Swine and Cheese

I know this sounds like an unlikely combination but trust me this is delicious either as a starter or for  a main course depending on the size of haggis you are using. I have won over countless haggis-haters with this recipe. Obviously don’t tell them the base is the haggis until after they’ve scoffed every last morsel! Perfect for Burn’s night.

This recipe serves approx 6 people as a starter

1lb (450g) smoked haddock (try our Dukeshill Arbroath Smokies)

1lb (450g) haggis (no need to steam it first)

10floz (275ml) milk

small, peeled, halved onion

handful parsley

6 black peppercorns

1.5lb (675g) potatoes

2oz (50g) butter

2 cloves fresh garlic chopped

15g chives chopped

2 teaspoons coarse grain mustard

6oz (175g) mature cheddar, grated

2 egg yolks

groundnut oil for frying

salt and freshly ground black pepper

DRESSING

10floz (275ml) olive oil

2.5 (65ml) white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon English mustard powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

a splash of Tabasco

2 tablespoons coarse grain mustard

2 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

10g  fresh dill

1 clove garlic

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Form the haggis into 6 flat cakes about 3″ in diameter and 1/2″ thick. Place on a greased baking tray or silicone paper.

Meanwhile poach the haddock in the milk, with the onion, peppercorns and parsley for about 15-20 minutes covered in foil. remove and allow to cool before flaking the fish into a mixing bowl. Discard the poaching liquid. Boil the potatoes, drain and mash with the butter and garlic. Add to the haddock along with the chives, mustard, cheddar and egg yolks. Either use a piping bag or just mound the mixture on to another greased baking tray to form cakes slightly smaller than the haggis cakes.

Bake the haggis cakes and fish cakes for 15 – 20 mins at 350′F, 180′C. Mix the dressing ingredients and warm over a low heat.

To serve place a fish cake on top of a haggis cake and drizzle the dressing over the top.

A wonderfully tasty recipe which can be tweaked to suit depending on what you’ve got to hand, based on an old French peasant dish called Lentilles-Saucisse a L’Ancienne. If you’ve got an Aga even better, as you just pop the prepared dish in the simmering oven in the morning and come home to a heart-warming supper.

Toulouse sausage casserole

250g green lentils
olive oil
6 Toulouse sausages
6 slices unsmoked back bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
200ml white wine
400ml good stock (such as Swiss Veg Bouillon)
1 bayleaf
few sprigs of thyme
freshly ground black pepper

1. There’s no need to pre-soak the lentils.

2. Heat the oven to 160°C/ 315°F/140°C fan.

3. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish, add the onion, bacon, leeks and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat, add the lentils and white wine and freshly ground black pepper, stir well, then pour in the stock. Place the sausages on top, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. I don’t add any salt to this recipe as plenty comes from the bacon during cooking.

Just serve in bowls with lots of crusty French bread and wine to wash down.

serves 4

The best Toulouse sausages I’ve got to say are produced by Nick at Dukeshill where the sausages are made by hand to an authentic recipe using outdoor reared British pigs, fresh garlic and natural hog skins. They can be ordered through the Dukeshill website who deliver nationwide. I also used the Wiltshire cured bacon in this recipe but any good butchers’ bacon should do.

P.S. I wouldn’t advise giving any leftovers to the family labrador as we found out the hard way!