BURN'S NIGHT

A bit belated, but my Burn's night this year didn't quite go to plan.

It was to be a quiet one, just myself and my husband, it was a Tuesday night, so we were not celebrating big style. I was however going to cook a delicious supper for us both to enjoy together. My husband is spending a lot of time travelling at the moment, so a nice supper together mid week was quite a treat.

Of course haggis neeps and tatties were on the menu, but with a difference. Neeps, as usual, bashed, or mashed to non Scots. The potatoes were to be roasted until nice and crispy which would be a perfect match for my chicken stuffed haggis in a whisky cream sauce. I have cooked this on several occasions. I think it is the perfect way to let "haggis virgins" try it out for the first time. If they find they don't really like the haggis then at least there is still something there for them to eat.

All was going well, table set, hubby arrived home, had his shower and I was happy in the kitchen. Potatoes were roasting nicely, neeps were bubbling away, chicken stuffed and browned and was now cooking in the oven. I was so looking forward to sitting down and enjoying the meal to come.

I bashed the neeps and removed the pan with the chicken from the oven. I put the chicken on a plate ready to flambe the whisky, and with a splash of cream and seasoning we would be ready to go.

Well go we did, but not as planned! As the hot pan slipped from the stove top believe it or not I caught it! Remember it had only just come out of the oven! A loud scream sent my husband running to my aid. I plunged my hand into cold water, and although not usually a crier, the tears poured. This really hurt. Also part of me was angry for being so stupid. As I stood there for quite some time with cold water running over my hand I decided an ER trip wasn't needed, although it was very painful. At this point my husband decided he would finish off the sauce.

I had no appetite at this point but rather than let it all spoil I sat down with my hand grasping a bag of frozen peas. I had to have my food cut up for me to allow me to eat it, enjoy it, no. But my husband said it was very nice.

So not the night I had hoped for. No photos of the meal to post. I do have one of my badly blistered hand, but not a pretty thing.
I spent the night making my way through all the frozen bag of veg, at one point I was down to a bag of frozen chips. The smell was not good.

One week later blisters healing but think there will be scars left.

So for me this Burn's night did exactly as it said on the box!

DAMN YOU HAGGIS

A NASTY SURPRISE!

Once again it was time to serve up haggis for Burn's Night. Anyone who reads this blog regularly may remember last year was a bit of a disaster due to a very hot pan coming into contact with my hand. My eyes still water at the memory.
However the pain forgotten, and determined to make this year's dinner an altogether more pleasurable one, I bought my haggis and neeps, and planned to keep it very simple and very traditional.

Aforementioned haggis was bought from Waitrose, a product of McSween, a very reputable haggis making company. I was so looking forward to it.

Tatties and neeps ready. Removed haggis from oven and much to my surprise it didn't looked cooked, it was altogether too pale. It was hot, so I decided to give it another 15 mins. But again it looked the same, but now piping hot. I started to dish up, and it was at this point I spotted traces of carrot and nuts, amongst other things that have no place in a haggis.

I couldn't have, surely not! I retrieved the packaging from the bin and scoured the labelling. No obvious reference to what I suspected, but there, on the ingredients list, confirmed my worst fears. It was a vegetarian haggis. So wrong on so many levels. I did eventually find it written on the packaging but it was not obvious. I had made a horrible mistake.

I served it up anyway, and to be honest, it was as I had suspected. Not at all haggis like. The texture was all wrong and the seasoning wasn't doing it for me. I was so disappointed.

So this leads me to something that I have been saying for a long time

"Vegetarians please get your own name for foods. Leave our food words for us. We have the sausage, the burger and the haggis to name a few, you must find your own words"
Then maybe no one else will make this dreadful mistake.

Whew! Good to get that off my chest.

So once again a Burn's night which didn't go to plan. Oh well there's always next year. Maybe I should do a few practice runs during the year. I have to get it right eventually.