Tatty Beef

On the last weekend before Christmas Week I went up to my grandparents for a long overdue visit. They are both well into their eighties and both been unwell as a result this has meant that each time I see them I wonder if it will be the last time. Negative thoughts I know but that's what the passage of time does to you.

I knew that they were not quite enjoying the high standard of cooking they used to when my Gran was well and were relying on instant meals so I thought it only right that I cooked them a proper meal when I dropped in to visit.

The recipe I chose is one of my granddad's favourites and one as a child I remember Gran making for him on many occasions. It is basically a variation of corned beef hash and in the part of North East Scotland where my Granddad originates from it is known as Corned Beef and Tatties.

With the sounds of Jethro Tull's song "This is not Love" from their 1991 effort "Catfish Rising" thrusting through my mind, as a result of it being on the car stereo on the drive up, I took four white potatoes and peeled them. I then sliced them in half lengthways and put them in a pan of water. I fired up the hob and brought the pan to boil before simmering the potatoes for around half an hour until they were soft.

While the potatoes were simmering I covered the bottom of a frying pan with rapeseed oil and heated the oil gently on the hob. I added to the hob three large shallots that I had first peeled, topped and tailed and diced. I fried them with a hint of black pepper until they became soft and see-through. I then cut up around eight slices of corned beef into small squares and stirred them into the oil and shallots in the pan until the beef was coated in oil. I find that rapeseed oil is the best oil to use when frying beef.

After the potatoes were ready I drained them and then mashed them with a bit of margarine. After they had been mashed I added the mash to the frying pan and mixed it with the beef and shallots to make a thick paste. The meal was now ready to serve.

This type of food is quite basic and easy to throw together quickly but despite this it is a substantial meal that is very filling. Normally it is made with onions but I decided to use shallots to give it a unique twist.

It was certainly something my grandparents appreciated as they ate their helpings quickly and seemed happy at having a dish they explained they had not eaten for a while. I personally find that corned beef has a wonderful savoury taste sadly lacking in other types of beef and this taste is only enhanced with the use of the potatoes; definitely making it a simple but delicious dish.

The shallot pieces shine out of this recipe