Scottishwanderer they mean doughballs
Basically any kind of fat rubbed into some seasoned self raising flour, then add a wee bit water to make a dough. Pull off pudding spoonful sized lumps and drop them into your stew. Make sure there's a fair amount of liquid and the doughballs will cook in about 20minutes. They should be cake like texture in the middle and sappy with gravy on the outside.
Stew need not be expensive.
If you have the time and the fuel, long and slow and better the next day, is the way to go.
Stovies .....
Melt a wee bit fat or heat oil in the bottom of the pot. Add the bits of a peeled and chopped onion. Doesn't need to be wonderfully neat, just held in your hand and sliced up with your knife will do.
Cook until golden brown and savoury in the fat.
If you can find some ransoms when your out, add them now and stir them around quickly in the hot fat.
Next add what ever left over meaty bits of last nights dinner, or fresh stuff if you like, and some beef links. Stir well and keep everything moving. Add chopped up veggies; tatties, carrots, turnip, mushrooms, cabbage, whatever's at hand. Stir again and then add water or beer or stock ( some of the cheap 10cal cuppa soups are very good). Wine's acidy, not quite what you want for this and really wasted. Stew it slowly until all the veggies are cooked keeping it topped up with hot water as needed. By then the sausages will have sprouted at the ends probably too, but they'll be well cooked.
Season to taste, and if you want add the doughballs.
It's good food and a lot of eating. Works with leftovers, beef, rabbit, venison, pheasant, pork, hare, chicken, pigeon, turkey....whatever you have. It even works with fish.
I'm vegetarian and my stew that I make for me is as tasty without meat as those with. It's just practice and using what you have.
cheers,
Toddy
