Macsween of Edinburgh, creator of the classic vegetarian haggis, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new look this summer.
Developed for the opening of The Scottish Poetry Library in 1984, Macsween’s vegetarian haggis has shot to fame as a versatile meat-free dish, and has changed the traditional image of haggis forever.
Director Jo Macsween, said:
“Haggis used to be viewed as a meat by-product, served only in Scotland, and generally only for Burns Night celebrations. But the vegetarian haggis has really helped change all that.”
“All of our products use very high quality ingredients and the vegetarian line has added to the dish’s versatility. Consumers now view our whole range a little bit differently.”
The vegetarian haggis now accounts for one quarter of all Macsween sales, and has become popular with non-vegetarians, too.
Macsween’s vegetarian haggis is sold throughout the UK and Europe, in major supermarket chains, such as Waitrose and Tesco, as well as independents and specialist food shops and wholesalers.
Jo added:
“Interestingly, our veggie version has also grown in popularity with butchers, chefs and general meat-eaters as both a side-dish, and a vegetarian substitute.”
“This summer, we’re expecting consumption of the veggie haggis to break records, in terms of sales.”
“We’ve been working with chefs over the last couple of years to develop recipes for all seasons that will best complement the nutty flavours of our veggie version. And, because it’s such a light ingredient, and works well both hot or cold, it really is fantastic for summer,” she said.
With recipes like warm salads, floury wraps, and spicy pakora, the Macsweens have cause to be optimistic.
Contact Macsween of Edinburgh on 0131 440 2555, or go to the website (www.macsween.co.uk), for more information.
Media contacts
Amelia Radford, Consultant, Great Circle Communications, 0131 225 4646, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mike Groves, Director, Great Circle Communications, 0131 225 4646, 07798 892 045, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
The following recipes match the three summer veggie haggis examples noted above. Matching images accompany this release.
Warm Vegetarian Haggis Salad
What you put in this recipe depends on what you like. We suggest the following...
Fry some croutons in some oil and, once crispy, remove from heat and keep warm. Meanwhile, fry some cubes of Macsween vegetarian haggis until heated through and slightly crispy. Toss both the hot ingredients into a bowl of salad leaves.
t is good to get a mixture of leaves, both in terms of colours and textures, to make the salad look and taste more interesting. For added crunch, add some toasted pine nuts or chopped celery.
Haggis in Pitta with Tzatsiki
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 medium Macsween vegetarian haggis 4 pitta breads, toasted until warm and puffy salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Tzatsiki
1 medium cucumber, wiped and ends removed 200ml/7fl oz Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil the juice of ½ lemon 2 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Method
To make the tzatsiki, grate the cucumber, unpeeled, and place the grated flesh into a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and leave for approximately an hour.
Using your hands, squeeze out all the liquid, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add pepper to taste.
Heat the veggie haggis according to instructions on the packaging.
Split the warm pitta breads, and then fill with a couple of spoonfuls of haggis. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of tzatsiki.
Vegetarian Haggis Pakora
The batter
2 cupfuls of gram flour pinch of bicarbonate of soda pinch of chilli powder salt to taste
Method
Add water to the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
You may like to add some extra ingredients to the batter, like half crushed fresh ginger, crushed fresh garlic, cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, tumeric powder, fresh coriander, garam masala, etc.
Form the Macsween vegetarian haggis into small balls, coat in the batter and deep-fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and serve. Delicious hot or cold.