Home | Archive | Travel | Videos | About

	story & photographs Frank Greco On a recent filming trip to Glasgow, I received a tutorial on how one chef has revolutionized haggis. I was there filming a cooking show with Canadian celebrity Chef Massimo Capra and we were also able to explore this lovely city. Glasgow’s architecture is staggering and there are plenty of gastronomical experiences to be enjoyed. Our visit being so close to January, we kept hearing of Robbie (Robert) Burns Day and I was asked what I was going to do to celebrate, I guess they thought I was living locally. Robbie Burns Day falls on January 25th. He was a poet and a lyricist and his birth (January 25th) is celebrated worldwide. Robbie Burns moved and inspired Scotland with his words. To remember this poet, people would have Burns suppers featuring the traditional haggis. This dish was memorialized in Robbie Burns’ poem Address to Haggis in 1787 and it’s the national dish of Scotland. Haggis traditionally contains the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep all minced with onion, oatmeal, suet (fat), spices and salt, mixed with stock and simmered in the lining of a sheep’s stomach. During our filming, our feature Chef Colin Clydesdale agreed to show us how he makes haggis. But his one stipulation was that we must eat it. This sent shock waves to the pit of my stomach! Instead of a sheep, he used venison. I witnessed how he and Massimo tore out the insides, minced them together, fried them and then added spices to the pot with the minced meat. I must say the smell was actually appealing. There were two spices that Colin used but would not divulge; he just said it was a family secret that he would not share with anyone. I hope this would make the haggis taste good, for my stomach’s sake! The haggis was ready to eat and my stomach was sending signals to my taste buds, saying this had better be palatable or it’s not staying down. Colin prepared the plate like he serves it to his customers with mashed potatoes and turnip purée. I hesitantly put some potatoes and haggis on my fork and in my mouth it went (potatoes I hoped would soften the taste of the haggis). This was not bad at all. Another fork full went in, this time just the haggis and I really enjoyed the taste of this modern presentation made with the traditional ingredients and combined with Colin’s secret spices. Happy Robbie Burns day! GL	ABOVE The Haggis presentation at Chef Colin Clydsedale’s restaurants in Glasgow, Scotland called Stravaigan Bar and The Ubiquitous Chip. Plate includes mashed potatoes, turnip purée and haggis (second from the right of the plate). Colin Clydsedale is anxious to have Massimo Capra taste his Haggis dish he creates from a secret family recipe.