"To celebrate #scotfoodfort21 here’s a classic Scottish recipe for you. I think we all love a warming bowl of traditional stovies, they are an integral part of our culture. Some may laugh at them but they have a place on a menu. Remember people, visit Scottish restaurants to explore the rich food and dishes we have. So maybe we should all be devouring more traditional dishes like the mighty stovies!"

Serves 4, Prep 10 minutes, Cooking Time 45 minutes to 1.5 hours 

INGREDIENTS

3 large floury potatoes, peeled and washed

1 onion, peeled and sliced very thinly

A shank of lamb, a tin of corned beef, or leftover roast meat from a previous dinner

2 tablespoons good lard or beef fat, or a neutral oil like a sunflower will do

Good salt and pepper

A huge pile of oatcakes

METHOD

If using a lamb shank, slow braise the meat for about 3 hours.

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil, season with salt and allow to simmer for 40 minutes or so until quite soft and almost falling apart. Drain and keep them warm in the pot.

Either cut the leftover meat or corned beef into small pieces, or flake the meat from the shank, and place into the pot with the potatoes.

Add the fat to a separate pan, I love beef fat, then add the sliced onions, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 10 to 15 minutes until soft and the onions have taken on all the flavours of the fat. Add the fried onions to the pot of potatoes and meat and mix vigorously. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover meat in a traditional Scottish recipe passed down through generations. Serve with the mighty oatcake and a dram.