Lobscouse Sailors Beef Stew Skipper Labskovs Food

LOBSCOUSE (SAILOR'S BEEF STEW) - SKIPPER LABSKOVS

Steps:

• Brown meat and cook onions in the butter, stirring occasionally.
• Add stock, beer, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add potatoes and continue to simmer for 2 hours.
• Mash any remaining pieces of potato, so that you have a thick'gravy' with just a few pieces of potato.
• Serve in bowl with 1 tablespoon butter on top.
• Sprinkle with onion tops.

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES CONGEE (CHOK)

Steps:

• Cut the chicken thighs up into two inch lengths.
• Marinate the chicken with the oyster sauce, Chinese wine/sherry, soy sauce, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil.
• Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for about 30 min or longer.
• (the longer it is left to marinate, the tastier the chicken will be.) Grab a large pot, pour the rice, water, ginger, garlic and dried scallops inches.
• Let this boil on a low heat for about 1 hour.
• (this is to bring out the flavor or the spices and scallops) Do check on the congee frequently and give it a stir, so that the rice doesn't stick and burn at the bottom of the pot.
• NOTE: The congee is boiled at low heat, so that the congee will be smooth.
• NOTE: The more frequently you stir the congee, the faster the rice grains will break down, making the porridge smoother and tastier.
• Pour in the carrots, and allow the congee to continue simmering.
• Take the chicken out of the fridge, and pour it into the congee.
• (a fair bit of water would have disappeared by now; thus adding the chicken won't cause it to overflow) Add 2 cups boiling hot water into the pot, and stir the congee.
• Allow this to cook for about 15 minutes.
• Add the broccoli into the pot.
• Allow the congee to cook until you are happy with the thickness of the congee.
• Bring the congee to a boil, while continuously stirring it.
• Once it boils, turn the heat off, and drop the two eggs into the pot of congee.
• Leave it for about 30 seconds, and give it a good stir to break up the egg totally and it mixes very well into the congee.
• Ladle into bowls, and garnish.
• Enjoy a bowl of smooth yummy congee.

SAILOR'S COFFEE

Steps:

• Poor hot coffee into a large wine glass, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add brandy and liqueur, stir and mix. Float whipped cream on top (to prevent the cream from sinking, pour over back of spoon). Sprinkle grated chocolate over top and serve immediately.

SAILOR'S BEEF CASSEROLE (MERIMIESPIHVI) - FINNISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cut the meat into slices across the grain. In a hot skillet, brown them quickly on both sides using only half the butter or oil. Remove to a plate.
• Lower the heat and cook the onions slowly in the rest of the butter until they are soft and golden. If they become browned, they'll be a completely different taste than when they're golden.
• Peel and slice the potatoes as thinly as possible.
• In a 1 quart casserole dish, layer the potatoes with the browned meat and onions, sprinkling each meat layer with a litle of the salt, pepper and allspice. I started with a layer of potatoes, meat, onions, spice. Repeated two more times for a total of three layers, but make the last layer one of potatoes.
• Rinse the skillet with the beer and the broth. Pour into the casserole. Add the bay leaf.
• Cover tightly, but no need for foil under the lid. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and potatoes are soft.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Traditionally served with pickled beets.