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The History and Origins of Neeps: From Sweden to Scotland



In Scotland, separately boiled and mashed, rutabagas (neeps) and potatoes are served as "neeps and tatties" ("tatties" being the Scots word for potatoes), in a traditional Burns supper, together with the main course of haggis (the Scottish national dish). Neeps mashed with carrots or potatoes are called clapshot. Roughly equal quantities of neeps and tatties are boiled in salted water and mashed with butter. Seasoning can be augmented with black pepper. Onions are never used. Regionally, neeps are a common ingredient in soups and stews.


While it is eaten all year round, haggis is particularly associated with Burns Night, when it is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (Scots: swede, yellow turnip or rutabaga and potatoes, boiled and mashed separately) and a "dram" (i.e. a glass of Scotch whisky). Mashed together, "neeps and tatties" is also known as "clapshot".




neeps




Continue to Content "@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Recipe","name":"Haggis, Neeps and Tatties Stack with Whisky Sauce for Burns Night (Haggis with Turnips and Potatoes)","author":"@type":"Person","name":"Christina Conte","datePublished":"2019-01-01","recipeYield":5,"description":"A pleasant and delicious way to serve haggis with a lovely whisky sauce.","image":["https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fullsizeoutput_3a5a-720x720.jpeg","https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fullsizeoutput_3a5a-720x540.jpeg","https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fullsizeoutput_3a5a.jpeg","https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fullsizeoutput_3a5a-720x405.jpeg","https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/fullsizeoutput_3a5a-735x1046.jpeg"],"recipeCategory":"Main Courses","recipeCuisine":"Scottish","prepTime":"PT20M","cookTime":"PT20M","performTime":"PT20M","totalTime":"PT40M","recipeIngredient":["1 can Grant's haggis","rutabaga (in US), turnip (in UK) boiled and mashed with butter and salt","potatoes, boiled and mashed with butter, cream and milk and salt","","Whisky sauce, to serve"],"recipeInstructions":["@type":"HowToStep","text":"Open the tin of haggis, removing both ends completely. Take the haggis out in one piece and carefully slice into 5 of 6 pieces.","position":1,"name":"Open the tin of haggis, removing both ends...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_1","@type":"HowToStep","text":"Place one slice back into the tin and place on a plate. Add some mashed rutabaga\/turnip to the top of the haggis (approximate the amount of rutabaga to match the size of the haggis slice).","position":2,"name":"Place one slice back into the tin and...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_2","@type":"HowToStep","text":"Next, add a layer of mashed potatoes. Push down with a small spatula to remove any air.","position":3,"name":"Next, add a layer of mashed potatoes. Push...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_3","@type":"HowToStep","text":"Now, carefully place one of the metal ends of the tin back onto the mashed potato layer. Use a spice jar or similarly sized item to push the contents of the tin out onto a tray. (Thanks for my friend Cathy at She Paused 4 Thought for this idea.)","position":4,"name":"Now, carefully place one of the metal ends...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_4","@type":"HowToStep","text":"Repeat with the other 4 or 5 slices of haggis.","position":5,"name":"Repeat with the other 4 or 5 slices...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_5","@type":"HowToStep","text":"Bake for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Meanwhile, make the whisky sauce (RECIPE CARD BELOW).","position":6,"name":"Bake for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly...","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/#mv_create_361_6"],"keywords":"haggis, haggis neeps and tatties, neeps, Robert Burns, Rabbie Burns, haggis stack, whisky sauce, Scottish food","nutrition":"@type":"NutritionInformation","calories":"355 calories","carbohydrateContent":"30 grams carbohydrates","cholesterolContent":"86 milligrams cholesterol","fatContent":"20 grams fat","fiberContent":"3 grams fiber","proteinContent":"9 grams protein","saturatedFatContent":"12 grams saturated fat","servingSize":"1 serving","sodiumContent":"487 milligrams sodium","sugarContent":"15 grams sugar","transFatContent":"1 grams trans fat","unsaturatedFatContent":"7 grams unsaturated fat","aggregateRating":"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":4.8,"reviewCount":"43","url":"https:\/\/www.christinascucina.com\/haggis-neeps-tatties-tower-burns-night-haggis-turnips-potatoes\/" Haggis, Neeps and Tatties Stack with Whisky Sauce for Burns Night (Haggis with Turnips and Potatoes)Yield: 5 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes A pleasant and delicious way to serve haggis with a lovely whisky sauce.


'Neep' is a traditional Scottish word, short for 'turnip'. But turnips and swedes are actually pretty similar, and the classic yellow-orange 'mashed neeps' are usually made using swede (known as rutabaga in America). Swedes have a lighter skin and darker flesh than turnips.


Robbie Burns Day is Wednesday and folks in Scotland and other places around the world will celebrate the late, great Scottish Bard with a range of events. A Burns supper will be among them and main dishes served will include haggis and roast beef accompanied with neeps and tatties.


Tatties is a Scottish term for potatoes. While neeps is a term for a yellow-fleshed turnip, that, in other parts of the UK, is often called a swede, a vegetable Sweden began exporting to places such as England in the 19th century.


Neeps wyes sae muckle as 1 kilogram or thereaboots, tho they can be hairstit whan smawer. Size is in pairt adae wi the kynd an in pairt adae wi the lenth o time that the neep haes growen. Maist richt wee neeps is specialty kynds. The ae time they can be gotten is whan juist hairstit an they dinna keep weel. Maist wee neeps can be eaten hale, leafs an aw. Wee neeps come in yellae-, orange-, an reid-fleshed kynds as weel as white-fleshed. Their taste is maumie, sae they can be eaten raw in salads like reeforts.


In the UK, the most common name is swede in England but having grown up in Scotland, we'd typically call them a turnip. And yes, we'd call white turnips a turnip as well. You'd also see it as "neeps" in Scots dialect, but these days that's just generally when it is served with haggis. Haggis, neeps and tatties (potatoes) are the traditional meal for Burns Night, celebrating the national poet. And this is just how we'd prepare them.


Mashed rutabaga might be a less typical vegetable side dish than some others, but it has a wonderful flavor and is easy to make, too. Swede mash is naturally gently sweet and pairs so well with dishes like sausages, roasts and stews. And haggis would be lost without these neeps, too. So give some a try soon.


Add the chilled haggis, neeps, and tatties to a bowl and loosen with a fork or spoon while combining together (1). For the best texture, the mashed potato should make up at least one third of the mix.


Way back in 2009 a few days before my wedding, my English relatives arrived in Scotland, keen to experience a "Scottish Wedding". They hesitantly asked will Haggis be on the menu for the wedding meal... a nice suggestion I thought, but I replied in finest doric, "Nae this time, but ye canna beat a plate a Haggis Neeps and Tatties". Bewilderment followed, "...what are neeps?" they asked.


Neep is the Scottish name given to the root vegetable/food in Scotland, also called a swede, rutabaga, yellow turnip, Swedish turnip and Tuwīti tānapu in other parts of the world. It can be called a Swede in Scotland too, but everyone calls them neeps. Neeps are used in a wide variety of Scottish recipes, not just Haggis Neeps and Tatties (mashed potatoes), but many soups too, my favourite being "Mince soup" as we call it in Moray. Other dishes that include neep are rumbledethumps (neeps with kale or cabbage topped with cheese), and clapshot (mashed potato and swede).


Swedes are a lot bigger than turnips and have much tougher purple skin, turnips have a thinner more pink/white skin. Swedes have more yellow flesh than turnips white flesh. Swedes are grown much more easily in the colder Scottish climate. Mashed turnip also tastes a lot different to mashed swede or "bashed neeps".


Because your neeps cook over a long time at a simmer a lot of the water will boil out of the pan as steam. I keep a boiled kettle near and top up the water periodically... if all the water evaporates your neeps might burn, and you do not want burnt neeps smell in your house!


Boil till tender, then take a piece out of the water and if you are happy with the softness, taste and that is cooked all the way through, you can drain your neeps in a colander and leave for a few minutes to steam dry. Cooking neeps takes a while but is well worth it!


Put the neeps back in the pan and begin to mash with a potato masher, just in the same way you would mash potatoes. When you mash them a lot of water can come out, you can try and drain this by tipping the pan, just be careful not to lose any of those glorious neeps.


I like my mashed neeps / mashed swede plain just as they are, but many people like to add white pepper and nutmeg to them too. Serve alongside mashed tatties and haggis, or just as a healthy side vegetable to have with your meal. Another popular recipe is to combine the mashed neep with mashed carrot, or both mashed but separate. We also have a large dollop of neeps at Christmas dinner too! It would be ideal for a vegetarian looking for something new to try in their recipes. 2ff7e9595c


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