Wild Foraged Haggis

I'm just back from a refreshing few days in Galloway with my mum. I took her foraging every day and we found Porcini (Ceps), Chanterelles (Girolles), Winter Chanterelles (Chanterelles) and Hedgehog Fungus.

My mum has been a vegetarian for all of my adult life and I eat a predominantly vegetarian diet at home. I decided to play about with the old Scottish favourite, Haggis, and utilise my fresh and preserved foraged foods to make it a more local affair.

Here's the result:

Wild Foraged Haggis (vegan) recipe

Ingredients:

25g pickled Marsh Samphire (optional - might be better fresh)
75g pearl barley
100g oats
200g fresh mushrooms, blitzed in the food processor (I used 50g each: Hedgehogs, Porcini, Winter Chanterelles and Chanterelles)
1 tsp dried, powdered Peppery Bolete
2 pickled walnuts
1 large onion
600ml veg stock
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Neeps (I used Swede)
Tatties

Method:

Boil the barley according to pack instructions (30-45 minutes)/until al dente.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Brown onion in 1tbsp oil.

Add mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add powdered bolete, samphire, walnuts and oats and stir to combine.

Add 400ml of stock.

Bring to a boil, then turn simmer until the mixture thickens, adding more stock if necessary.

Add the barley and 1tbsp rapeseed oil and mix together.

Taste the mix for seasoning.

Transfer to casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes (covered).

Bake for 30 minutes (uncovered).

Serve with neeps and tatties (preferably cooked).

Roughly based on this recipe.

Hedgehog Korma (v)

Today I made a Korma with the kilo of Hedgehog Fungus (Hydnum Repandum) I picked earlier this week. I love cooking with these guys because they fill the kitchen with a gloriously sweet smell.

I'm not a fan of spicy food, hence making a Korma, but you could subsitute Hedgehogs for the chicken in your favourite taste-bud-destroying recipe.

Hedgehog Korma

Ingredients

1kg Hedgehogs, torn into pieces
200ml coconut milk (save any remnants)
Ginger, 2cm peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 Cardamom pod, bashed
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 tsp dried crushed chillies
2 onions, finely sliced
50g cashew nuts
50g butter
60ml rapeseed oil

Method

Grind the garam masala, dried chillies and  cashews in a food processor or pestle and mortar (I use a coffee grinder). Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the ginger, garlic, tomato puree, coconut milk, cardomom and Hedgehogs and mix well.

Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate (2 hours+).

Once marinated, contiue as follows:

Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan.

Fry onions until browned.

Add Hedgehog mixture and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix together 3 tablespoons of coconut milk (or water if there's not enough left) with the cornflour.

Add to pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Season to taste and serve.