38 Scots Inspired Burns Night Supper Recipe Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What do Scots eat on Burns Night? ›

Serve up a Scottish supper to remember with a classic smoked fish soup and the essential haggis, neeps and tatties - all rounded off with a traditional clootie dumpling. Delicious!

Haggis, neeps and tatties is a classic main course for a Burns Supper, sometimes people have haggis starters such as deep fried haggis bonbons!

Traditional Scottish Steak Pie With Chips and Brussels Sprouts. Steak pie is hugely popular in Scotland. It is most often associated with New Year (Hogmanay) but is widely eaten at all times of the year, making it the perfect haggis substitute for a Burns Supper.

Our modern Burns Night menu from chef Roberta Hall-McCarron is a little bit different but equally delicious. One thing's for sure, the traditional Scottish dessert cranachan is the pudding for the job, and a wee dram of whisky is non-negotiable.

Burns Night is a time to enjoy Scottish traditions and celebrate the renowned poet Robert Burns with a classic combination of haggis, neeps, tatties, some reciting of poetry, and maybe even a warming dram.

Held annually on 25 January, Burns Night conjures up images of cosying up around a fire, enjoying traditional Scottish fare and devouring a deliciously warming whisky.

Whisky. Of course, scotch whisky should be on the menu for Burns Night. Haggis pairs well with whisky, therefore a dram could also be served during dinner and not just as an after-dinner drink. Heavily sherried and full-bodied whiskies are great with meats such as venison or steak, as well as a range of root vegetables ...

While there is no formal greeting for Burns Night, people generally say “Sláinte Mhath” to one another. This is pronounced “slanj'-uh va” and translates as “Good Health!”. You can also say “Oidhche Bhlas Burns”, which means “Happy Burns Night”.

Neeps are what Scots, Irish and a lot of Northern English people call turnips - ie the big orange veg. Others call those a swede. The wee white ones - whether you call those a turnip or not - are not part of a 'neeps and tatties' recipe.

As haggis cannot be exported to the United States, it is instead made there, sometimes by Scottish companies. In one such use, which is stated to be otherwise the same 150-year-old recipe having the same ingredients as in Scotland, sheep lung is not used and the casing is artificial rather than stomach.

Why did the US ban haggis? ›

Haggis imports into the United States were prohibited in 1971 as part of a ban on the consumption of all livestock lungs. Authentic versions of old school haggis remain culinary contraband in the US, as hard to lay your hands on as Cuban cigars.

A cooked haggis Haggis, neeps and tatties on a plate. At the end of the poem, a whisky toast will be proposed to the haggis, and the company will sit down to the meal. The haggis is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed swede turnip (neeps).

It's super easy to whip up Mary Berry's classic Scottish cranachan. Hold back some of the crunchy oats and raspberries for a pretty topping, but don't hold back on the whisky!

Main course: Haggis, neeps and tatties

Love it or loathe it, haggis is the dish at the heart of Burns Night. Try this simple recipe for haggis, neeps and tatties and follow our guide to buying and cooking the perfect haggis.

There are toasted oats, plump raspberries, and thick dollops of cream punched up with a wee dram of Scotch whisky and a drizzle of honey. It's a dessert that lends itself to variation; there's simply no one right way to make it. Many versions are layered like a trifle, the raspberries plunked between blankets of cream.

A traditional Burns Supper starts with soup, often a Scotch broth. The haggis is then served with turnips and potatoes – known as neeps and tatties if you're a true Scot. The haggis, typically carried on a silver salver, is also piped in by the diners with a standing slow clap.

In 1971, it became illegal to import haggis into the US from the UK due to a ban on food containing sheep lung, which constitutes 10–15% of the traditional recipe. The ban encompasses all lungs, as fluids such as stomach acid and phlegm may enter the lung during slaughter.

How is Haggis Eaten? Although the most common way to eat haggis is accompanied with mashed neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes), along with a liberal glug of whisky cream sauce, there are other ways to savour Scotland's most famed food. On the more traditional side of things, you could try Balmoral Chicken.