The recipes were from the NFWI and are also available on line under their respective names. The dessert for the menu was called Raspberry Burns Night Dessert, a simpler version of the traditional Scottish Cranachan which has oats toasted with sugar, cooled, then added with whisky to the cream and fruit. Then you can layer the cream and raspberry crush or puree with the whisky oats, keeping some of the oats to decorate the dessert top with a few whole raspberries. I didn't have either oats and left out the whisky in the recipe I used, and it was just fine. Actually I don't like whisky so was pleased white wine was included but rather missed the oats which would have definitely made the dessert more substantial...and feed more guests!
The cock a leekie soup is a vegetable based soup with long grain rice and prunes. We had roast chicken left over from a previous meal wh ich I skinned and cut into pieces ready for adding to the veggies and chicken stock just 15 mins. before the vegs. were cooked. The rice is added fairly early on and the prunes go in with the chicken.
The mock haggis is a simple mixture of minced beef, suet, onion, seasonings and enough well-flavoured gravy to moisten well. It should also be made with cooked meat, giving the minced meat a darker colour and greater flavour. But it's perfectly ok using fresh meat but you must have really well-flavoured gravy. The original recipe stated steaming for two hours to cook the pudding which, years ago would have been acceptable but, in today's busy housewife's busy life and more streamlined kitchen, steaming a pudding for two hours is probably just not on. And like me, I guess many housewives and cooks are without the necessary steaming equipment. So I reached for my pressure cooker and its instructions. My Prestige cooker stipulated at least 1.1/2 pts boiling water + lemon juice to counteract discolouring, a greased bowl with ether two layers of greased greaseproof paper and string or a single sheet of foil. All puddings need steaming before being cooked and its down to mixture weight for timing, followed by a period of cooking. So the pudding is added to the pan with the lid added without the pressure weight; on a high heat allow the air to escape and when there's a fast escape of steam lower the temperature to give a gentle escape of steam and time. Inst ructions for the original pudding state a period of two hours and Prestige suggest a 1/3 of any own recipe for converting to pressure cooking. Therefore I deduced a 40 minute cooking time would be appropriate, then decided to steam for 30 minutes followed by a 10 minute cook time with the 5lb, weight in place. Well, it worked very well. The pudding was light, moist and very tasty and an excellent supper using a very easy recipe and basic ingredients.
We ate our mock haggis with mashed turnips and potatoes i.e. neeps and tatties both providing the traditional accompaniment to this Burns Night supper feast.
Here's a few photos for you...
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| Mock Haggis, Tatties and Neeps |
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| The inner Haggis |
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| Cock a Leekie Soup |
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| Raspberry Burns Night Dessert with shortbread biscuits |
Now it's Thursday and we've just microwaved a second Mock Haggis in just 15 mins. and it wasn't bad. Possibly the texture wasn't quite as light but, for a quick supper, provided you have the veggie timing spot on, the menu provides a easy mid-week supper.
Here's to the next celebratory menu for another easy feast...and happy family eating.
Daisy xxx
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