Fish 'n' Quips: Is British Food a Joke?
Today's post is a contribution to a very worthy cause. In response to the call from Sam at Becks & Posh, bloggers are joining forces to prove that English food is no joke.Brit food has long had a reputation in the US for being bland and unimaginative, but that's simply not the case. English dishes, such as steak and kidney pudding, may seem a little quirky, but they're delicious, satisfying and full of flavor, and there's a fascinating story behind every regional dish.
Take scouse for instance: originally brought to my home town of Liverpool by Dutch sailors, scouse soon became the city's staple dish due to its inexpensive and readily available ingredients. It must have been wildly popular in times gone by, as folks from Liverpool are now affectionately known as Scousers.
Dr. Debs recently posted about her Scouse roots over at her wonderful blog Good Wine Under $20, so timing for this post is perfect. It would be interesting to pin down a wine pairing for this dish, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
Scouse
What you need:
1/2 lb cubed beef
1/2 lb cubed lamb, or a few lamb chops
1 lb carrots
1 large onion
6 potatoes
2 beef bouillon cubes (or OXO cubes if you can find them, try Goodwoods British Market)
Worcester sauce
Fresh ground pepper
Pinch of garlic salt
Water
How to make it:
Brown the meat in a little oil then transfer to a large pan. Chop the veggies and add half to the pan. Add seasonings to taste. Cover with water and simmer gently for an hour. The potatoes will soften and make a thick sauce. Then add the rest of the veggies and simmer gently again until cooked. Serve with pickled red cabbage and fresh crusty bread.
Scouse is a cheap and cheerful dish, hearty and packed with flavor; easy to make and perfect comfort for a cold winter's evening. Try it, you'll like it.
Labels: Fish n Quips, Liverpool, scouse
8 Comments:
Sounds a bit like a stew. I usually serv a Cabernet Sauvignon with stew....
Also, I personallly prefer Bangers and Mash as my English food dish!
Scouse! Ah, memories. I think I'd go with Syrah given the lamb and the Worcestershire. Or maybe Escafeld Zin?? Toad in the Hole is my favorite,but not for those with creeping cholesterol! Thanks for the kind words about the blog!
As much as I enjoy wine, sometimes you just have to have a really good beer. I find that a lot of British or Belgian artisan ales go really well with British food. I'm not talking Bud Light, more like La Chouffe from Belgium, or something similar.
Sonadora, you can't beat Bangers and Mash--with lots of grilled onions and gravy. And Dr. Debs, Toad in the Hole is another favorite of mine; I hear it's good made with bacon too. Nearly lunch time...
Michelle, beer is a great compliment to Scouse food. A pint of Liverpool's own Cains, would probably be the perfect pairing!
I don't see Cains available in CA, so I'm planning to cook up a pan of Scouse this weekend and try it with our Zin!
It's a lamb stew go for a Rioja or a Bordeaux Red.
I am intrigued. Thanks for your entry - I had never heard of Scouse as a food - only as a term for natives of Liverpool. You learn something new every day.
Thanks for taking part in Fish & Quips!
Sam
Thanks Andrew, I'll give that a go. And Sam, it was fun, thanks for heading it up!
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