TRANMERE Rovers legend John Aldridge put his cookery skills to the test to show people how to recreate the world's best bowl of scouse.

The club's former manager joined Christian Grall, chef in charge at Liverpool Football Club's Boot Room Sports Cafe, to reveal the club's secret recipe to the 'world’s best' version of the popular regional dish in celebration of Global Scouse Day, which takes place next Friday (February 28).

Aldridge is a Radio City football commentator, covering Liverpool's matches for the station.

Controversially opting for chuck steak over lamb as the main component of the popular stew, Christian also uses a mixture of bitter, beef stock and fresh thyme to flavor the stew.

Commenting on the club's recipe, a close-guarded secret up until now, Christian Grall said: "Scouse has been on the menu at the Boot Room since we first opened, as it truly is the dish that represents Liverpool and everything that Liverpool FC as a club is about – tradition, quality, history and family.

"We pride ourselves on our recipe for scouse, which uses the finest local ingredients, and with it being one of the most popular dishes on the menu, it clearly is a favourite of our customers and fans of the club."

Scouse is thought to have been brought to Liverpool by Northern European sailors, where it was originally called lapskaus or lobscouse, which were Norwegian in origin.

After being shortened to skause, this then changed to the more Anglicised version that we have today, scouse.

Tore Hansen, Head of Liverpool FC's Official Norway Supporters said: "Lapskaus is still a really popular dish in Norway, and it’s fantastic to think that back in the 1700s the Norwegian sailors shared this meal with Liverpool’s ancestors.

"The fact that this dish is the reason why Liverpudlians are now fondly referred to as scousers is just fantastic and could be one of the reasons why Norwegians are such passionate followers of Liverpool FC."

Global Scouse Day is part of the wider initiative Project Scouse, which aims to promote the culture, heritage and the food and drink heroes of the city of Liverpool and surrounding areas.

The recipe for Liverpool FC’s Boot Room Sports Café's ‘world’s best’ scouse, which serves four people, is below.

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 700g diced chuck steak
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig of thyme 400g diced onion (cut into 1cm pieces)
  • 350g diced swede (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
  • 350g carrots (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
  • 600g peeled and diced potatoes (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
  • 500ml bitter
  • 1.2 litres beef stock

Method:

  • Heat a little oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat (gas mark 4/180C/350F) for about one minute.
  • Add 700g diced chuck steak and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  • Cook until meat is evenly browned on all sides.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the onions and cook until soft.
  • Add the bitter and boil until the liquid has reduced by half.
  • Add the diced and peeled carrot, swede and half of the potato, followed by bay leaves and the sprig of thyme.
  • Then add in the beef stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add in the rest of the potato and simmer for an hour and a half until the meat is tender.
  • Check the seasoning and serve.

Serve with pickled beetroot, pickled cabbage and chunky sliced white bread and butter.