Stovies
Potatoes stewed in dripping with onions and whatever meat is left from Sunday, until the bottom catches slightly. Scottish, thrifty, and enormously good.
Photograph credit: Stovies with beef leftovers & oatcakes by Mutt Lunker · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Method
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Melt the dripping in a heavy pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat 12 minutes, until soft and golden.
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Add the potatoes and turn them through the fat until every slice is coated.
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Add the stock, salt and pepper. It should look far too little — that is correct.
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Cover tightly and cook over the lowest heat 40 minutes, stirring only twice.
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Stir in the chopped beef, cover again and cook 20 minutes more.
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The potatoes should have collapsed into a rough mass with darkened patches at the base. Scrape those up through it.
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Check the seasoning and serve straight from the pan with oatcakes and beetroot.
Chef’s Tips
- Almost no liquid. Any more and it is just stew.
- Stir twice in the whole hour. The catching base is the flavour.
- A heavy pan and the lowest heat you have.
Pairing Suggestions
- Oatcakes
- Pickled beetroot
- A dram
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerated for 3 days and better fried up the next day. Freezes 2 months.
Common questions
How long does Stovies take to make?
About 1 hour 20 minutes in total — 20 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Stovies?
Almost no liquid. Any more and it is just stew. Stir twice in the whole hour. The catching base is the flavour. A heavy pan and the lowest heat you have.
What should I serve with Stovies?
Oatcakes; Pickled beetroot; A dram.
Can Stovies be made ahead or frozen?
Refrigerated for 3 days and better fried up the next day. Freezes 2 months.
Is Stovies suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Stovies?
About 520 kcal per serving, with 28 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate and 22 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.