Grapevine Stew Recipes

[Mrs Dobby]

Mrs Dobby's 'Lobby' Recipe!

Lobby is a traditional stew from t'Potteries, I think the name comes from the fact that you just 'lob' everything into a stockpot! I remember my Mum making this loads of times, its hot, filling and very tasty, but one word of caution, dont try putting it into a flask and taking out for the day, some of the veg can swell up and make it impossible to get out of the flask, I know, we did it once on a trip to Blackpool to see the Illuminations! Lol!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb diced steak and kidney
2 1/2lb spuds, peeled and large diced
2 onions chunky sliced
3 or 4 carrots
1 sweded
1 turnip
diced cabbage (optional)
mixed herbs
oxo cube
salt and pepper
dash of worcestershire sauce or brown sauce (optional)

Method
Brown the steak and kidney in a little oil over a mid heat, then add onions and soften.
Add rest of veg and immediately add enough water to cover all veg (usually about 3 pints or so).
Add oxo cube and a little salt, pepper and some mixed herbs.
Simmer over a low heat for at least an hour. This type of stew is supposed to give a very thin stock, not thick at all, just like coloured water with the cooked and softened veg floating in it.
Serve in bowls with crusty bread! Alternatively you can add suet dumplings to it if you prefer!

Yummy!

[Alison]

Ah, so lobby is a potteries speciality (see my post under comfort food), however the one my gran did was definitely a bit different to Mrs Dobby's one, probably one of those things were there are 1001 recipes, all slightly different.

[Mrs Dobby]

Ah, so lobby is a potteries speciality (see my post under comfort food), however the one my gran did was definitely a bit different to Mrs Dobby's one, probably one of those things were there are 1001 recipes, all slightly different.

Lol Alison! I've just posted about your post in the other forum, must have passed each other in mid post! lol! Yep, I reckon there are as many recipes for lobby as there are cooks who make it! My recipe is the one I learned from my Mum, tho I have heard of folks using pearl barley in it, tried it myself once, tasty but a bit too thick a consistency to be what I know as a classic lobby, but each to their own! lol!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Scouse

Hi Martini - I know you mentioned Scouse - this is my recipe for it - is yours the same, or is it like Lancashire Hot Pot where everyone has their own little ways of making it?
Scouse is based on the "soup stew" made by sailors when at sea, it is traditionally eaten with a spoon and fork.

1 to 2 tblsp oil or dripping
1 1/2lb cubed stewing beef
salt and black pepper
1 teasp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 to 1pt beef stock
3 onions, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 turnip or swede, peeled and chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

Serves 4 to 6

Heat the oil or dripping in a large saucepan. Add the meat and brown quickly. Add the salt and pepper, thyme and sufficient stock to cover completely. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Add the vegetables and continue to simmer for another hour. Serve with pickled red cabbage.

DDL

1430hrs guess what I'm cooking!

[bramble]

our winter stew.

Stewing beef cubed.
Onions,
Carrots, Celery, White turnip,
Mixed herbs,
Stock cubes.
Barley,
Salt&pepper.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for about two hours. Cool and skim off the grease.
Serve with boiled potatoes.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi,

not quite a stew recipe, but have you ever tried dumplings cooked on a tray instead of on the top of the stew? Make up to usual recipe (4oz self-raising flour, 2oz veg suet, salt, pepper, and a favourite in our house is a teaspoon ish of fennel seeds and some dried herbs, mix up with enough water till sticky) then divide into 4 blobs, stick them on a non-stick baking tray, bake in hot (approx 200c) oven for 25 - 30 mins. They go super crunchy on outside, lovely softened by stew gravy.

go on, try it!

Vik

Never tried that Vik - but will give it a go! It sounds good to me! DDL

[martini]

Scouse

Like you say DDL, everyone's got their own way. Traditionally it's made with lamb but I always use stewing steak.

1lb (or 1 + 1/2lb) of stewing steak
4/5 potatoes peeled cut into good sized chunks
3 chopped carrots
1 medium onion chopped
1 oxo or beef stock cube
cornflour

Brown meat in a frying pan to seal in juices. Put in a large casserole dish with onion and carrot and cover with hot stock made with beef cube. Add pinch of salt and pepper. Gas Mark 3 or 180 degrees for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. Boil up potatoes until just tender. Strain off juice from meat (optional - at gravy browning) and thicken in a pan with some cornflour. Put everything back in casserole dish and add potatoes. Put in oven for another 30 minutes. Serve with pickled red cabbage or beetroot and chunks of bread to mop up gravy. [PS blind scouse has no meat ]

[martini]

Spanish Bean Stew

This is nice and spicy and best served with crusty bread.

1/2 white haricot beans (soak in water overnight and boil rapidly for ten mins)
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
small can tomato puree
chopped bacon - as much as you want
a piece of chorizo (the thick sausage type used for cooking) about 12 inches long
pinch of oregano (optional)

Prepare haricot beans as above and drain water off.
Skin chorizo and cut into bit sized pieces. Put chorizo, onion, garlic and bacon into a frying pan with a little oil and fry off. Put beans in a large pan, add contents of frying pan (with juices), add tin of tom puree, black pepper and a little salt. Add 2 and 1/2 pints of boiling water and bring back to the boil. Simmer on a low heat until beans are soft. At this stage it looks like watery soup. To thicken it, take out a mugful of beans and some of the liquid and liquidize - put back into pan. (If not thick enough - liquidize some more beans). Taste and add salt if needed.
[if feeling adventurous - add some black pudding about half an hour before end of cooking time]

[Earthbabe]

Looks like I will be having fun over the winter with all these stews. I'll have to see if there is a traditional Jersey one. I generally do the chuck it all in and use up left overs method.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Just had scouse for tea, neighbour and friends also - highly recommended! DDL

[bootie]

I usually make a Pot Mess. Any meat and veg and then a bit of this to taste and a bit of that to make it taste better. But none of the other!
The only thing is I can never make the P/M taste the same twice

[rustylady]

Best thing abouit a stew is that
(1) it is reasonably cheap to make
(2) you can use any meat you like, and any veg you have available (the only essential is onions, you can vary the seasoning according to what you and your family like
(3) Make it in a really big pan - don't eat it the first day, the flavours and texture are much improved by the second day. Assuming you've made a big enough potfull, what is left over from the first serving you can add extra veg/ pearl barley/dumplings etc until it eventually ends up as a thick soup which you can serve with crusty bread - yum, yum

[Mrs Dobby]

Agreed RustyLady, it is best tasting on the second day, my Mum always used to add more veg and do it again the following night, mmmm delish!

[Earthbabe]

I usually make a Pot Mess. Any meat and veg and then a bit of this to taste and a bit of that to make it taste better. But none of the other!
The only thing is I can never make the P/M taste the same twice

That sounds a lot more interesting than the name we had for it which was "leftovers a la Wendy". In fact when mum is let loose on leftovers that's what we still get!

[melon]

Wow, Jamie Oliver and the rest of them eat your hearts out, this is where the real cookings at! I make the stew my nan always used to make, loads of beef, on the bone if you can get it, boil it up and skim the scum off, take the bones out and add lots of veg- parsnips, turnips, swede, onions, sometimes leeks, add bouquet garni and simmer for hours until everything is mushy, add some boiled spuds before serving and don't forget the dumplings. My grandad always used to sprinkle curry powder over his but I prefer a good dollop of Daddies brown sauce!