Having originated in the North West of England in the 19th century, Lancashire Hotpot is a family favourite in our house. A simple meal to put together, you just need time for it to slowly cook away and the flavours to combine.
Serves 5
Cooking Time: 2 hours 25 mins
Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
500g lamb neck or shoulder, cut into bite-size chunks
2 brown onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
480ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
680g potatoes, peeled and sliced to 2-3mm thick
1 tbsp butter, melted for brushing
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F.
2. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a medium sized casserole dish and fry the lamb until lightly browned all over (about 3-4 minutes). Spoon the lamb into a bowl and set aside, then add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.
3. Add the lamb back into the pan and stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a stir and bring to a gentle bubble. Then place a lid on the pan and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, stir in the carrots. At this point, you can transfer the contents of the pan to a pie dish if you wish. Top with the sliced potatoes, starting from the outside and layering the potatoes moving towards the centre.
5. Brush the top of the potatoes with the melted butter and sprinkle on the dried thyme. Cover with foil and place back in the oven for 1 hour.
6. After an hour, turn the oven up to 200C/400F and remove the foil. Cook for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top.
7. Take out the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with seasonal green veg.
