Lancashire Hotpot

A traditional and popular Lancashire recipe

Ingredients:

900g lean lamb chops, cutlets or chump chops, trimmed
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
4 lambs kidney’s skinned, cored and cut into small pieces
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp plain flour
600ml good, hot lamb stock
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 bay leaves
25g butter, softened
900g red potatoes, unpeeled and sliced

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F.

1. Coat the cutlets with the mixed herbs. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chops or cutlets, in batches until brown, turning once. Transfer into a 2.8L/5pint ovenproof casserole dish with a lid. Sprinkle over half the mint.

2. Add the kidney to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes and then spoon over the cutlets. Fry the onions for about 10 minutes until brown adding a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning.

3. Pour the stock and onion mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle over the remaining mint and add the bay leaves. Arrange the potato slices on top of the casserole dish in an overlapping pattern. Season and dot with half the butter. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 1˝hours. Remove the lid and cook for a further 50 minutes.

5. Brush the potatoes with the remaining butter and place the casserole under a preheated moderate grill for 4-5 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden.

Serve with seasonal vegetables.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves 6.

www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk