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

Table of Contents
Ingredients Steps to Make It Recipe Variations How to Store Stovies FAQs

By

Elaine Lemm

Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (1)

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 01/11/23

(227)

Write a Review

If it is real Scottish food that you are looking for, then you won't find a better option than this stovies recipe. The word stovies refers to a Scottish dish made from potatoes and often leftover meat, and this stew-like recipe uses whatever you happen to have to hand on a Monday, the day after your bigSunday roast.

There are a lot of Scottish foods with meat and potatoes and stovies is one of them. Think of all those leftovers, with the main constituent being the bits of meat from the roast the day before. It will vary from week to week and from house to house: Ask100 Scots for the recipe, and you will get 100 different answers. (This is similar to the English bubble and squeak recipe in that regard.) Where you live in Scotland and what you traditionally eat for lunch on Sunday (often it's beef or lamb) will have an impact on the final recipe, too. Those other leftover bits often include carrots and potatoes and onions cooked with a little bit of dark beer such as stout for flavor, along with beef or lamb stock, too.

If you've got leftovers from your Sunday roast, this is a great way to use them up the next day and turn them into a totally new meal. If not, you've got the makings here for a delicious stovies meal. If you want, you can make up a batch of oatcakes while the stovies simmer in the oven.

Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (2)

Ingredients

  • 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

Steps to Make It

  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.

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (4)

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

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (5)

  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.

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (6)

  5. Add the meat and stir well.

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (7)

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

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (8)

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

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (9)

  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.

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (10)

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

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (11)

  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.

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (12)

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

    Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (13)

Recipe Variations

Don't feel that you have to be restricted to the pickings from your Sunday lunch. Stovies can also be made using a tin of corned beef, some cooked minced beef, or sausages.

  • Corned Beef: Crumble the corned beef and stir through your potatoes 20 minutes before the end of cooking.
  • Cooked Minced Beef: Stir through the potatoes 20 minutes before the end of cooking.
  • Sausages:Cook the onions as above. Thickly slice one pound of sausage, layer it on the onions, followed by a layer of potatoes. Repeat the layers. Cook as above.

How to Store Stovies

  • Stovies will keep for several days, covered, in the refrigerator. Some people say it's best the day after you make it.
  • You can also freeze stovies in freezer-safe containers. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove, or simply thaw and reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
214Calories
4g Fat
36g Carbs
8g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories214
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g7%
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 471mg20%
Total Carbohydrate 36g13%
Dietary Fiber 5g18%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 14mg70%
Calcium 43mg3%
Iron 2mg12%
Potassium 884mg19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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

Rate This Recipe

I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!

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

FAQs

What are Scottish stovies made of? ›

Stovies (also stovy tatties, stoved potatoes, stovers or stovocks) is a Scottish dish based on potatoes. Recipes and ingredients vary widely but the dish contains potatoes, fat, usually onions and often pieces of meat. In some versions, other vegetables may also be added.

Discover More Details ›
What is the traditional Scottish meat dish? ›

Scotland's national dish is haggis, a savoury meat pudding, and it's traditionally accompanied by mashed potatoes, turnips (known as 'neeps') and a whisky sauce. Which brings us to the national drink – whisky. Over 100 distilleries in Scotland produce this amber-hued liquid, many of which can be explored on a tour.

Read On ›
What does the Scottish word stovies mean? ›

Scottish English. /ˈstəʊ.viz/ us. /ˈstoʊ.viz/ a dish consisting of potatoes and onions cooked together with liquid in a pot, often with cooked meat added.

Continue Reading ›
What is the history of stovies? ›

There is very little to be found on the history of this fine dish, although it is believed that Stovies date back to the 19th Century originating simply from masters giving their servants the leftovers from the Sunday dinner from which they would then produce a tasty meal.

Keep Reading ›
What's a full Scottish breakfast? ›

So, what is a full Scottish breakfast? Usually made up of bacon, link sausages, Lorne sausage (also known as square sausage or slice), black pudding, haggis, baked beans, fried mushrooms and tomatoes, toast, tattie scones and fried eggs, the full Scottish breakfast is a sight to behold.

Discover More Details ›
What is a Scottish dish cooked in stomach? ›

haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled.

See Details ›
What meat is stovies made from? ›

A Scottish dish of potatoes cooked with onions and corned beef. It's a whole meal in itself; simple and easy to make!

View More ›
What is Scotland's national dish haggis made of? ›

haggis, the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep's stomach and boiled.

Read On ›
What is neeps and tatties made of? ›

You can't celebrate Burns Night without this classic Scottish recipe. We've served our haggis alongside its traditional side dishes 'neeps and tatties' aka mashed potatoes and swede. A rich whisky sauce is an ideal accompaniment to this flavourful dish too.

Read On ›
What Scottish savoury pudding is made with sheep's pluck? ›

Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an artificial casing is often used instead.

Read On ›
Top Articles
Award winning fudge recipe. Kansas State Fair.
Dairy-Free Eggnog | Almond Milk, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free recipe
Pumpernickel Bread - The Recipe Critic
Latest Posts
One-Dish Chicken Recipes
Herbal Root Beer Kombucha Recipe
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Kieth Sipes

Last Updated:

Views: 6159

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kieth Sipes

Birthday: 2001-04-14

Address: Suite 492 62479 Champlin Loop, South Catrice, MS 57271

Phone: +9663362133320

Job: District Sales Analyst

Hobby: Digital arts, Dance, Ghost hunting, Worldbuilding, Kayaking, Table tennis, 3D printing

Introduction: My name is Kieth Sipes, I am a zany, rich, courageous, powerful, faithful, jolly, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.