My love for stovies
I grew up eating stovies nearly every week, mostly at my Grannie and Granda’s house. Back then, everybody had a vegetable patch in their garden, and home grown tatties (potatoes) could be found at the back of every scullery. Those tatties were the backbone of our weekly meals, and stovies were one of the ways we used them again and again.
I still make stovies as my go to winter comfort food. They are healthy, easy to make, filling and a great way to use up any left over meat or vegetables.
I think of my grandparents a lot when I eat stovies, I can still remember every detail of their small kitchen, the mis-matched bowels the food was served in, sharing the organ stool with my cousin as the family crammed around the fold away dining table in the small living room.
For me, stovies will always be the proper heart of traditional, every day, Scottish living.
Below is my families classic stovies recipe, this is the way my Grandad always made them. Perfect for meat, vegetables and proper Scottish comfort. This recipe comes from that tradition. It isn’t a reinvention or a modern twist. It’s just stovies as I knew them growing up.
All you need is a good heavy pot and, if you have one, a spirtle.
Stovies as a health food
Despite their reputation as simple or old-fashioned food, stovies are a very healthy and balanced meal.
Potatoes, traditionally home-grown and locally sourced, which have been a staple of Scottish diets for generations for good reason. Potatoes high in fibre (fibre is the new protein), potassium and vitamin C and are provide sustained energy, if they remain unprocessed.
The fat in stovies is deliberate, coming from butter, dripping or the meat itself. This kind of fat adds flavour, helps you feel satisfied, and makes the meal more sustaining, which is why dishes like this were relied on for long days of physical work.
The beef (left over roast, corned beef or mince) which is added to stovies, provides animal protein and natural fats.
Finally, vegetables, depending on your choice, will provide you with an array of fibre, vitamins and nutrients.
Traditional Scottish stovies really do make a balanced meal that fills you up properly without the need for anything artificial or overly complicated. You can also easily alter this to meet your Macros, if you are counting.
History of stovies
Stovies are a traditional Scottish dish, born out of thrift and practicality rather than any sense of occasion. They were never meant to be fancy. The name itself comes from “to stove”, meaning to stew something slowly, usually on the back of the range.
At their most basic, stovies were made with potatoes and onions, cooked gently in fat or stock, and bulked out with whatever meat happened to be available. Often that meant leftovers from a roast, but in many households it was corned beef, because it kept well and was affordable.
How stovies were made depended very much on the house you were in. Some families cooked them smooth and soft, almost spoonable, while others kept them chunky. Some added gravy, others didn’t. Vegetables might go in if there were any to hand, or they might not. There was no single correct version, just what people had and how they’d always done it. They were usually eaten from a bowl, often on their own, sometimes with bread, and they were filling enough to feed a family without waste.
Historically, stovies were working food. They suited the rhythm of life where nothing was thrown away and meals had to stretch. Fishermen’s families, farming families, and industrial households all had their own versions.
Even now, stovies haven’t disappeared. They’re still cooked in homes across Scotland, especially in winter, and they turn up in places where people need something warming and familiar. You’ll find them served at sports matches, community events and cafés, often exactly as they’ve always been made. They’ve lasted because they work. They’re simple, adaptable and rooted in how people actually ate.
Classic Scottish Stovies Recipe
Servies 4-6 people
Ingredients
-
700 g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
-
1/2 turnip (swede) peeled and diced
-
1-2 carrots peeled and sliced
-
2 onions, sliced
-
600–800 g stewing beef, cut into chunks
-
Beef stock or broth (enough to just cover the veg)
-
Butter
-
Salt
-
Black pepper
Optional extras for serving
-
Pickled beetroot
-
Oatcakes
-
Sourdough
Method
-
Heat the butter in a heavy pot over a medium heat.
-
Add the beef and brown it lightly on all sides.
-
Add in the onions and cook until softened.
-
Add in the potatoes, turnip, carrots and pour over enough beef stock to just cover them.
-
Season with smoked salt and black pepper
-
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for a minimum of 30 minutes stirring occasionally. For a deeper flavour, cook on a low heat for up to 90 minutes until the beef is tender and the potatoes have broken down to thicken the stovies. Add in splashes of water if the stovies get too dry or start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
-
Hint: The longer you cook this, the better the texture and flavour
Serve
-
Serve hot in bowls.
-
Optional additions include:
-
Pickled beetroot
-
Oatcakes
-
Slice sourdough bread
-
Substitutes
Leftovers
If using leftover roast, add the meat 10 minutes before the end to warm it up.
Meat choice
You can substitute in lamb, mutton, beef mince, sausage or any meat you prefer. Ensure the meat if fully cooked before consuming.
Vegetables
You can substitute in most vegetables. Many families make stovies with peas, onion and potatoes.
If removing the turnip, add in another 300g of potatoes.
Slow cooker
You can make this in a slow cooker. You can simply toss all ingredients in and cook on low for a minimum of 3 hours. The flavour will be better if you brown the meat and onions prior to adding to the slow cooker, but is not essential.
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit
Selkirk Grace
Join the Supper Club
Join our email list and get quarterly e-mails based on Scottish living