Plum shortbread, celeriac and kale soup, and mince on toast.Danielle Matar/The Globe and Mail
Earlier this summer, when the U.S.-based online food magazine Eater suggested mince on toast was a classic British dish, foodie drama unfolded. Many in Britain denied it jeeringly, others stepped up to claim it nostalgically and a bunch of New Zealanders shot back to say it had been invented in their country.
All I know is that as a child in Scotland, I ate this every Thursday night. It was strongly flavoured and succulent because, back then, all Scottish beef was grass-fed. My mother fried the bread in beef fat, if she had any, although chicken fat would also do. If she didn't have wine on hand, she used a little whisky to heighten the flavour.
My version is healthier but just as full of flavour and a filling meal when paired with a hearty soup. It might not be a classic English dish, but we Scots consider it part of our food heritage.