"Entering a classic pie-and-mash shop in East London inevitably brings you face to face with a green-ish liquid lovingly ladled over a hearty minced beef, comfort-food pie, accompanied by mashed potatoes. The liquid isn't an afterthought or a minor ingredient, but a core component of British pie and mash. It's called liquor sauce, but has nothing to do with alcohol. It's instead a thick parsley-centric gravy traditionally made with jellied or stewed eels"
"This phenomenon sprang from busy dockland areas of East London in the mid-1800s, where working-class laborers and families needed affordable, energy-packed meals for long working days. Though eel-eating has diminished in the East End, the well-loved sauce remains. The savory minced beef pies now include options for chicken, pork, or lamb, served side-by-side on the same plate as the mashed potatoes. Liquor sauce splashes over it all in a glorious puddle of savory, umami-style gravy."
"Pie and mash with liquor sauce is a Cockney (East Ender) staple, though you'll also find it tucked into shops and cafes in nearby regions such as Essex, which lies about 30 miles outside London. The cherished meal still thrives in fishing villages such as Leigh-on-Sea, where I spent childhood summers at Wendy's Cafe, helping my grandparents peel potatoes, chop parsley, and make crust for the heart- and tummy-warming pies."
"Parsley gravy may sound odd to the uninitiated, as does a liquor sauce with no liquor. It's certainly something worth trying, but you may need to make it yourself. At its core, liquor sauce is simply a parsley-infused roux made by first whisking flour and hot melted butter into hot eel broth. By all means, feel free to use fish or vegetable stock i"
Liquor sauce is a thick, parsley-centric gravy traditionally made with jellied or stewed eels and now often using fish or vegetable stock. The sauce is a defining component of British pie and mash, commonly ladled over minced beef pies and mashed potatoes. The dish originated in East London docklands in the mid-1800s to provide affordable, energy-packed meals for working-class laborers. Eel-eating has declined in the East End, but pie-and-mash shops persist in London and nearby regions such as Essex and fishing villages like Leigh-on-Sea. The sauce's base is a parsley-infused roux made by whisking flour and hot melted butter into hot eel broth or substitute stock.
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