Delicious Foodstuffs: Scotland's For Me!

As FILTER’s resident Scot, I thought I’d introduce you all to some of the many delicious foods that Scotland has to offer, from fresh caught salmon to locally grown vegetables to scrumptious preserves. But then I decided that it would be way more fun to show you some of Scotland’s gut-busting junk foods. On a recent trip to the homeland, I decided to put my stomach through all kinds of hell and bring you a selection of Scotland’s most craveable foodstuffs.

Here’s a classic to kick us off – the deep-fried pizza. This is a regular 14” pizza which has been coated in batter then deep fried until golden on the outside and served with fries.

It actually tastes pretty good. The batter is crunchy and the pizza inside is warm and gooey. The grease sticks to your fingers for days, but it washes away easier that the guilt and regret of putting your innards through this kind of punishment.

Baked bean pie – This is much like the traditional scotch pie, but instead of a pastry top, the baked bean pie has a small circle of mashed potatoes and a dainty spoonful of baked beans.

This one had been sitting drying out under a heat lamp for most of the day, so they generously heaped fresh baked beans over the top. This was served alongside a lasagna pie.

 

Similar to both the Scotch Pie and the Bean Pie, their more continental sibling the Lasagna Pie has a thick Scottish pie crust, but it’s innards are all Italian with layers of pasta and Bolognese. While the Scotch Pie is a crofter hard at work, the Lasagne pie is a hairdresser in a sporty coupé.

Mmmmm… Stovies! Now, I’ve never been entirely sure what goes into Stovies but the result is somewhere between mashed potatoes and thick soup.

 

It’s an incredibly pleasing stodge of meat, gravy and mashed potatoes. Comforting, warming and fattening in equal measure, stovies stick to your ribs and don’t let go.

Haggis gets a bad reputation around the world. People freak out over horror stories of what goes into it, but the reality is that it’s nothing you don’t eat in sausages and the end result is delicious. Those adventurous enough to try haggis will be rewarded by a delicious mix of meat, oats and spices. The advanced class however is this:

Deep-fried haggis. The haggis is taken and formed into a sausage shape, dipped in batter, deep-fried and served with fries. Only to be ordered by the most hearty of haggis lovers or the most drunken of revelers. The haggis survives the frying process particularly well and the golden crispy batter is a tasty accompaniment.

Lastly, here is a full Scottish breakfast – on this plate, you will see bacon, sausage, potato pancakes, black pudding, veggie sausages, haggis, baked beans, mushrooms and hash browns. I left no breakfast item uneaten and this set me up for the next three days.

Hope you enjoy this blog - I put on 10 pounds for it.

Comments

[TJ]

Is it true that REAL haggis is illegal in the US because lungs are considered unfit for human consumption?

[Ewan]

I think it's more that it can't be imported due to the tight restrictions on meat imports. If you want to try home grown American haggis, I always order from these dudes: http://www.caledoniankitchen.com/

[samantha]

i think i experienced a coronary reading this. however, i'd be all in to try deep-fried pizza.

[sasha]

The lasagna pie looks good! I like the heart shape.

[mslily]

WOW deepfried pizza...thats a new one on me! But this is where the infamous deep fried Snickers came from, yes? Still mulling the idea over (will it be the next thing in county fairs?) Guess it depends on whats on the pizza...