Stovies

Scottish Stovies

A humble one-pot Scottish supper built on leftover roast beef or sausage, potatoes and onions, cooked slowly until the potatoes break down into a thick, savoury gravy. Traditionally served with oatcakes or buttered bread.

Prep

15 min

Cook

60 min

Total

75 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and sliced 5 mm (¼ inch) thick
• •2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• •400 g (14 oz) leftover roast beef or cooked sausage, shredded or sliced; raw sausage must be browned first and cooked through
• •40 g (1½ oz) beef dripping or butter, dripping is traditional
• •400 ml (1¾ cups) beef or vegetable stock, warm
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •black pepper, ½, freshly ground
• •4 oatcakes oatcakes or buttered bread, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Melt the dripping or butter in a heavy-based pot or deep frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
2. 2 Add the potato slices and stir to coat in the fat. Season with the salt and pepper.
3. 3 Pour in the warm stock. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the potatoes - add a splash more water if needed, but keep it fairly dry; stovies are not a soup.
4. 4 Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid.
5. 5 Stir in the shredded roast beef or sliced cooked sausage. If using raw sausage, brown it in a separate pan first until no pink remains and it reaches 75°C (165°F) before adding.
6. 6 Replace the lid and cook for a further 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice and scraping the base of the pan so the potatoes catch slightly and thicken the gravy.
7. 7 Check doneness: the potatoes should be completely tender and many should have broken down into a thick, creamy sauce clinging to the rest. If it looks dry, add a splash of stock; if too loose, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
8. 8 Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot in deep bowls with oatcakes or buttered bread on the side.