Best Real Lancashire Hotpot Recipes

TRADITIONAL LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

Steps:

• First trim the lamb of any excess fat and wipe with kitchen paper. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and ¼ oz (5 g) butter until it is very hot, then brown the pieces of lamb two or three at a time until they all have a good brown crust. As they cook, remove them to a wide casserole. Brown the pieces of kidney too, and tuck these in among the meat. Next, fry the onions - add ¼ oz (5 g) butter to the pan if you need any extra fat - cooking them for about 10 minutes till they turn brown at the edges. Now stir in the flour to soak up the juices, then gradually add the hot water and Worcestershire sauce, stirring or whisking until flour and liquid are smoothly blended. Season with salt and pepper and bring it up to simmering point, then pour it over the meat in the casserole. Add the bay leaf and thyme, then arrange the potato slices on top, in an overlapping pattern like slates on a roof. Season the potatoes and add a few flecks of butter here and there. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook near the top of the oven for 1½ hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further 50 minutes.I sometimes finish off the hotpot under the grill. If you brush the potatoes with a little more butter and place the casserole under a hot grill they crisp up and brown beautifully. Alternatively, if you think they're not browning enough during cooking, you can turn the heat in the oven right up during the last 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving.

LANCASHIRE HOT POT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons clarified butter in large overproof pan. Pat meat dry and add a little at a time to brown.
• In a separate pan, heat remaining clarified butter. Add onions and lightly brown. Add 2 tablespoons fresh butter, then stir in flour. Cook until lightly browned.
• Add onions to meat and combine well. Add beef stock and stir until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Add Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and bay leaves. Spoon off 1/2 cup of the gravy and reserve. Lay kidney slices on top, followed by mushrooms, then oysters. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with overlapping potato slices. Season again and add back 1/2 cup reserved gravy. Roast in oven for 1 hour, uncovered.
• Remove stew from oven and turn up to broil. Broil hot pot for 2 1/2 minutes to brown. Garnish with parsley.

LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
• Heat some dripping or butter in a large shallow casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches, lift to a plate, then repeat with the kidneys.
• Fry the onions and carrots in the pan with a little more dripping until golden. Sprinkle over the flour, allow to cook for a couple of mins, shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Stir in the meat and bay leaves, then turn off the heat.
• Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the meat, then drizzle with a little more dripping. Cover, then place in the oven for about 1½ hrs until the potatoes are cooked.
• Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with a little more dripping, then turn the oven up to brown the potatoes, or finish under the grill for 5-8 mins until brown.

LANCASHIRE HOT POT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion until soft and deep golden in color. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add lamb to skillet and fry (in batches if necessary) until rich chestnut brown in color, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain fat and reserve.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Spread 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place browned lamb and onions on top, then sprinkle with thyme and season to taste. Cover with remaining potatoes, season to taste and dot with butter. Pour stock over all.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Note: If casserole is drying out while cooking, add more stock as needed. If casserole is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

REAL LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Cut the lamb into pieces suitable for serving. Skin the kidney, cut in half lengthways, cut out the white fatty core and cut the kidney into pieces. Peel and slice the onions, carrot, and turnip (if used). Peel and slice the potatoes and cut into thick slices (1/2in/1.25 cm).
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, and brown the lamb pieces over a medium heat, turning them so that they cook on all sides. Brown the kidney, and arrange all the meat in a casserole or ovenproof dish. Fry the onion in the pan for 3-4 minutes, to soften it. Add the sliced carrot and turnip (if used) and continue to fry gently, stirring all the time, for a further 3 minutes.
• Add the vegetables to the meat in the casserole. Dissolve the stock cube in 2 cups of boiling water. Sprinkle the flour over the remaining juices in the frying pan, and stir. Gradually stir in the stock, stirring hard to make a smooth gravy and adding the salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the gravy over the meat in the casserole, to cover the meat and vegetables.
• Then cover the meat with a thick layer of potato slices, placing them so that they overlap and form a thick crust. Dot with the butter. Cover with a lid or piece of tight-fitting foil, and cook in a moderate oven (325F/170C/Gas Mark 3-4) for 1 1/2-2 hours, removing the lid for the last half hour of cooking time, to brown the top. If the top does not seem to be getting crispy enough, either increase the oven heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6-7, or pop the casserole dish under a hot grill for a few minutes.
• If you have cook the casserole on top of the stove because an oven is not available, simmer the casserole very gently for 1 1/2-2 hours, then brown the potato topping under the grill as described above.