The haggis dinner I made on 28 April 2026 was a proper 10 out of 10. I didn’t make a polite little drizzle of whisky sauce either: I tripled the quantity, used a whole white onion rather than a shallot, and ended up with enough for everyone to be generous.
The thing I learnt is to reduce the stock before adding the cream. If you don’t, the whisky sauce goes a bit too much towards gravy rather than a rich, spoon-coating cream sauce.
Serves: 4 generous · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 40–50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 prepared haggis, around 450g each (check the cooking instructions on the packs)
- 1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
- 60g butter and up to 120ml warm milk for the mash
- 400g green beans
- 25g butter and the zest and juice of ½ lemon for the beans
- Whisky sauce: 45g butter
- 1 whole white onion, finely diced
- 150ml Woodman Blend whisky (the whisky I used)
- 150ml beef or vegetable stock to start, with up to another 150ml only if necessary
- 300ml double cream
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Start the haggis. I check the packet first and get it cooking or reheating according to its instructions. Haggis products vary, so I don’t substitute a generic cooking time for the packaging directions.
- Get the mash going. I peel the potatoes, cut into roughly even chunks and boil in lightly salted water for around 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides straight through. I drain them well and let the steam escape, then mash until smooth before working in the butter and a little warm milk.
- Soften the onion. In another saucepan I melt 45g butter over medium-low heat and cook the whole finely diced white onion for 6–8 minutes, stirring until soft without burning it.
- In goes the whisky. I take the pan away from a gas flame, if there is one, before pouring in the 150ml whisky. Back over the heat, I simmer it for 3–4 minutes. I don’t flambé it, and simmering doesn’t necessarily remove all the alcohol.
- Reduce the stock properly. I pour in 150ml stock and let it bubble uncovered until reduced by at least half. This is the bit I would not rush: the first time, not reducing enough left the sauce too thin.
- Add cream. I turn the heat down and stir in the 300ml double cream, gently simmering another 4–6 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. More stock only if it genuinely needs loosening, not automatically.
- Finish the beans. I boil the green beans for about 4–6 minutes until tender but still bright, drain, then toss with 25g butter, lemon zest and a little lemon juice.
- Plate up. Once the haggis is thoroughly hot, I serve it with buttery mash and the lemony beans, then pour the whisky cream sauce generously over the lot. Any spare sauce goes in a jug.
I used a whole white onion and the triple portion of sauce on the night. The weights for mash and beans are practical repeat quantities because I didn’t weigh them at the time.