To Make a Hagis

There's a saying that most Scottish cuisine began as a dare. Haggis is certainly no exception!

Sarah Longe, an English housewife, included this recipe for haggis in her ca. 1610 recipe book.

"To Make a Hagis"

Take a chalves Chadarne*, and parboyle it, when it is cold mingle it fine, with a pound of Beefe suet, a penny-lofe grated, some rosemary, time, winter-savery, and penyriall, of all a small handfull, a little Cloves, mace, nutmegge, and Cinamon, one quarter of a pound of Currence, a little sugar, a little salt, rose-water, all these mixt together, wett with 16 yolkes of Eggs, put in a Sheeps panch, and boyle it.
*entrails

For a modern, but no less adventurous take, try this recipe from the Food Network.

Haggis
Recipe: Alton Brown

1 sheep stomach
1 sheep liver
1 sheep heart
1 sheep tongue
1/2 pound suet, minced
3 medium onions, minced
1/2 pound dry oats, toasted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried ground herbs

Rinse the stomach thoroughly and soak overnight in cold salted water.

Rinse the liver, heart, and tongue. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook these parts over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove and mince. Remove any gristle or skin and discard.

In a large bowl, combine the minced liver, heart, tongue, suet, onions, and toasted oats. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Moisten with some of the cooking water so the mixture binds. Remove the stomach from the cold salted water and fill 2/3 with the mixture. Sew or tie the stomach closed. Use a turning fork to pierce the stomach several times. This will prevent the haggis from bursting.

In a large pot of boiling water, gently place the filled stomach, being careful not to splash. Cook over high heat for 3 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes, if you serve it at all.