HungryForever

MINCE AND TATTIES

A dish discussed as much as cassoulet is in Castelnaudary. Questions such as should you add peas or carrots can start a gastronomic row of great proportions. Sticking my neck out, I know Caledonia MacBrayne adds peas to its mince but I don’t, although I do like a spot of carrot in mine. It gets worse—I can’t help making a small gesture to the Auld Alliance as well. If you haven’t tossed this book away in disgust already, here are my mince thoughts.

Servings

Ingredients

1 onionpeeled and thinly sliced
1in leekcleaned, sliced lengthwisehalf, then thinly sliced across
1in carrotpeeled, sliced lengthwisehalf, then thinly sliced across
4cloves of garlicpeeled and chopped
a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
2pounds ¼ground beef
2 tinned tomatoes
a handful of oatmeal
1 shot glass of Worcestershire sauce
⅓ bottle of red winemy gesture to the Auld Alliance
chicken stockif needed
sea salt and black pepper
a dozen proper boiling potatoes

Instructions

In a large pan, sweat the onion, leek, carrot and garlic in the splash of olive oil until softened. Add the mince, giving it a healthy stir to break it up. Add the tinned tomatoes, crushed in your hand—a subliminal gesture. Keep stirring and add the oatmeal, not so much that you end up with a porridge. Stir, add the Worcestershire sauce and red wine, then stir again. Take a view on the liquid content; if it seems a wee bit dry, add some stock. You are looking for a loose lava consistency. Check for seasoning.
Now allow the mince to simmer gently for 1½ hours, if not 2 (if it is drying out, add more stock). Time allows the mince to become itself, as is the case for most of us.
While the mince cooks, peel the potatoes and simply boil them in salty water. After a long journey, there is no dish more welcoming. Also, a dram doesn’t go amiss.