Lapskaus (literally ‘stew’) is a traditional Norwegian dish used to make a few cheap cuts of meat go a very long way. It is made by most families across Norway and for every family… there’s a different recipe. It can be watery or thick, use brown beef gravy or bechamel sauce – what is consistent is that it’s always delicious! This is the YLC version – feel free to experiment!
What I found particularly fun about this stew was the name. In England the same dish is called Scouse, not a far cry from ‘Labskaus’, but so associated with Liverpool that an entire culture has been defined by the dish. And in New York, the heavily Norwegian-populated 8th Avenue is still known today as ‘Lapskaus Boulevard‘. It’s a powerful name!
Ingredients
1 x 200g beef stewing steak
200g pancetta
4 floury potatoes (these wil thicken the gravy)
4 carrots
1 celery stick
2 onions
1 leek
500ml beef stock
pepper, parsley
Directions
- Fry the beef in a large casserole dish until just cooked. Meanwhile peel and chop the vegetables into bite-sized chunks.
- Add the garlic and fry for one minute.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Take the beef out and shred it with a fork, then add back into the stew.
- Eat with Norwegian flat bread – couldn’t be easier!
