Burns Party -- The Food

The food, oh the food!!

Our menu for the Burns Night Supper started with an appetizer of Cock-a-Leekie soup.

After the soup, we piped in the haggis, and moved on to the main course, consisting of roasted leg of lamb, neeps, tatties, and haggis. Of course, Becky insisted upon a green salad!

Complimenting the meal was my selection of whisky. For those preferring grape to grain, we served a Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volante 1999 and a Hop Kiln Generations 2004 Pinot Noir.

We finished it all off with a beautiful chocolate Cranachan topped with raspberries.

Here are those luscious recipes:

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Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Eva Chesteen

1 frying chicken
3 qt. water
3 onions, sliced
4 bouillon cubes
4 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
8-12 leeks (split, washed and sliced)
½ c. uncooked rice

Boil chicken and onion in water until chicken is fully cooked. Cool and debone chicken, removing fat and skin. Add chicken pieces back to water and add other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes covered. Remove bay leaf if you can find the darn thing.

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Haggis
Scott Harris

This recipe assumes, like me, you cannot get real haggis. If you live outside the U.S.A. and can obtain real haggis, of course, use that instead!

2 (14-ounce) cans of Scottish haggis (unless you're feeling adventurous enough to make your own)
1 large casing (stomach, fibrous salami casing, tube-sock, whatever you can find!)

If using fibrous casing, soak the casing in warm water for 30 minutes.

Remove haggis from the can. Heat haggis in the skillet until it is uniformly browned and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly.

Spoon the haggis into the casing, tapping it down to make it compact. Tie off the casing. Ten minutes before serving, microwave the haggis for two minutes, then transfer to a warm oven until time to serve. Be sure to prick the haggis before serving to avoid scalding sprays of hot grease. (Yum!)

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Lamb Marinade
Sandi and Scott Harris

2 crushed garlic cloves
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. spicy mustard
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1½ tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp. whisky
plenty of cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients with a whisk. Marinate the lamb for at least two hours.
(This recipe is for a 2½ lb. roast. Double it for a 5 lb. roast.)

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Roasted Leg of Lamb
Scott Harris

1 (5-pound boneless, 7-pound bone-in) leg of lamb
¼ c. fresh rosemary
salt
pepper

Marinate the lamb for at least two hours using the Lamb Marinade. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sixteen ¾ in. slits into the lamb, eight on each side. Chop the rosemary into small pieces and press into the lamb, including the slits. Drizzle remaining marinade onto the lamb, including the slits. Coat liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven on a broiler pan for 1½ hours or until thermometer reads 140 degrees (medium-rare) or 155 degrees (medium). Remove and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

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Neeps

3 large rutabagas
butter
salt and pepper

Peel and chop the rutabagas into 1 in. cubes. Boil the rutabagas until they are soft. Strain and then mash with butter, salt and pepper.

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Camembert Mashed Potatoes
Cooking Light
(our tatties for the evening)

1½ (8-ounce) rounds Camembert cheese
11 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 4½ pounds)
½ c. 1% low-fat milk
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh chives (optional)

Cut cheese into 6 wedges. Carefully remove rind from cheese; discard rind. Chop cheese; let stand at room temperature while potatoes cook.

Place potatoes into a large Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander; return potatoes to pan. Add cheese, milk, salt, and ¾ tsp. pepper; mash with a potato masher until smooth. Garnish with chives and additional pepper, if desired.

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Chocolate Cranachan
Bon Appétit

2 c. coarsely grated bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate (about 6 oz.)
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped (4½ oz.)
1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (3 oz.; do not use instant)
1¾ c. chilled heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. crème fraîche or sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 c. whisky

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chocolate, hazelnuts, and brown sugar in medium bowl. Spread oats out on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir hot oats into chocolate mixture (hot oats will partially melt chocolate); set aside until chocolate firms, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Or stick in the freezer to rush the process.)

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, crème fraîche, and sugar in large bowl until cream mixture holds peaks. Fold in whisky.

In each of six 10- to 12-ounce goblets, layer ¾ c. cream mixture and ¾ c. oat mixture; repeat layering.

Top each parfait with ¾ c. cream mixture and sprinkle with oat mixture. Cover parfaits and chill overnight.

Variations:
Instead of goblets, Becky served the whole dessert in a trifle dish, then she layered raspberries and mint sprigs on top for a final flourish.

Serves 6. (We doubled this recipe.)