I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to haggis and far prefer my pudding in a proper stomach casing. However, the smell coupled with the hours of steaming does not make for a good fit with motorhome living, does it.
Welcome then, the chubby-packed microwaveable haggis. Macsween make a fine one but today I am cooking a Simon Howie one as Tesco let me down on my order. It doesn’t look very nice, nor much like a haggis – it has more of a black pudding-ish appearance, being very dark and close textured, so I do hope it tastes better than it looks!
Mr Snail appreciates a whisky cream sauce with his haggis and this again I normally make from scratch at home but today we have a microwaveable pouch.
In another departure from tradition we are not having clapshot (mashed potato and swede (aka neep)) but roasties. We want to try the Remoska out and see what roasted potatoes come out like. I will mash the neep simply with butter and black pepper to serve on the side.
Some real haggis fans will look aghast when I admit that I shall be serving instant gravy with my haggis but (a) Mr Snail likes gravy on his haggis and (b) this is campervan life, OK? Besides, Bisto granules are actually rather good – even if it is beef gravy on a lamb dish.
At least it’s not chips.
Haggis microwaves well, released from its abominable plastic casing and heated for just a few minutes, covered, in an ovenproof dish,
For the potatoes I followed the advice (more or less) given on the Remoska website, with the alteration of steaming rather than boiling and the omission of the semolina because I had none to hand. I don’t know about you but I do not regard Semolina as a necessity for van dwelling.
So, this is how it shakes down:
- One gas ring to parcook the spuds, I steam rather than boil
- Same ring to cook the neep later, again, I steam – so, same pan
- Same pan again to make the gravy with the vegetable water
- Microwave, for the haggis and the sauce (and I heat my plates in there too)
- Remoska for the roasties
About an hour, all told.
Will report back; perhaps not for a day or three as we are taking off into the forest tomorrow