This episode of Food Network All Stars featured an appetizer round with a basket filled with teething biscuits, hungarian hot peppers, raspberries, and canned haggis. For those who aren't natives of Scotland, haggis is organ meat, mixed with onions, oats and spices - so there already is a built in challenge of trying to make something like that taste good. It's unappetizing even in its "freshest" form so you can imagine what I might be like canned. I haven't even found this product in my local international market. Are they too embarrassed to carry it? I've seen cans in my Stop andShop for "Spotted Dick" so carrying canned haggis can't be much worse.
The featured chefs were Anne Burrell, Robert Irvine, Claire Robinson and Duff Goldman. The first two chefs created something not only palatable and even whimsical. Robert went the traditional route and put a modern twist on bangers and mash. Anne made a grilled flat bread and stuffed it with a combination of the haggis and other ingredients,and made a dish that might even rival some of the New York street vendors.
The point is they made a canned product that looked akin to dog food when opened into not only something edible but according to the judges, very good. While we may not be the level of chef of these two food network stars, we can make some tasty restaurant worthy dishes with canned goods. Come on in and explore.
As an aside, for a really funny review of this episode, check out the Food Network Humor blog.
I have to give high praise to these chefs(and I do enjoy watching their respective cooking shows)! I had to look up 'haggis' because I missed the explanation as to what it was ... and often, when I see the ingredients in the basket, I try determine what I would do with the ingredients! I will say that I often get some really good ideas from what the chefs create with these ingredients.
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