Scouse: Liverpool’s most iconic dish

A dish so synonymous with the city that there's a whole day dedicated to it. We are, of course, talking about Scouse. The meat (or veggie) stew. Now, it might not exactly be the weather for it, but we're taking a look at the most famous local food dish in Liverpool.

What does it take to make this comforting stew?

Scouse has to be the most famous and possibly favourite dish local to Liverpool. Whether your nan makes you a pan of it or you head to one of the many eateries in the city where it's on the menu all year round. But what does it take to make this comforting stew?

Joe Reader, Restaurant Manager said: "Here at Smugglers Cove, in our scouse we have beef, lamb, carrots, onions, and potatoes served with pickled beetroot HP brown sauce and some bread."

"We sweat off the onions first, we then cook the lamb before the beef because it takes longer. We add the carrots next, then the potatoes. Once it's all in the same pot we slow cook it for around an hour and season with salt, pepper and stock."

“It’s on our menu all year round“

"It's on our menu all year round because everyone who comes to Liverpool wants to try it. It comes from the word Lobscouse but it changed to Scouse, and that is why people in Liverpool are called Scousers."

We took to the streets of the city to find out why it's so well loved by locals and how to make it authentically.

“I got my recipe originally from Ken Pye”

Pat said, "I got my recipe originally from Ken Pye who talks about the history of Liverpool. He came to where we lived one time, and he spoke to us and gave us the recipe."

“We use an oxo cube or gravy granules.”

Tony said, "Me and my daughter we don't use flour when we make our Scouse we use an oxo cube or gravy granules."

“We love Scouse!”

Jaqueline said, "Everyone knows Scousers called Scousers for a reason - because we love Scouse!"

The recipe is classic as it is interchangeable; it can be made with beef, lamb or neither (which is what we refer to as blind Scouse). The accompaniments vary between pickled red cabbage or beetroot, and some even enjoy it with a side of brown sauce.