Today we are doing another recipe, yup, that's right. The second in under a month! I'm on a roll. I don't know what it is about the Autumn months, but it makes me want to stay inside, lock myself in the warmth of the kitchen and cook something hearty for loved ones to enjoy. This is a family recipe, passed down from my Great Aunt Cath. It's my mothers favourite and although I don't eat it (*waves my veggie flag*), it's always nice to make someone something that takes them back to their childhood.
It is really simple, and could probably be made to taste much nicer. Hell, fancier even. But I just thought I'd share as it's a little personal touch to my blog, and well, I wanted to. I hope you enjoy.
First off, this is a 'no rules apply' recipe. Change the quantities depending on how many mouths you have to feed. Cut the pieces as big or as small as you want. Want it more liquidy? Add less veg. Want it thicker? Add a bit of flour. Just do what you want. Cooking something like this ought to be homey, not stressful. I'll give you my quantities, but remember that they are not set in stone.
What you'll need:
400g diced beef
2 stock pots, beef. (You can of course make your own stock, but as I don't eat meat we rarely get the bones that are necessary to make it. Cath used OXO cubes, so it could be worse.)
1/2 onion
2 carrots
4ish small potatoes (I ended up using 3)
1 parsnip
1 swede
Step One:
Chop your beef to the desired size chunks you want, and thinly slice/dice half an onion.
Put both in a saucepan with, roughly, one pint of water (You may need more, it depends how big of a portion you are making.) Bring to the boil, then lower and let simmer for an hour or until the beef is cooked through. Please choose this moment to ignore how unappetizing it looks.
Step Two:
Dice all your remaining ingredients to however small/big you want them, and add into the saucepan. Give it a good ol' stir and then add in the stock pots.
Step Three:
(The best and worst part, according to my mother.)
Put it on the lowest heat possible and let it simmer for many hours. I gave it a little over three hours. Of course, you could up the heat and it'll be done quicker but apparently it has to stew. It's a tradition.
Once done, pile up your tray with slices of fresh bread smothered in butter and delve in!
And you're done. The scouse gets thicker overnight, and much more blended. So if possible, I advise you to make it the night before. If you make a big pot, put in freezer bags/plastic containers and it will last up to 3 months.
I hope you're all having a wonderful week.
- Anne x
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