HOPKINTON, N.H. — Somehow it just wasn’t the same.
Every year New Hampshire plays host to an enormous gathering of would-be Scotsmen and women who celebrate their heritage, toss a few cabers, knock back a few pints, wriggle into a kilt or two and possibly even try a bite of haggis.
Though I’ve lived in the state for many years, I’ve always resisted the assurances of co-workers who pledged it was far and away New Hampshire’s best draw. I was dubious; I was educated at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In other words, I’d enjoyed the real thing — listening in pain as my flatmate taught himself the bagpipe, consuming far too much lager and even donning a kilt. The New Hampshire version seemed doomed to disappoint.
But in the name of good journalism, this year I relented. My wife wanted to get out of the house; I wanted the food.
Though meals during my university years focused mostly on canned beans and the aforementioned lager, I’d occasionally splurge for a splendid vegetarian haggis.
It would be difficult to find a food less vegetarian friendly than haggis. Traditional recipes call for cooking a sheep’s liver, heart and other innards, as well as various grains, in its own stomach.
But a natural foods cafe around the corner from my flat offered a vegetarian version. Admittedly, the delicious and spicy blend of beans, lentils, oats and vegetables shared few traits with the genuine article.
With this savory memory, I convinced myself that the New Hampshire fair would offer a sea of Scottish culinary treats. And in this enlightened age, perhaps even a vegetarian haggis.
Nice theory. In the fair’s defense, we arrived late in the day as things were winding down. With badly played bagpipes moaning in the background, we checked the food pavilion.
First, a haggis stand. Real haggis. It seemed like a good sign.
But next was an ice cream shack. Then hot dogs. Then funnel cake. Then cotton candy. Then more funnel cake. Then burgers. Then more ice cream … It was fair food, and not even Scottish fair food (haggis-on-a-stick anyone?).
What a disappointment. But by now I was dreaming of the vegetarian haggis of my youth.
Online I found several purveyors of veg haggis (vaggis?), including one from Edinburgh. But my hankering for haggis couldn’t justify overnighting a ball of beans and oats from Scotland.
Vegetarian groups in the United Kingdom offer a stunning array of recipes for sheep-free haggis online, each differing dramatically from the others. Printing half a dozen, I decided to forge my own by combining the best of all of them.
The resulting haggis is a spicy, meaty dish reminiscent of a lentil or nut loaf, but with a more savory flavor and texture. It can be baked in a loaf pan, but is best in individual ramekins.
Serve the vegetarian haggis with mashed potatoes and gravy. Or for an Americanization that would make any Scot cringe, squirt it with ketchup.
Vegetarian haggis
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