Fife Stovies
When I was young, I can remember my mum making stovies, she would call me in to keep her company and help her in the kitchen. This is the one recipe I fondly remember.
Slightly different from our Ayrshire Stovies. In my mind Fife Stovies are the best!
I remember mum had a lovely square kitchen with a big kitchen table, where we always found her busy cooking. You always knew when she was cooking Stovies the smell would linger around the house and if the window or doors were open you would smell them halfway down the street. Very enticing and mouth-watering we would all rush in for dinner.
My old neighbour used to get stovies from the local corner shop, when I passed on the recipe to my daughter, she made them a pot of Fife Stovies.
It was the best he had ever tasted and told his wife he would not eat anything but Fife Stovies. He always said how good they were. Mum would attend a club on a Tuesday and Thursday often having a two-course lunch but always returning home for her Fife Stovies..
This recipe was sent in by Elsie Banning who lives in Craigie Nursing Home, Kilmarnock.
Potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 beef stock cube or stock pot
1 Bisto stock
1 tin of corned beef, cubed
Salt & pepper
I have not said a quantity for the potatoes as I tend to go by how many people, I am cooking for.
1. Heat your oil in a large pan then add the onion and cook until nicely browned.
2. Add the sliced potato and the turnip, the stock cube, the oxo cube and about 300ml of water. Give a good stir.
3. Put the lid of the pan on and let it simmer. Every so often give it a good stir.
The potatoes will start to stick to the bottom, so with every stir, scrape the bottom of the pan. This is good, it all adds flavour. As you stir, the potatoes will begin to break up this is what you want to happen.
4. Once the potatoes have softened and absorbed most of the stock, add your meat. Give it a good stir so everything is combined and check your seasoning. The corned beef can be quite salty, so it is best to check the seasoning once the corn beef is added. At this stage Add a little Bisto and Season as required.