Burn's night menu

Some of you may know and other will not, I’m down here but from up there. So Burn’s Night is a thing for me. It’s something I really enjoy taking part in, the same way we do Chinese New Year just a few days later as Mr M enjoys having lots of fresh Asian food.

Plus I love haggis.

So TO THE MENU!

Cullen Sking

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Cranachan

STARTER

Fit you’ll need:

500g undyed smoked haddock, skin on
A bay leaf
Knob of butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, washed and cut up – not sliced too thinly
2 medium tatties, peeled, cut into chunks
500ml whole milk OR 300ml milk and 200ml cream

Cullen Skink. Now the best thing about this is the fishing town I was born into is actually about 5 minutes away from Cullen. So this recipe and the smells are pretty much ‘home’. The main thing you should know is it has a STRONG smokey flavour and is very creamy. There are many variations but let us get down to business.

Fit ta dee:

The Fish:
Haddock traditionally, but if you really don’t like it swap it out for another white smoked fish. It will be just as good. Try and get around 500g of good smoked fish – avoid the coloured jobbies. Gently boil the fish with the bay leaf until it is flaky. remove for them heat & water and leave to cool.

The Stock/Liqour:
If you have the time always make your own. I don’t have the time. I’m going to be using a Knorr fish stock pot and tempering in some cream to the mixture and then adding the vegetables as below. I find they have just the right balance and a ‘fresh’ taste. I also use these stock pots in fishball soup for Mr. M.

If you want to go from scratch – poach some fish in some milk and butter (ten minutes), remove all the fish and leave the milk in the pan. Now add in your vegetables. once the milk is a little bit thicker remove the vegetables too (put to one side). Temper in some cream, stir lightly and you should have a perfect base.

The Creamy Texture:
Let us be frank here, nothing THAT good ever lacked in cream or butter. If you really think you’d like to you can use just the milk here. I wouldn’t recommend it but for sure you can.

Gettin’ it Thick:
This is a really easy bit, no need for a lot of fussing about. See the potatoes you cooked earlier? Take a few bits, put it back in the pan with the creamy mix and mash. You will find the soup thickens up and begins to look more hearty. Make sure you have some spuds left for the next bit.

Bowlin’ up:
So now you have a glorious, smokey, creamy and hearty soup. It just needs to be put together. The smoked fish will need flaking now, remove as many bones as possible. In each bow put a small mound of mashed potatoes in the middle, top that with some of the flaked smoked fish. Now ladle in the creamy soup and top with a few of the leeks you cooked.

There is no need to salt the dish really, it has a lot of flavour, however pepper is your best pal with this one. It balances with the cream perfectly.

The thing with this is, you can add fennel, chives swap fish, add cream, use less cream but if you stick to the basic process you will always end up with a big bowl of cream coloured happiness.

MAIN

Fit you’ll need:

This is about as simple as I can make it.

Haggis, Tatties and Neeps.

Translation: Haggis, potatoes and turnips.

Just make sure you have picked up enough for everyone.

Fit ta dee:

I like to cook my haggis in the over, I love the spicy smell that rolls around the house. But you can follow the instructions that suit your cooking time better.

Put your tatties and neeps in separate pans but at the same time. Treat each one to a good grinding of salt, a spot of cream in your tatties a twist of pepper and mash. For the neeps add a nob of butter and mash.

Platin’ up yer supper:

Depending on which method you used to cook your haggis you may need to slice your casing – watch your fingers it’s HOT. Scoop a good amount on to each plate. Pile on the mash and the neeps next to it.

You might find some people like to add a whiskey cream sauce or gravy. I don’t!

So after all of that you will be full, but that isn’t really the point.

SWEET

There are so many lovely things that could go in the spot. But I am a fan of oats.

Fit you’ll need:

350g double cream
40g oats – I like the crunchy course oats but you can use a few types. This is 10g per person – more people needs more grams so adjust accordingly.
200g raspberries
2 tablespoons Runny Hunny
2 tables spoons of Whiskey (plus more for drinking)

Fit ta dee:

Pop your oats in a pan, don’t let them burn but just gently toast them. While they are doing their thing, whip your cream up. Once done, crush up half of your raspberries, fold them into the cream. Then add in your two tablespoons of hunny and whiskey, give it a good but gentle stir – nothing worse than a pocket of whiskey trapped in your cream.

Get a few glasses, small tumblers work well. Pop a scoop of your very tasty cream mixture in each glass. Put a few of the uncrushed raspberries on top and lastly, top with the oats. The trick to a crunchy oat is to serve immediately. People can stir their own Cranachan.

For the grown ups put the whiskey in the middle of the table and hand out some clean tumblers.
.

These are not THE only recipes, in fact they might not be the best versions. But I though I would share them with you and you can maybe have a go at them!

And finally what is Burn’s Night without a poem?

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve’s like the melodie

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I:

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee well, my only Luve

And fare thee well, a while!

And I will come again, my Luve,

Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

Burn's night menu!

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