Enjoy your haggis tonight.

[memory man]

The haggis is a traditional Scots dish memorialised as the national dish of Scotland by Robert Burns' poem 'Address to a Haggis' in 1787.

And, tonight's the night.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Aboon them a' yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace
As lang's me arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin', rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro' blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' trissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind yer care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!

[Devil]

I'd love some, but it's raclette tonight!

[Devil]

We enjoy raclette a few times/year but the quality depends on the cheese, which should be made specifically for the dish. Lidl recently had some French raclette cheese of average quality. The best cheese is Bagnes from the Valais (Wallis for you), but it's horrifically expensive. Most of the other Valaisan raclette cheeses are also good. Also better on a vertical charcoal grill à la Suisse, rather than electric, which tends to overheat it. Can't get the right potatoes here, either.

[Maggie B]

We are going to be day late MM (Brian 1)!!! Sabbath for our Haggis Neeps and Tatties. (Circumstances). We will both enjoy it though, as always.

However, I have looked up this raclette doodah (Brian 2). . . . And I really really like the look of it. Surely you can cover a huge range of likes, dislikes, tastes and also intolerences here. I'm intrigued, and as a cook (of sorts) I am excited about doing this for my family.

AR . . . . . . .ermmm I mean Austin 7, just get your backside into gear and get yon piece of kit out again and surprise yourself. If Dev can do it then you can. X

MB

[Dominic]

Does anybody actually enjoy haggis? I thought it was something that had to be endured, like the sprout.

[71 Trans Am]

Absolutely Disgusting stuff, Never really been sure what’s in it but it harks back to the days when the jocks used to eat their kids in Scotland, Then Hadrian built a wall to stop this primitive pastime spreading but some still partake even to this day.

[Lincoln]

I tried Haggis whilst up in Bonny Scotland........Disgusting stuff. However each to there own eh.

[zorbathejock]

I love haggis. After we have had it as a hot meal I have it cold on sandwiches. Yummy.

[Devil]

I love haggis. After we have had it as a hot meal I have it cold on sandwiches. Yummy.

There's never any left over for sandwiches!

[Maggie B]

Haggis is delicious Dominic. Have you never tried it??

Maggie B

[Jim B]

My pal from Aberdeen always sinks gin and tonic when we're working overseas but reverts to whisky (even though he doesnt like it) when back home to "keep up appearances", think it's the same with many Scots and Haggis.

Jim