Scottish Food Doesn't Get More Traditional Than With a Stovies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Where does stovies originate from? ›

Stovies (also stovy tatties, stoved potatoes, stovers or stovocks) is a Scottish dish based on potatoes. Recipes and ingredients vary widely but the dish contains potatoes, fat, usually onions and often pieces of meat. In some versions, other vegetables may also be added.

Scotland's national dish is haggis, a savoury meat pudding, and it's traditionally accompanied by mashed potatoes, turnips (known as 'neeps') and a whisky sauce. Which brings us to the national drink – whisky. Over 100 distilleries in Scotland produce this amber-hued liquid, many of which can be explored on a tour.

Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes. The meat and vegetables will break up to create a thick, hearty stew-like consistency but still retain their shape. Be careful not to overboil. Serve the stovies in a deep dish or bowl with rough oatcakes and brown sauce, if you like it.

From garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, peppercorns, mint, root ginger, cloves and nutmeg, all being added to dishes for added flavour.

If the holy trinity of Scottish cuisine with Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties is not your style, there are many more to choose from iconic dishes like Scotch Broth to indulgent treats like Cranachan and Shortbread. Each bite tells a story of Scotland's culinary heritage – blended with hearty ingredients and rich flavors.

The Origin Of The Stovie

In 1804, Thomas Masson, a young Scottish sea captain, invented a sweet & savory snack to ward off rickets and scurvy on long passages. Cooked on the galley stove like pancakes, "Oat Stovies” quickly became a favorite among sea-faring Scots.

Haggis is our national dish, and the first recipe dates back to the 15th century (in recorded history).

Existing as an agricultural society, the typical Viking diet was well rounded and included an abundance of meat, vegetables, fruits and grains. Reindeer, goat, elk, mutton, poultry and fowl were readily available, but beef, lamb and pork were the preferred choice in a Viking household.

Black pudding is another traditional Scottish dish that is very similar to haggis as they are both made with the same ingredients: onions, pork fat, oatmeal and spices. Contrary to haggis, black pudding is made from pigs' blood, which holds all the ingredients together.

A Scottish dish of potatoes cooked with onions and corned beef. It's a whole meal in itself; simple and easy to make!

Why is it called clapshot? ›

No-one is certain where the name clapshot comes from but some think it is a nod to the noise of the masher in the saucepan being reminiscent of gunfire. The name started in Orkney and then spread through the Highlands.

a dish consisting of potatoes and onions cooked together with liquid in a pot, often with cooked meat added.

The thistle is the flower of Scotland and one of its most recognisable symbols. Since King Alexander III, it has been Scotland's national emblem.

Ingredients: Flowers (Marigold Petals, Rose Petals, Purple Heather Flowers), Herbs (Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Savory, Tarragon), Fruits (Juniper, Rosehip), Spices (Black Pepper, Allspice), Scottish Sea Salt.

The word stovies comes from the French étuves, to stew in its own juices and it is the perfect recipe for leftover roast meat. I always plan ahead and will cook a roast a day or two before Hogmanay just so that I can have stovies at the bells.

a dish consisting of potatoes and onions cooked together with liquid in a pot, often with cooked meat added.

A Scottish dish of potatoes cooked with onions and corned beef. It's a whole meal in itself; simple and easy to make!

Clapshot is a traditional Scottish dish that originated in Orkney and may be served with haggis, oatcakes, mince, sausages or cold meat.