St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and his cross gave it its distinctive saltire flag. What better on his day than to cook haggis? No, I told you that you didn’t want to know what went in it. Mine was from Fortnum and Mason. Tradition only goes so far, though. “Haggis wi’ neeps an’ tatties” is meant to involve mashed turnips and potatoes, but these are not the most luxurious of dishes, so this year I roasted both of them – the potatoes brown and crisp, the turnip soft and sweet. The haggis itself can be a little on the dry side, so what better excuse could there be to moisten it with a wee dram of Scotland’s national beverage? No, not Irn-Bru, the other one.
Christmas came early this year for me, being the lucky recipient of a bottle of Saffron Gin (see picture). It has some very interesting components, including: juniper (of course), coriander, lemon, orange peel, iris, fennell and angelica seeds, not forgetting the saffron!
I mixed it as one would with a normal G&T (after a cheeky swig to see what it was like pure). It turned the drink a bright orange colour and altered the taste so it was far more interesting than a straightforward G&T. I didn’t even put lemon or lime in it, although I did keep the ice. I suspect this looks bizarre under UV light, as a normal G&T would glow a bright, whitey-blue.