While Burns Night was on Wednesday, many people may be waiting for the weekend to celebrate.
In addition, haggis is more widely available in the shops at this time of year so why not make yourself a weekend treat with this recipe for beef and haggis pie?
You can’t go wrong with classic haggis, neeps and tatties, but if you’re looking to switch it up slightly this year, or looking for recipes to use your leftover haggis, this dish from Make It Scotch is the answer.
Scotch beef and haggis pie
(Serves 6-8)
Ingredients
For the pie filling:
- 2 tbsp vegetable or Scottish rapeseed oil
- 600g lean Scotch beef, minced
- 135g pack of pancetta/lardon/bacon cubes
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 1 stick celery, finely diced
- 2 tbsp of flour to thicken
- 1 tsp of thyme (fresh or dried)
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 454g good quality haggis
- 600ml beef stock (fresh or made with a stock cube)
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the pie topping:
- 600g potatoes (Maris Piper or Desree varieties work well), peeled and chopped into equal sized chunks
- 300g swede, peeled and chopped into equal sized chunks
- 50ml milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 150g mature cheddar cheese (reserve a handful to scatter on top of the pie before baking)
- 1 tsp English mustard (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170 Fan/375F/Gas Mark 4.
- Cook the potatoes and swede in a large pan of salted boiling water until tender.
- While the potatoes and swede are boiling, heat a large saucepan on a medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Brown the minced beef in batches, turning when the meat is lightly browned and repeat on the other side (don’t skip this step as you’ll get a much better depth of flavour in the finished pie). Remove the browned meat and place to one side.
- In the same pan, add the rest of the oil and gently fry the pancetta, diced onion, carrot and celery until softened (about five minutes).
- Now, return the browned mince and any juices in the bowl, to the pan. Add the flour, thyme and seasoning and give it good stir to ensure the flour is well combined. Next add the haggis, ensuring you break it up so there aren’t any big lumps.
- Next, add the beef stock, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for around 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- When the potatoes and swede are very tender, drain. Allow as much steam to evaporate from the potatoes and swede as possible. Return them to the dry pan with the milk, butter and cheese. Mash together, then stir in the mustard (if using).
- Spoon the beef and haggis mix into a pie dish, top with the mash (use a fork to provide some texture on top of the pie which will help it to turn a lovely golden colour and give you those essential crispy bits!).
- Finish with some grated cheese, then bake for about 35-40 minutes until bubbling hot and golden.
- Serve with garden peas or sautéed kale.
