Haggis was in no way a luxury item – it was borne out of necessity

The first Burn’s supper was held at the family cottage, in the village of Alloway near Ayr, by Burns’s friends, on 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death. It has been a regular occurrence ever since across the globe.

At the centre of any Burn’s night supper is the Haggis. You could make your own Haggis if you want by boiling lamb’s pluck (heart, lungs and liver), chopping it and mixing it with oats, suet and spices. Press this mixture into an ox stomach lining, tie and simmer for a couple of hours. Don’t fancy this? There are many butchers in Northern Ireland who will do all the hard work for you. Haggis was in no way a luxury item – it was borne out of the necessity to use the readily available cheaper cuts and offal. In the recipe here the haggis is made into a stuffing for chicken breasts. Ask your butcher for breasts with the skin still on – when you roast them you get that lovely crispy golden skin. The sauce is whiskey and roast onion. Whatever your preference for the “water of life” is up to you but I like a peaty malt from Islay. Either way pour a wee whiskey and toast the bard with “ Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!”

Another Celtic celebration on the 25th January is St Dwynwen’s Day. St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, who lived during the fifth century. She fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill but her father had arranged for her to marry someone else. She was so upset she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep she was visited by an angel, carrying a sweet potion designed to erase the memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. God then gave Maelon three wishes. Her first wish was that Maelon would be thawed; her second that God would meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and the third that she would never marry. All three were fulfilled and Dwynwen devoted herself to God’s service for the rest of her life. She founded a convent in Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey, where a well named after her death in 465AD became a place of pilgrimage. The popularity and celebration of St Dwynwen’s Day has increased in recent years.

Glamorgan sausages, named after the Welsh county, are a cheese based vegetarian version that can trace their history back to the seventeenth century. They should contain Caerphilly cheese but as it’s hard to get substitute a good cheddar or Wensleydale. That most Welsh of vegetables, the leek, plays a vital part and the whole thing is brought together with breadcrumbs and egg. They’re coated in more crumbs, fried until crispy and then finished in the oven. Serve them with chutney.

If you go to BBC Iplayer my Burns Night Special, filmed at Montalto Estate in Ballynahinch, is still available with recipes on the website. If you fancy going to a Burn’s supper I’ll be in McBride’s of Comber next Thursday cooking a traditional feast. Lolly Spence from the TV show “Walkin Hame” will be there reading poetry and there’ll be whiskey from Echlinville distillery.