Last week the weather was gorgeous with soaring temperatures, yesterday and today it has been miserable, grey, windy, cold and it’s rained all day.
This kind of weather makes me crave comfort food, the kind of food my mum and grandmother used to make when I was young, something traditionally Scottish. What could be more Scottish than Mince and Tatties??
Mince and Tatties is a dish of minced beef and potatoes (tatties), it can is also be served with neeps (a neep is a yellow turnip or rutabaga known in England as a swede) but this is not essential. I have never found this kind of turnip here in Switzerland, it’s a real pity since it is one of my favourite vegetables.
The recipe isn’t complicated or very time consuming to make, just warming and tasty.
MINCE AND TATTIES
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 450g Minced beef (I like to buy rump steak and get my butcher to mince it)
- 3 Medium onions, finely chopped
- 1L Beef stock
- 250ml Light beer
- 1 Oxo cube
- 1 Dash Worcestershire sauce
- 400g New potatoes, skin on and halved depending on size
- 1 Tsp Cornflour
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
PREPARATION
- Brown the beef well in a little olive oil, turn down the heat, add the onions and continue to fry gently until the onions are softened.
- Add the hot beef stock, beer, oxo cube, potatoes and Worcestershire sauce, bring to the boil.
- Mix the cornflour with a dash of cold water and stir thoroughly until no lumps are remaining, pour into the stew whilst stirring and reduce the heat.
- Allow the stew to simmer gently until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are cooked (about 40 minutes).
Pille | 07-Jun-06 at 12:17 pm | Permalink
Love the inclusion of beer! (and if beer can be used, then why not Marmite - that’s related to beer as well:)
Pamela | 07-Jun-06 at 12:47 pm | Permalink
I completely agree!! As you can see, I’m no traditionalist, LOL
Al | 22-Jun-07 at 10:39 pm | Permalink
I suggest adding some doughballs. Really simple to make, basically self-raising flour, beef suet, water and salt and pepper. Also nice to throw in a few carrots.
Pamela | 23-Jun-07 at 7:41 am | Permalink
Yum! Great idea! I love doughballs and they go perfectly with mince and tatties.
Evelyn | 18-Jul-07 at 4:43 am | Permalink
Talk about the perfect “Comfort Food”…there’s nothing like Mince & Tatties. I love it with some carrots as well…not a fan of dough balls but was something ma mommy always added. I’ll have to try the beer though.