Haggis Loaf

A distant cousin of the Great Chieftain o' the Scottish Puddin' Race. The lamb, liver and oats are a 21st century substitute for the now extinct feathered haggis once ferociously hunted by Geronimo MacDonald and his clan in the Adirondack Mountains. Recent research by a team of Poughkeepsie scientists suggests that they may be able, at some future date, be able to clone the feathered haggis from DNA found in fossils of the animal. Until then, you'll have to live with this recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb boneless lamb shoulder or 1  lb lamb breast, cut into pieces or 1  lb ground lamb
• 1⁄2 lb lamb liver, cut into pieces
• 4  fluid ounces water
• 1  onion, coarsely chopped
• 1  large egg
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  cup pinhead oats or 1  cup old fashioned oats, toasted (do NOT use quick-cooking or instant oats, pinhead preferred)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease an 8½ by 4½ inch loaf pan.
3. In a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, process together half of the lamb, the liver, water, onion, egg, salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg until well combined.
4. Add the remaining half of the lamb and the oats, and process again until well combined.
5. Spoon the lamb mixture into the greased pan and pat the surface to level it.
6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until center feels firm when gently pressed.
7. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a hot serving platter; slice and serve with bashed neeps and tatties.
8. ***Just like its distant American cousin, the meatloaf, haggis loaf freezes very well after it's cooked- I recommend freezing it in individual serving-size slices.