Recipe ~ Khaos' Whisky Cream Sauce (Non Alcoholic!)

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

Last week, I posted my recipe for Haggis, which was the result of over two months of intense research into the dish and its history and origins.

As I discovered, just as one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply make a haggis - without neeps & tatties, and whisky sauce!

Haggis, neeps, and tatties with whiskey sauce

(Photo by Bagpiper, Baker, Author, and Official Taste Tester, Don Scobie)

 So, of course, I had to do the additional research to devise the best possible recipes for those, made specifically to perfectly complement my Scottish American Recession Haggis.

As usual, I explored several existing recipes, history, references, and the like. As it turns out, whisky sauce is a relatively modern addition to the "traditional" meal. This is unsurprising, seeing as whisky, especially the good stuff, is not cheap, nor was it exactly plentiful to the peasantry, from whom haggis as a common meal likely originated. 


That said, it pretty well goes hand in hand with the dish nowadays, and it's freaking delicious! At least this version is. The delicious is the main reason for including it, despite my work to return to the more humble origins for my haggis recipe. The "not actually as traditional as often implied" is the reason I had no qualms whatsoever about messing with the recipe in less "traditional" ways. None of the recipes I found out there call for the addition of rum extract or smoke powder, but that's what my palate said it needed during taste testing, so in they went! Nor did I find so much as a whisper of a hint of a non alcoholic version. 
Then again, since when has not finding what I wanted stopped me? Since never! That's when!  

 

 So, technically, it's a simple matter to just switch out the whisky (or whiskey, if you prefer) for an alternative, and that is basically what I did, but I decided that this recipe would be focussed specifically on it being a no alcohol version. I know it is still a "well known fact" that alcohol cooks out of most things, but that turns out not to be the case. You have to actually boil or simmer something for a matter of hours to remove even the majority of the alcohol, and you are not going to be able to guarantee removing even enough to legally qualify as non-alcoholic (0.05% ABV) unless you've got some mighty expensive testing equipment just lying around. Luckily, a company called Ritual Zero-Proof has created some great, botanical "alternatives" to spirits. 

So far, I've only tried their whiskey alternative, but it holds up pretty dang well! No, it isn't Scotch Whisky alternative. It is American style, so if you want to go for super authentic Scottish recipe, you're SOL of you want a NA version. So far, anyway. Maybe if we petition the company...

Anyway, this stuff is great and works well for the recipe. I highly recommend it. It's not really intended to be drunk neat, but it even kinda works there, as long as you're not expecting top shelf taste, so if ya want to use it for your "wee dram", you may want to go with putting it in Coke or coffee or some other mixed drink. But this isn't a review for that, so, moving along...

In addition to your haggis supper, try this sauce on steaks, chops, salmon, other fish, any style potatoes, roast veggies, and anything else you can imagine!

Another plate of haggis, neeps, and tatties with whiskey sauce.

We put it on beef heart sandwiches for lunch recently, and it was to die for! I'll probably post that recipe sometime in the foreseeable future too, since the reaction to my mealtime food porn posts were so positive.

Seasoned, broiled beef heart slices on toasted ciabatta with sharp cheddar, red onion. mayo, and whisky cream sauce.

Khaos' Whiskey Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
    • 16 oz heavy cream
    • 1 Tbs whole grain or stone ground mustard
    • 1 Tbs creamy type Dijon mustard
    • 2-3 Tbs whiskey alternative (or actual whisky, if you prefer)
     • 1/2 tsp rum extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp white pepper
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • a pinch hickory smoke powder or dash liquid smoke
    • 1 generous Tbs butter (Use REAL butter or just omit it. No substitutes.)

Directions: 

* If using real whisky, FIRST pour whiskey into your pan and carefully set alight to burn off some of the alcohol and remove bitterness. It should go out on its own, but keep the pan lid handy, just to be on the safe side.

    • Heat cream in small saucepan on medium heat
    • As it heats, whisk in other ingredients and mix well
    • Bring to gentle simmer and cook, stirring often for about 4-6 minutes.
    • Turn to lowest setting and hold to serve for up to an hour, stirring occasionally.
    • Drizzle over haggis, neeps, tatties (potatoes), steaks, salmon,  roasts, etc. 
    • Try not to eat/drink it straight. It IS delicious, but very high in fat and calories.
    • Store in airtight containers for up to a week in refrigerator, 2-3 months in standard freezer, or indefinitely in deep freezer @0°F or below.