After a traditional English last 16 penalty shootout- this time with a different result, its time to mark the occasion with an English World Cup Dinner!
For this dinner, I decided to go for something a little more unusual that the regular dishes you would associate with the home of the Three Lions.
Inspired by England legend Steven Gerrard’s arrival in Scottish football to take over the manager’s role at my favourite team Rangers, I decided to go with that most Liverpudlian of dishes- Scouse!
Scouse, a stew of meat, potatoes and root vegetables originates from ‘Lobscouse’ a dish commonly eaten in sailing ports throughout Europe including Liverpool where it is a staple dish and even gives the people of the city their nickname of ‘Scousers’ due to their love for the meal!
It was really tasty, especially with the pickled cabbage and beetroot on the side, and of course the rest of the ale left over from cooking to wash it all down!
Ingredients (serves four):
- 1 tbsp oil
- 500g diced chuck steak
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 400g onion- cut into 1cm pieces
- 300g swede- cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 300g carrots- cut into 1.5cm cubes
- 400g new potatoes- leave skin on, but cut into quarters.
- 300ml bitter ale- I went for ‘Courage Best Bitter’ which went really well!
- 500ml beef stock
Method:
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat- then add the diced beef, stirring until brown.
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Add onions, and continue cooking until soft.
- Add the bitter, and continue to cook on the hob until the liquid reduces to around half the original amount.
- Add the carrots, swede, potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.
- Add beef stock, bring to boil, then turn down, cover the pot, and simmer for around 1.5-2 hours.
- Check the mix occasionally- add some water if its drying out, but you are aiming for a nice thick gravy.
To serve:
- Scouse is traditionally served with pickled cabbage, pickled beetroot, and plenty of bread and butter on the side!
Cheers!
World Cup Dinners 