Tom Kitchin: ‘Burns Night is a perfect excuse to enjoy our wonderful produce’

MANY of you will know I’m a huge fan of Burns Night and the traditional menu of cock-a-leekie soup or Scotch broth followed by haggis, neeps and tatties.

It is a perfect excuse to enjoy all that is great about our wonderful produce and an ideal time to gather friends and family together for a warming, delicious home-made meal. I really think there’s no menu more fitting for a cold January night. Depending on when 25 January falls, we try to have a family meal, or invite a few friends over for our own Burns supper.

In this magazine, I’ve tried in the past to inspire people to plan their own gathering and create their own twist on a Burns supper. My own recipe for haggis, neeps and tatties is a reinvention of our national dish. It’s quite different and a bit lighter than the traditional recipe as I lightly pickle the neeps and my potatoes are fine and crispy. I’ve adapted the recipe over the years in the hope that people will try it for supper any time, not just on Burns Night.

I’ve also shared my love of whisky desserts and my Scottish twist on a French dessert (the rum baba) in the form of a whisky baba. The one thing that remains true of all the recipes I suggest for Burns is that they are fun to create. It’s a joy to take classic, simple recipes and keep their essence, but give them your own unique adaptation. It can be something very simple that makes the dish your own.

I always try something different so, although this year I’ll be serving up my own modern twist on haggis, neeps and tatties, I wanted to offer some fresh ideas so you can try something new too. The key to a successful meal is getting the freshest, best quality ingredients and working from there. Visit your butcher for the best haggis you can find. Make your tatties the way you like them – there are so many varieties and you don’t need to stick to traditional mash if it’s not your favourite. Try adding different vegetables, like carrots, to turnips, for a colourful addition to the plate and an earthy flavour.

Use your leftovers to make a delicious meal the following evening, and don’t feel you have to stick with tradition two nights in a row. Haggis can be a great addition to many other recipes too, from starters to easy suppers and snacks. You can even serve it with other meats if you’re careful about accompaniments. I love this recipe for pork fillet with sautéed apple, haggis and whisky sauce. The flavours combine so well, yet it still celebrates the Burns Night essence of haggis and whisky.

If you’re really stuck for ideas, the queen of haggis, Jo Macsween, has just launched her very own Macsween Haggis Bible with 50 recipes proving just how versatile haggis is.

Shortbread is another great addition to your Burns Night supper, either as part of a dessert or with teas and coffees to end the evening on a sweetly Scottish note. Adding oats gives it some nutritional benefits too.

It’s great to see so many people celebrating Burns Night; even my young sons have heard about Burns at nursery. I’m told that next week is Scottish Week in schools – a chance to celebrate all that is great about our home-grown produce.

We like to make shortbread for the boys to share with their teachers and friends and I feel inspired that the young generations are learning about Scottish traditions and foods early on. This shortbread recipe provides 
another chance to add your own twist, whether you want to add chocolate or fruits or something else that is a personal favourite.

Whatever menu or recipes you celebrate Burns Night with this year, I urge you to challenge yourself a little in the kitchen, take the opportunity to share it with friends and family, but most of all have fun – in the kitchen and eating the efforts of all your hard work and creativity.

Pork fillet with sautéed apple, haggis and whisky sauce

Serves four

4 pork fillet (tenderloin) pieces, about 160-170g each

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

olive oil for cooking

2 crisp, green-skinned dessert apples

300g good-quality haggis

50g butter

100ml whisky

250ml whipping cream