Scottish Blog

Crappit Heid

Crappit Heid is best described as the fish version of Haggis.

Crappit Heid easily belongs to the list of Scottish food which are thought to sound strange throughout the world. Although this list is headed by the world infamous (yet highly regarded by many) Haggis, Crappit Heid can be though to be thought of as the sea food analogue of Haggis.

In essence Crappit Heid consists of the head of a large cod (or similar sized fish, if available), which is then stuffed with oats, onions, beef fat and white pepper. The opening in the fish head is then blocked with the fish’s own liver, which is skewered into place. This is then boiled in seawater and generally served with potatoes and other seasonal root vegetables. Naturally there might be variations to this basic recipe to suit individual tastes. Some of the most popular include using fish stock and wine instead of seawater.

Crappit Heid is a surprisingly nutritious meal, it is said to be rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats, not to mention a large amount of cod liver oil. Yet in the modern day it is rare to see Crappit Heid, this is largely attributed to changing tastes and palates of present day diners.

With the relative low cost and nutrisious value of Crappit Heid, it is easy to appreciate that its history hails from a poor fisherman background. Specifically the North or North-Eastern section of Scotland during the 18th century. This dish allowed the fisher folk to sell the expensive fillet of cod at the market, while still eating what they caught.