Trifling With Robert Burns

In Scotland, Jan. 25 is designated Burns Night, an occasion when Scots remember their greatest poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796). His birthday is commemorated in many places with a special Burns Night dinner, which involves drinking toasts and eating haggis.

After the meal, there are speeches, recitations of Burns’ poems, including the favorite “Tam O’ Shanter,” and singing of Burns’ songs long into the night. Finally everyone stands, arms crossed and hands linked, for the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Scotland is not the only place where Burns’ birthday is celebrated. There are hundreds of Burns clubs and Scottish societies throughout the world. Wherever these groups exist--or where two or more Scots are together-- Robbie Burns’ birthday is cause for celebration.

A haggis is the traditional centerpiece of a Burns Night dinner, and it is traditional to toast it with a wee dram of whiskey before digging in. Some would say they need more than a wee dram of whiskey before they could enjoy this dish, but I would encourage you to give haggis a try.

Haggis is really nothing more than a huge sausage: organ meats ground, seasoned, mixed with oatmeal and traditionally stuffed into a cleaned sheep’s stomach (instead of regular sausage casing) to be cooked. Nowadays, you can find it canned in stores all over Scotland.

When I am in Scotland, I head straight for a potato shop and buy a baked potato topped with haggis--a delicious combination.

Haggis is the indispensable dish for a proper Burns Night dinner. Traditionally, it makes its entry into the dining room to the skirling of bagpipes. Following the piper (or pipers) in full tartan regalia is the chef, holding aloft on a silver tray the steaming haggis. Next comes a white-toqued waiter, holding high two bottles of Scotch whiskey, crossed like swords. The haggis is placed before the chief guest or the host.

Then follow all eight verses of the poet’s “Address to a Haggis,” declaimed by the host as he ritually stabs the haggis, making a St. Andrew’s-shaped cross with the dagger (dirk) drawn from his stocking.

“Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,

“Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!

“Aboon them a’ ye tak your place....”

Then the host, piper and chef toss down a dram each of malt whiskey. Sometimes the haggis too is anointed with “guid auld Scotch drink.” Each guest also drinks a toast to the haggis and drenches his individual portion with Scotch.

If you want to find the true Scottish haggis, attend a Burns Night dinner. In the meantime, you might try this tame American version of homemade haggis, which omits most of the organ meats and casing but still has many of the ingredients found in a genuine haggis. It resembles a meat loaf. The rest of the recipes that follow are authentically Scottish.

HAGGIS MEAT LOAF

1/2 pound veal or lamb liver

1 small onion

1 egg

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 cup stock or broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Juice of 1 lemon or 1/4 cup red wine

1 cup stone-ground oats or old-fashioned rolled oats

Chop liver and onion in food processor. Add egg, lamb, broth, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, lemon juice and oats and process just long enough to combine well.

Transfer mixture to greased 9x5-inch loaf pan and shape as for meat loaf. Bake at 350 degrees until center is firm, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool slightly, then unmold onto serving platter. Serve with potatoes, turnips and carrots.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP

1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into pieces or left whole

2 1/2 quarts water

1 clove, sprigs of parsley and thyme, 6 peppercorns, tied in muslin or cheesecloth bag

Salt, pepper

6 large leeks (3 to 4 cups sliced)

1/4 cup steel-cut oats or old-fashioned rolled oats

Place chicken and water in large kettle with herb bag and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender, about 2 hours. Remove chicken and herb bag. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Set meat aside.

Degrease broth by pouring through gravy skimmer or allow broth to cool and then spoon off fat. Strain broth before cooling, if necessary. (You need at least 2 quarts well-flavored broth.)

Trim off roots of leeks and trim leeks to within 2 inches of white portion. Wash thoroughly to remove sand. Cut leeks into thin circles. Wash again, if necessary.

Bring broth to boil. Add leeks and oats and simmer until leeks are tender. Add about 2 cups chicken meat during last few minutes of cooking. Adjust seasonings.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

SELKIRK BANNOCK

1 pound unbleached or bread flour (about 3 2/3 cups)

1 (1/4-ounce) package rapid-rise dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup milk

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup mixed candied peel

Milk or beaten egg

Mix together flour, yeast and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter in saucepan, then add milk. Heat few seconds until milk is very warm (123 to 130 degrees). Remove from heat. Stir warm milk mixture into flour mixture to form soft dough.

Turn dough onto floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Knead in raisins and candied peel. Continue kneading until fruit is evenly distributed. Shape into large ball. Place on greased baking sheet and flatten to 8-inch round. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in warm place 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until almost doubled in size.

Remove plastic wrap. Brush risen dough with a little milk or beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 20 minutes more. If top begins to over-brown, cover loosely with foil.

Makes 1 loaf.

TRIFLE

A trifle is the mainstay of the dessert trolley in the British Isles. It is simple to prepare when the basic ingredients--sponge cake, preserves, Sherry, custard, fresh fruit, nuts and whipped cream--are gathered together in advance. Candied violets and angelica are often used to decorate trifles.

A trifle bowl is traditionally a straight-sided, clear glass bowl on a pedestal, measuring about 8 inches across and 5 inches high; this recipe makes enough to fill such a bowl nearly to the top. Any glass bowl can be used, however, and the trifle can be made with a single layer of cake pieces in a smaller bowl. Individual trifles can be made in brandy snifters or stemmed dessert glasses.

If you have too much cake for your container, freeze it before soaking it with the Sherry and make another trifle later.

BOILED CUSTARD

2 cups milk

2 cups whipping cream

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup raspberry jam

1 cup sweet Sherry (about)

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced, or more

2 cups whipped cream

10 to 12 whole fresh strawberries

1 cup toasted sliced almonds

Prepare custard a day before making and serving the trifle.

Scald together milk and cream in top of double boiler.

In small bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar, flour and salt. Gradually add milk mixture to bowl, stirring constantly. Return mixture to double boiler and cook over hot (not boiling) water, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. When custard shows signs of thickening, test it with clean metal spoon. Custard is done when it coats spoon with a creamy layer.

Remove custard from heat immediately to prevent overcooking. Cool custard and then stir in vanilla. Cover and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

If you should overcook custard, causing curdling, immediately place pan into another pan containing cold water and beat with rotary beater or hand mixer until custard is smooth. Do not reheat.

SPONGE CAKE

5 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 egg yolks

5 tablespoons cold water

1 cup superfine granulated sugar

1 cup cake flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy, using medium speed of electric mixer. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until stiff.

In separate bowl, combine egg yolks, cold water and superfine sugar. Beat at medium speed until mixture is light yellow and fluffy.

Sift cake flour 3 times and add it to yolk mixture along with vanilla. Beat until well blended, using low speed. Fold in beaten egg whites by hand and blend well.

Pour batter into ungreased 10x4-inch tube cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees 55 to 60 minutes. Turn upside down to cool before removing from pan.

TRIFLE

Split sponge cake into 4 layers. Trim off browned areas. Spread 2 halves with jam, then top each with another layer of cake, gently compressing them with hands to bind them together. Cut cake into wedges or cubes. Place cubes in large bowl and sprinkle with Sherry, 1 tablespoon at a time. Toss gently to distribute Sherry evenly.

Place layer of Sherry-soaked cake in bottom of trifle bowl. Add about 1 cup sliced strawberries and about 1 cup chilled custard. Repeat. Top with 1 more layer of cake and end with layer of custard.

Using pastry bag and appropriate tip, pipe whipped cream over top of trifle. Sprinkle cream with sliced, toasted almonds. Place fresh strawberries around edge. Chill until serving, but not so long as to allow trifle to become soggy.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.