John Lennon once claimed “Happiness Is a Warm Gun”, Charlie Brown went with “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket” whilst Charles M Schulz was equally sure his “Happiness Is a Warm Puppy”. Not necessarily going to argue with any of these titans’ choices of course, but me? I’d have to plump for Happiness Is a Warm Haggis
And yet, is this post really delayed? Come on now, is there any point in the year when haggis shouldn’t be eaten? Do we need to wait for just Burn’s Night? No, no, no, I really don’t think so.
Simon goes on to say:
“In the unlikely event you reach a point in your life when only a plate of Calenberger Pannenslag will do, here is the recipe used at Porkcamp, scaled down for home preparation.”
But how can this event be unlikely? Is he certifiably insane? Although that he (apparently) voluntarily chose at some point in the intervening years to move to and live in the US means the answer to that rhetorical one could very well be “yes” I suppose. So of course you need this delight in your life. At anytime of the year. And stat!
You also do need to find a friendly and accommodating butcher though — or better still — a local farmer who’s happy to help with some of the less often seen ingredients.
Ingredients
¼kg oatmeal 1½ litres warm chicken stock 1½ kg headmeat (at a push, use pork belly) 1 pig heart 2 pig brains 1 large onion (finely chopped) 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons pepper 1½ teaspoons paprika 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
Preparation:
Mix the oatmeal with the heated stock and leave to absorb the liquid for at least an hour. Mince the head meat, the heart and the brains (3mm grind), and then mix thoroughly with the oatmeal and chopped onions. Season and then heat through in a saucepan, stirring constantly to stop the mixture sticking. When the mixture thickens to dropping consistency, ladle it in batches into a lightly oiled frying pan and cook while moving it around the pan. It should be cooked through after 5-10 minutes and there should be some really delicious crunchy bits, which are much prized. Serve with gherkins, crusty bread and fried potatoes.
