Lancashire Hotpot

Lancashire Hotpot

A hearty slow-baked casserole of lamb, onions, and carrots topped with crisp golden potato slices, from the mill towns of Lancashire.

Prep

20 min

Cook

150 min

Total

170 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) lamb (shoulder or neck), cut into 3 cm chunks
• •2 medium onions, sliced
• •2 medium carrots, sliced
• •800 g (1 lb 12 oz) potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), thinly sliced, about 3-4 mm thick
• •300 ml (10 fl oz (1¼ cups)) lamb stock, beef stock may be substituted
• •25 g (1 oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
• •1 tbsp plain flour
• •1 leaf bay leaf
• •2 sprigs fresh thyme
• •1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) / Gas mark 3. Lightly butter a deep ovenproof casserole dish (about 2.5 litre capacity).
2. 2 Toss the lamb chunks with the flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
3. 3 Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches, turning to colour all sides, then transfer to a plate. Set aside.
4. 4 In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and cook the onions for 5–6 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
5. 5 Layer half the lamb, onions, and carrots in the casserole, then repeat with the remaining half. Tuck in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
6. 6 Pour the stock over the layers; it should come about three-quarters of the way up. Add a little water if needed to just cover the meat.
7. 7 Arrange the potato slices on top, overlapping them in a neat pattern. Season with salt and pepper.
8. 8 Cover the casserole with a lid or foil and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour.
9. 9 Remove the lid and increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) / Gas mark 6. Continue baking uncovered for 30–40 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crisp at the edges and the lamb is fork-tender (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat should read at least 90°C / 195°F).
10. 10 Rest the hotpot for 10 minutes before serving. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then serve straight from the dish.