Traditional Lancashire Hotpot

Any dish that still remains popular nearly 200 years after it’s creation is going to be a damn good meal. I grew up in the North of England, so this Traditional Lancashire Hotpot is one of my staple dinners!

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1.1 pounds (500g) lamb not too lean – neck is best, but shoulder works well too, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 brown onions peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 heaped tbsp plain flour use gluten free plain flour if required
• 2 cups (480ml) hot chicken or vegetable stock water with a couple of stock cubes is fine – or use bouillon for gluten free
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use a gluten free version if required)
• 3 medium sized carrots peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds (680g) potatoes peeled and sliced to 2-3mm thick (floury potatoes such as maris pipers work best)
• 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F
2. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a medium sized casserole or sauce pan and fry the lamb pan until lightly browned all over (about 3-4 minutes). Spoon the lamb into a bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.
3. Add the lamb back in, then stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a stir, bring to a gently bubble. Then place a lid on it 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 casserole or pie dish if you wish (I moved mine to a 25cm diameter pie dish). Top with the sliced potatoes. Start from the outside, and layer 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 a lid or foil and place back in the oven for 1 hour.
6. After an hour, turn the oven up to 200c/400f and remove the lid. Cook for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top.
7. Take out of the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so (it will be very hot), then serve with some green veg.