Lancashire Hotpot

Introduction & method

Traditionally, Lancashire hotpot would be made using tough old mutton, hence the long cooking time. Mutton is hard to find these days, so you can use lamb, cutlets, neck or shin, on the bone if possible.

Prep

Heat your oven to 150°C (302°F) for a fan/convection oven, 170°C (338°F) conventional, gas 3. Top and tail, peel and thinly slice the onions. Cut the onion rings in half. Sauté in oil to brown them. Remove from pan and set aside. If your meat is boneless, cut it into bite-sized chunks. Dust it with flour, salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Sauté in more oil to brown the meat all over. You may need to do this in batches.

Peel and slice the potatoes. The slices should be 2-3mm (less than a quarter of an inch) thick. A mandoline is ideal for doing this, but make sure you use the guard or you could be looking for your fingertips.

Assemble

Grease a tall ovenproof dish with butter and arrange half of the potatoes in one or two layers on the bottom. Season with salt and pepper, layer half of the onions over the potatoes. Layer the meat over the potatoes and onions and then arrange the rest of the onion on top of that. Pour in your stock until it just covers the onions. Arrange the remaining potatoes in one or two layers, overlapping slightly. Melt a generous knob of butter and pour it all over the potatoes.

Cook

Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot and bake for 2½ hours. Turn on the grill/broiler, remove lid from the casserole and brown the top layer of potatoes. Serve with pickled red cabbage. You could also cook Lancashire hotpot in a slow-cooker/crockpot for 7-8 hours.