Veggie/vegan haggis (try it with celeriac and horseradish mash)

Working with The University of Sheffield

Season: Winter

We didn’t quite get this recipe to you before Burns Night but hey it’s still deepest winter (but the light is creeping in!) and we are Scotophiles. This dish is intensely savoury (and nutritious) – extra-yummy as leftovers the next day. Recipe is from Felicity Cloake who has the dream job of picking through chefs’ recipes to derive the perfect version for her column. Easily veganised with oil replacing butter. Brown lentils worked fine instead of green split peas. Celeriac and horseradish mash was gorgeous on the side: just steam or boil celeriac chunks until tender, then mash with a little butter or oil, salt and pepper, and as much horseradish sauce (from a jar) as your tastebuds demand. Stir-fried shredded cabbage completes the plate.

Ingredients

50g green split peas (or brown lentils)

50g pearl barley

30g butter (or olive oil)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

75g mushrooms, finely chopped

A generous ½ tsp ground allspice

A generous ½ tsp ground black pepper

90g pinhead oatmeal (regular oats worked OK too)

½ tbsp marmite

600ml hot vegetable stock

1½ tbsp treacle (½ tsp of dark brown sugar worked fine)

Method

Pre-soak peas/lentils for 2 or 3 hours to save cooking time/energy. Likewise the barley benefits from soaking.

Boil the barley and drained peas/lentils separately until softened. In the barley’s case, not too soft – retain some bite. Set aside in separate bowls.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a frying pan. Fry the onion on medium heat until softened, then add the carrot and fry, stirring, until both are soft and beginning to brown. Stir in the mushrooms, allspice, black pepper and fry for a couple of mins.

Add the peas/lentils and oats and stir to coat with butter. Dissolve the Marmite in the stock and pour 400ml into the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until the mixture is very thick and the peas are very tender, adding more stock if necessary. Heat oven to 180C/350F/gas4.

Stir in the barley and remaining butter. Grease a pudding basin or loaf tin. Taste the mix for seasoning, then spoon into the basin/tin, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 mins. Leave for 5 mins, then turn out and serve.