A Burns Night Pizza
This Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce is my spin on the traditional Burns Night Supper main course popularly celebrated in honor of the poet Robert Burns. The base includes a delicious Scotch whisky-infused cream sauce, which is topped with mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced potatoes (or tatties if you prefer), plenty of haggis, and a sprinkle of chives. This pizza is a rich and savory ode to the Scottish National Bard and such a fun pizza to enjoy for those missing a taste of Scotland.
What is Burns Night and why do they serve haggis?
Burns Night is a celebration of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, generally celebrated on or near his birthday on January 25th. Though a Scottish tradition, celebrations are held all over the world. A traditional Burns Supper typically includes a soup course followed by haggis served with tatties (potatoes) and neeps (turnips), traditional Scotch desserts such as cranachan or whisky trifle, oatcakes with cheese, and plenty of Scotch whisky. There are also many recitations of Burns's poetry or songs.
Haggis is most commonly served at Burns Suppers because of Burns's famous poem, "Address to a Haggis".
What is Haggis?
Traditionally, Haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, salt, and stock, then traditionally cooked while encased in a sheep's stomach. However, more modern variations of haggis use an artificial casing instead of the stomach. To an American, it's very similar in taste and texture to a ground meat mince, with a rich flavor that is peppery, earthy, and slightly gamey. On a previous trip to Scotland, we enjoyed haggis with both the traditional neeps and tatties as well as on top of nachos and even as a chip (or crisp, if you prefer) flavor.
Where can I source Haggis in the US?
Much of the traditional Haggis imported from the UK is actually illegal in the US because it traditionally contains sheep lung, which is banned. However, there are several modified options available that do not contain any lung, including the one I've used for this recipe. One option is to make your own haggis using easy-to-find ingredients such as beef, kidney, onions, oatmeal, and spices. Another option is to use a canned haggis with similar ingredients. The canned variety that I have used for this recipe is from The Caledonian Kitchen brand, which I have been unable to find lately. However, Scottish Gourmet USA sells a Stahly brand canned Haggis, which should work similarly.
PREPPING THE POTATOES IN ADVANCE FOR LOVELY CRISP EDGES
Prepping the potatoes is easy, but needs to be done ahead of time for best results. Because the potatoes are layered across soft cheese, they won’t end up crisp like traditional chips, but should keep their shape and produce lovely crisp edges as they curl up in the oven. I suggest prepping your potatoes while your dough is still rising to expedite your pizza assembly later.
- Scrub the potatoes with a produce brush under cold water to get rid of any dirt and debris clinging to the skin. I prefer to use a waxy Yukon Gold potato for this recipe, so there is no need to peel the skin from this variety, they just need a good scrub.
- Slice the potatoes very thinly. Though you can probably *technically* do this with a sharp knife and a *very* patient hand, I prefer to use a mandoline like this one, set to its lowest thickness setting for easy paper-thin potato slices of equal thickness. They should be so thin that they are semi-sheer and slightly flexible.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for a minimum of 15-minutes — though 30-minutes or more is best. Transfer the sliced potatoes to a large bowl and cover with cold water. This will help rinse off any excess starch and help the potato crisp up once baked.
- Drain the water from your soaking potatoes. Rinse the potatoes to remove any clinging starchy water, drain them, and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. I find that the easiest way to do this is to lightly toss the potatoes by hand as you pat them with the towel to remove as much of the liquid as possible without being precious about drying each one individually. A wet potato will just steam rather than crisp so the drier the potatoes the better.
WHAT ABOUT THE PIZZA CRUST?
I prefer to use this Easy Same-Day Pizza Dough recipe to make this Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce, but if you have a preferred pizza crust recipe of your own or want to grab some pre-made dough from the store, feel free to use those as well.
WHAT TEMPERATURE IS BEST TO BAKE PIZZA AT?
Your aim is a perfectly golden crust and nicely caramelized toppings, so the hotter the better. Many professional pizzerias keep their ovens heated to 800 degrees F or higher, but most home ovens only reach temperatures between 500-550 degrees F so this recipe is created with those constraints in mind. I bake my pizzas at 500 degrees F / 260 degrees C and get wonderful results. If your oven tops out at 450 degrees F / 232 degrees C, I have tested that temp many times over as well and it works well, though you’ll want to plan on a few extra minutes in the oven, especially if your pie is piled high with toppings.
REHEATING PIZZA LEFTOVERS
It would be cliche if I made a joke about leftovers and pizza right now, so we’ll just skip that and assume you didn’t eat the entire pie for a moment. My two favorite methods for reheating pizza so it retains its crisp crust while remelting the cheese is in the oven or in a cast-iron pan on top of the stove.
Oven method: Bake on a sheet pan at 350 F / 175 C for 10 minutes or until pizza has reached your desired level of warmth and crispness.
Stovetop method: Set pizza in a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Allow to cook until the crust has reached your desired level of crispness. If the cheese isn’t melted enough for your taste you can add a few drops of water to the pan (away from the pizza) and cover the pan for a minute or two to allow the steam to melt the cheese further.
WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- A baker’s half sheet
- Parchment paper
- A kitchen scale or measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A cutting board
- A chef’s knife
- A mandoline
- A medium prep bowl
- A colander
- A kitchen towel
- A rolling pin (only if you prefer an evenly thick pie) otherwise your hands are your best tool
- A skillet
- A whisk -- OR -- A wooden spatula
- A spoon or spatula
- A pizza wheel
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
LOOKING FOR MORE PIZZA INSPIRATION?
Love this Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce recipe? Here are some additional favorites for your next pizza night:
- Truffled Potato Pizza with Ricotta and Taleggio
- Peach, Corn, and Jalapeno Pizza with Honey
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Pear and Blue Cheese Pizza
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
- Taco Pizza
- Sausage, Fennel, and Calabrian Chili Pizza
- Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, and Sauerkraut Pizza
- Eggs Benedict Pizza
- Pizza Quattro Stagioni
Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 58 minutes
- Yield: 1 large pizza 1x
- Category: Pizza, Mains
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: Scottish
Description
This Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce is my spin on the traditional Burns Night Supper main course popularly celebrated in honor of the poet Robert Burns. The base includes a delicious Scotch whisky-infused cream sauce, which is topped with mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced potatoes (or tatties if you prefer), plenty of haggis, and a sprinkle of chives. This pizza is a rich and savory ode to the Scottish National Bard and such a fun pizza to enjoy for those missing a taste of Scotland.
Ingredients
For the pizza:
- ½ recipe Easy Same Day Pizza Dough
- 6 oz mozzarella, shredded
- 40 g (about ½ a medium Yukon gold potato), thinly sliced
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 4 oz haggis, fully cooked
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
For the whisky cream sauce:
- 2 ⅔ oz (⅓ cup) Scotch whisky
- 8 oz (1 cup) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the potato to remove excess starch. Because the potatoes need to soak, I suggest prepping your potatoes while your dough is still rising to expedite your pizza assembly later.
- Scrub the potato with a produce brush under cold water to get rid of any dirt and debris clinging to the skin. I prefer to use a waxy Yukon Gold potato for this recipe, so there is no need to peel the skin from this variety, they just need a good scrub.
- Slice the potato very thinly. Though you can probably *technically* do this with a sharp knife and a *very* patient hand, I prefer to use a mandoline like this one, set to its lowest thickness setting for easy paper-thin potato slices of equal thickness. They should be so thin that they are semi-sheer and slightly flexible.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for a minimum of 15-minutes — though 30-minutes or more is best. Transfer the sliced potatoes to a large bowl and cover with cold water. This will help rinse off any excess starch and help the potato crisp up once baked.
- After your potatoes have fully soaked (ideally just before you dress your pizza), drain the water from your soaking potatoes. Rinse the potatoes to remove any clinging starchy water, drain them, and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. I find that the easiest way to do this is to lightly toss the potatoes by hand as you pat them with the towel to remove as much of the liquid as possible without being precious about drying each one individually. A wet potato will just steam rather than crisp so the drier the potatoes the better.
- Once your pizza dough has risen, preheat your oven temperature to 500 degrees F / 260 degrees C and set a baker’s half sheet to the side.
- Roll or hand-stretch your pizza dough: If you prefer a classic pie-shape with a thicker crust compared to the center of your dough, I suggest hand-stretching your dough. If you prefer your pizza to be an even thickness, I suggest rolling your dough out with a rolling pin.
- If you are hand-stretching your dough:
- I like to rub a small amount of olive oil into my hands first; this allows me to shape the dough easier without it ripping accidentally from friction.
- Press the dough down with the palm of your hand into a disk shape, then use your fingertips to gently press down on the dough disk, further flattening it.
- To further extend the dough, I prefer to press one palm on top of one side of the dough and with the other hand lift the alternative side of the dough and gently work the dough outward, pulling very gently with the tips of my oiled fingers (like a very discrete “come hither” motion) to slowly stretch the dough out. Rotate slightly and repeat until the dough is shaped and stretched to your liking. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again. Transfer your stretched dough to a sheet of parchment paper and transfer to the baking sheet, then reserve to the side.
- If you are using a rolling pin:
- I prefer to place my dough between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid the dough sticking to my rolling pin, but if you prefer you can also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough ball as well as wiping some over your rolling pin by hand to prevent sticking instead. Once the dough has been rolled to your preferred size and shape, peel the top layer of parchment paper off (if using). The bottom layer that the dough is resting on can be utilized for your baking sheet. If you find that the dough starts to snap back or is beginning to tear, allow the dough to relax for a minute or two before proceeding again. Transfer your shaped dough to the reserved baking sheet and reserve to the side.
- If you are hand-stretching your dough:
- Make the whisky cream sauce
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, carefully add the whisky. Once added, raise the heat to medium and allow the whisky to reduce by half then add the heavy cream to the pan and stir vigorously with a wooden spatula or a whisk to incorporate
- Add the butter, Dijon mustard, and pepper and continue to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, then remove from heat.
- Assemble the pizza
- Pour the majority of the sauce over the top of the pizza dough, reserving 2-3 tablespoon in the pan to drizzle on top later. Using the back of a spoon spread the sauce out evenly over the dough.
- Top the pizza with the shredded mozzarella, sprinkling it evenly across the top. Then top with slices of potato. I like to fan these out in small clumps of 2-3 slices then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt. Finally, top the pizza with spoonfuls of haggis.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes or until the crust has reached your preferred level of crispness, the edges of the potatoes are starting to brown and crisp, and the mozzarella cheese is beginning to brown and blister. I find that pizzas that have a thinner topping layer take less time to bake and heavier-topped pizzas generally take a bit longer to bake so watch your pizza closely after the 12-minute mark and adjust as desired.
- Top the finished pizza with a drizzle of the reserved whisky cream sauce and a sprinkle of fresh chives. Slice as desired and serve warm.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼th of the pizza
- Calories: 678
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 119 mg
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