The 'BEST' Scouse recipe

Scouse is our city's traditional dish. A stew often made with lamb, beef, or both, it originates from the word 'lobscouse', which was a stew often eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe, popular in port cities such as Liverpool. By association, Liverpudlians are known as Scousers, and many have their own special recipes for this delicious Liverpool staple. Recipes can vary from the ingredients to the method and most families will make the claim that theirs is the 'best' scouse in Liverpool. 

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6
500g Diced beef chuck
500g Lamb mince
3 Medium onions
5 Carrots
600g Peeled potato
1 Leek
1 litre Beef stock 
2 tbsp Tomato puree
2 tbsp Black treacle
1 tbsp Wholegrain mustard

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan or stock pot over a high heat, using vegetable oil brown the beef until fully coloured and remove from the pan.

2. Seal lamb mince in the same pan until completely coloured.

3. Reduce to a medium heat and add chunky diced onion, peeled and roughly chopped carrots cook until they begin to soften. Add beef back to pan and stir.

4. Stir through tomato puree until fully combined, add peeled potatoes cut into large chunks (halves or quarters) dependent on size of potatoes.

5. Add beef stock or water (use 2 beef stock cubes).

6. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the beef is tender or until the potatoes start to break down and thicken the Scouse, approximately 2 hours.

7. Add sliced leeks, treacle and mustard and cook for a further 20 minutes, check seasoning and add salt if required.

Serve with crusty bread, pickled red cabbage or beetroot.

If you're not much of a cook (no judgement, it's not for everyone) pop over to one of our venues where you can order scouse from any of our cafes.