Burns Night always brings a bit of light to the end of January, with Butchers and supermarkets selling Haggis up and down the UK. I'm of the opinion that haggis should be eaten all year round, and it is in Scotland, but it is a little harder to get hold of for the rest of the UK unless you make your own, of course.
Throughout January, I always look for meals to add Haggis to, whether it's pizzas, tacos or shepherd's pie. This recipe is something slightly different and uses classic Scottish ingredients of haggis, black pudding and whisky. What's more, it is fast and easy, making it a comforting weeknight meal anyone can enjoy. The creamy gnocchi is a colourful, warming dish of comfort and can be served with any vegetables.
The combination of haggis and black pudding adds a hearty earthiness to the gnocchi. And if you haven't tried Gnocchi Gnocchi - pronounced N(Y)OK-ee - then you must!!! A good description would perhaps be, 'thick, small and soft dough dumplings of Italian origin made of potato and flour, cooked and eaten in much the same way as pasta'
You can learn how to make your own haggis here, and Weschenfelder supplies all the ingredients and equipment to get you started.
INGREDIENTS
The Meat
350g Haggis (available from any good butcher or try the Haggis Making Kit)
120g Black pudding (available from any good butcher or try the Black Pudding Making Kit)
The Sauce
15g salted butter
300ml double cream
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
3-4 tablespoons of whisky
Salt & Pepper
The Gnocchi
A packet of fresh gnocchi (or homemade gnocchi)
This recipe serves 2 people.
METHOD
- First, to cook the haggis, remove the casing and place it in a casserole dish, cover it, and bake it in the oven as per the instructions on the packet. Fluff out the haggis halfway through baking.
2. Slice the black pudding and grill both sides of the black pudding slices for three minutes and set aside.
3. In a pan, heat the butter and add cream on a low heat, and add the mustard and whisky. Add 3-4 tablespoons, but if you’re after just a hint of whisky, add a couple of tablespoons. Don’t worry, the alcohol will burn off during cooking. Turn the heat up and simmer the sauce for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Now add in the haggis, crumbling it into the creamy mix.
5. Cook the gnocchi as per the instructions on the packet, usually it's around 3-4 minutes.
5. Once your gnocchi is cooked, drizzle that delicious sauce over it and top it off with a couple of slices of black pudding or chop into small peices and crumble it in. To add a little balance, serve this with curly kale or asparagus.
Happy Eating!!!
Weschenfelder Top Tip - Enjoy this with a dram of whisky.
To Serve: Add parmesan for extra creaminess.
