Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (2024)

• 1 tablespoon lard, or beef dripping

• 2 medium onions, or 1 large, roughly diced

• 4 tablespoons dark beer, or stout, optional

• 4 ounces cold roast beef, diced

• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered

• Salt, to taste

• Pepper, to taste

• 1 1/4 cups beef stock,or leftover gravy

• Vegetables, any that you have leftover from the day before

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Preheat the oven to375 F / 190 C / Gas 5. Place a Dutch oven or casserole dish on the stove over medium heat. Add the lard or drippings, and melt.

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3. Add the onions and cook until soft, but not browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.

   

4. If using, add the beer or stout and turn the heat up and allow to boil for 2 minutes to burn the alcohol away.

   

5. Add the meat and stir well.

   

6. Add the potatoes in layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper as you go, before adding the next layer.

   

7. Pour over the stock or gravy (or both).

   

8. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, checking from time to time to make sure the stock is not boiling dry. If it is, add a little extra.

   

9. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add any leftover vegetables to suit. Stir well and check the seasoning.

   

10. Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes. The meat and vegetables will break up to create a thick, hearty stew-like consistency but still retain their shape. Be careful not to overboil.

    

11. Serve the stovies in a deep dish or bowl with rough oatcakes and brown sauce, if you like it. Enjoy!

    

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• Potato
• entree
• scottish
• winter