Hilary is champion of foodie website and blog MyMonkfish.com, where she celebrates artisan producers, inspiring restaurants and general foodie excellence. It was awarded Olive magazines Blog of the Month and The List’s Best Scottish Website. Here she shares her Commonwealth food heaven.  

Haggis stuffed roasted pears, served with wild rice, halloumi salad and a toasted almond dressing.

With the Commonwealth Games just around the corner it’s great to be able to celebrate the famous Macsween Haggis with ingredients from other Commonwealth countries – South African pears and Cypriot halloumi.

It’s ‘summer’ on a plate and will keep everyone happy, while they watch the Glasgow Games and sip a glass of their favorite tipple.

The dish is extremely versatile too. Keep portion sizes small, for a fantastic starter. Add the mild, salty halloumi, for a fresh zingy salad and the rice for a main course. As with any recipe, you don’t need to stick to the rules, customise it - try adding feta to the salad instead of halloumi, if you don’t like almonds change the dressing and make it your own!

So, even if you’re not currently soaking up the Cypriot or South African sun, put your feet up! It’s time to enjoy the flavours of the Commonwealth, whilst they visit the home of haggis.

Enjoy the Games!

Serves 4

Ingredients
Quick cook long grain and wild rice
1 onion finely sliced
1tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil
salt and pepper to taste
scattering of toasted flaked almonds
2 firm but ripe pears
knob of butter
250g halloumi
couple of leaves of fresh mint chopped
454g Commonwealth Macsween Haggis
handful of mixed salad leaves
extra rapeseed oil and a splash of white wine (optional) to dress the dish


Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/320°F
1.    Cook the long grain and wild rice as per the packet instructions.
2.    Fry the onion gently in a small pan with the olive oil, ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
3.    Cut the pears in two lengthways. Use a small spoon to take out the core which will leave space for the haggis later in the recipe. Melt the butter on a baking tray and then put the pears flesh side down on the tray and cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the flesh is soft.
4.    Meanwhile slice the halloumi and either pan fry it in a dash of rapeseed oil or place it on a hot griddle pan for a minute or two each side. Place to one side.
5.    Check on the onions, they should be lovely and soft by now but not brown. If using a splash of white wine then quickly turn the heat up, glug in the wine and let it bubble away for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and add the toasted flaked almonds. Set aside.
6.    Once the pears are almost done prepare the haggis for cooking by removing the outer vacuum pack bag and put in a microwaveable dish. Heat the haggis in the microwave as per the instructions.
7.    Remove the pears from the oven and carefully spoon the haggis into the hollowed out space.

To serve
1.    Place a pear half on each dish with a spoonful of wild rice.
2.    Place the sliced halloumi with the salad leaves and scatter the chopped fresh mint over the halloumi.
3.    Finally drizzle the onion and toasted almond dressing around the edge of the plate and over the salad if you wish.