parts of the dish dry out. Taste is also subjective.

“I have to say, there were some years when I didn’t like it,” said Wendy Grubb, current president of the Caledonian Society in New Orleans.

The Caledonian Society is an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Scottish culture, and Grubb prepares haggis every year for Burns Supper, a major festival in January honoring the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote the poem “Address to a Haggis.”

But her feelings about her meaty creations could also be due to the bias of the chef herself. In one of the years she didn’t like the haggis, someone came up to her at the event and told her it was the best haggis he had ever eaten.

It’s the “Scottish Boudin,” members of the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge tell me at their latest meeting. Haggis is the national dish of Scotland and is traditionally made from all the parts of farm animals that many people in the U.S. don’t like: stomach, liver, lungs and heart.

The Scots are a poor people, Grubb said. They can’t afford to waste anything. On August 21, the Caledonian Society met for one of its regular meetings, a study group on Scottish culture. Grubb demonstrated how to make haggis before everyone sat down to dinner.

Another thing you need to know about haggis is that you need to taste it as you make it to make sure it turns out right. Grubb has been baking the annual haggis for Burns Supper for more than 20 years, and the recipe she uses is constantly changing and tweaked to suit taste. During the cooking process, she takes some of the raw haggis, puts it on a plate, and microwaves it for about 20 seconds so she can taste it.

Let’s face it, pan-cooked haggis doesn’t look particularly appealing – it looks a bit like oatmeal dough. It tastes like meat, but has a consistency reminiscent of stuffing. For those new to haggis, it’s meant to be savoury – not spicy – even though hot sauce is one of the ingredients. And of course there may be haggis purists, but the authentic version of this dish was banned in the US over 50 years ago because experts found sheep’s lung to be a food safety risk.

According to Grubb, the Caledonian Society’s annual haggis is now a more “hygienic” version of what people used to eat. It contains calf’s liver, but you can use lamb too. It doesn’t have to be heart, and it can’t be lungs either. But it’s not about the ingredients; it’s about tradition. Some people have even found a way to make the dish vegan or vegetarian using ingredients like lentils or mushrooms.

The work of the Caledonian Society goes beyond haggis.

They host events and give free classes in broadsword, Scottish country dancing, bagpipes and Scottish drumming, which are open to everyone – not just people with Scottish roots.

Caledonian Kid’s Day will be held at Grace Life Fellowship Church on September 28. The event will feature music, food and activities for people of all ages, and rumor has it that a certain Scottish princess might make an appearance.

For society members, it can become a second family, especially when they move to a new place. Grubb found her first support from her friends in New Orleans, and her son met his wife in a Scottish country dance class she taught as part of the society’s events. Stanley Masinter found a new hobby and a new way to connect with music.

He had never played the bagpipes before, but then he heard Scottish music at a festival.

The bagpipes were calling, he said. When he looked into it further, he found that he could take free lessons sponsored by the Caledonian Society; they even provided him with a free bagpipe to practice on. He is now the pipe major of the pipe band.

This haggis recipe is what Grubb uses (roughly) every year for the Burns Supper, so it’s for a large group. Your eyes don’t deceive you. It makes about 100 servings of haggis, but you can also cut it into smaller portions to make haggis for a smaller group. Be adventurous and be prepared to do some experimentation.

Haggis recipe

Recipe by Wendy Grubb

Enough for about 100 people (depending on the group)

2 1/2 pounds ground lamb

2 1/2 pounds ground beef, (piece) well marbled

4 pounds of veal liver (preferably fresh) cooked and ground

2-3 large containers of Creole spice mix, about one liter each

2-3 tablespoons salt (to taste)

2-3 tablespoons pepper

1-4 teaspoons hot sauce (Crystal)

5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (to taste)

2/3-2/4 pack of oat flakes

2-3 tablespoons onion and garlic juice, if necessary

Note: Try grinding lamb and roast from the butcher together. (Or use a mincer attachment for a food processor – this can be quite time-consuming and laborious though.)

1. Boil the liver and reserve the water. Grind the liver in a food processor or meat grinder.

2. Toast the oats in the oven at 275-300 degrees until golden brown, using a baking sheet and stirring frequently.

3. Divide everything in half into two very large bowls and mix together. Season each half and then cook briefly in the microwave. Adjust to taste.

4. When seasoning, start with the smallest amount and add more if needed. The flavor will change from batch to batch, partly due to the flavor of the meat.

5. Place in a large roasting pan and bake in the oven at 160-175°C for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size. Use the reserved liver water to retain moisture and stir the haggis several times during cooking. If it browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.