Well, there we go. Another one chalked off. I hope very much that you all had a wonderful Christmas.

I hope all your turkeys were cooked to a tee, no-one got a jumper they didn’t like, and that all your crackers worked first time. I hope the sprouts were al dente, the pudding flamb�ed at the first time of asking, and that no-one sat on the X-Box just after it was unwrapped.

You should all now be enjoying a bit of down time until it all starts again for a brief flurry.

Yes, New Years Eve approaches, or of course, Hogmanay, for those hailing from north of the border. And thinking of this set my mind racing to thoughts of something a little bit Celtic for this week’s recipe.

Many of the best New Year celebrations I’ve been to have taken place in Scotland – there’s something special about being that far north, ideally with a touch of snow about, the great heathery peaks standing silent and still above jovial towns full of bonhomie and whisky. Clich�d maybe, but I think it all rather grand to see the finest evening kilts on show, to hear the familiar friendly accents, and hear the bagpipes play at midnight.

Whatever happens over the border following next year’s referendum, Scotland will always have a fiercely unique identity; one it, and also we down here below the line, should be extremely proud of. Fine neighbours indeed. And, getting back into the kitchen, great cooks.

The Scottish kitchen has given us some great dishes we all take very much for granted. Anyone making feeble gags about deep-fried Mars Bars should be rebuked with the litany of great food the Scots have given the world. The mighty Dundee Cake, the smoky rich Cullen Skink soup, delicate smoked salmon and the amusing little Ecclefechan Tart (I just love saying Ecclefechan!) along with Cock-A-Leekie soup, Arbroath smokies, Stornoway black puddings, buttery shortbread and, last but not least, the mighty haggis.

I decided to cook with haggis this week, and use it as a filling for one of my favourite ways of preparing beef, the classic beef olive.

Now, I know haggis is traditionally eaten on Burns’ Night, down there at the end of January, but it’s eaten a lot in Scotland during the winter months, and it’s a personal favourite of mine, so I make no excuse.

We’re going to bind haggis with some saut�ed mushrooms for added depth, and set the rolls on top of a rich braising mix of vegetables and smoky bacon. Perfect hearty fare for ushering in 2014. Ask your butcher to prepare the beef for you – it’s a lot less bother than trying to flatten it yourself.

As for the haggis, you can find them in many supermarkets these days, and online, but I suggest you look out for the king of haggis, those made by the venerable Macsweens of Edinburgh. They are the finest haggis on Earth, made traditionally, and absolutely bursting with flavour and texture. They also do a fine vegetarian haggis, which isn’t really suitable for this recipe but delicious nonetheless, and they have just started to make a venison version, amusingly called the ‘Staggis’. It is exceptionally good.

It’s important to get that delicious beef stuffed with fine ingredients to really make the dish fly.

So, for a wee taste of the chilly Highlands, why not try this different dish, and remember to toast your haggis wi’ a wee dram.

Happy New Year to you and yours, readers. I hope your celebrations are happy and joyous.

For the olives:

8 X �cm slices silverside of beef, trimmed of fat

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

500g haggis, removed from the skin

4 banana shallots, minced

4 large flatcap mushrooms, very finely diced

A splash of Madeira

For the braising sauce:

1 stick celery, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

� bulb fennel, finely diced

250ml red wine

600ml beef stock

1 tbsp tomato pur�e

3 rashers smoked streaky bacon

Extra-Virgin olive oil

A little plain flour

To serve:

Mashed potato

Green vegetables

Method:

To make up the beef olives, gently fry the shallots until soft, then tip in the diced mushrooms and cook through. Add this to the haggis and mix well. Spread each beef slice with a little mustard and fill with the haggis mixture.

Carefully roll the beef slices around the stuffing and use toothpicks or string to secure. In a pan in a little oil, quickly sear the olives on all sides until well browned, and place in an oven proof dish.

De-glaze the pan with a little Madeira and pour over the beef. Preheat the oven to 170�C / Gas 3.

Now for the sauce; thinly slice the rashers of bacon into lardons, and gently fry in a little oil until golden and fragrant.

Remove from the fat, and set aside.

Gently cook the carrot, celery, onion and fennel until just beginning to colour, then tip the bacon back into the pan, and add enough flour to just bind the ingredients.

Add the red wine and stock, and cook until the sauce becomes smooth and is bubbling gently. Add the tomato pur�e. Pour the sauce over the beef olives and bake, covered, for three hours, checking occasionally.

To serve, remove the olives from the sauce and divide among bowls, on top of a good dollop of mashed potato. Check the seasoning and spoon the sauce over the beef, with plenty of the braised vegetables.

Serve with a good helping of fresh green veg, such as sprouts or Savoy cabbage.