Traditional Lancashire Hot Pot Food

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.

EASY LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 F/180 C and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Check from time to time to make sure the casserole isn't drying out; if so, add some stock or water. Remove the lid from the casserole and cook until the potatoes on the surface are brown.
• Remove the hotpot from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy.

LANCASHIRE HOTPOT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
• Heat a little of the 100g dripping or butter in a large shallow casserole dish and brown 900g stewing lamb chunks in batches, lift to a plate, then repeat with 3 trimmed and sliced lamb kidneys.
• Fry 2 chopped onions and 4 peeled and sliced carrots in the pan with a little more dripping until golden.
• Sprinkle over 25g plain flour, allow to cook for a couple of mins, shake over 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, pour in 500ml lamb or chicken stock, then bring to the boil.
• Stir in the stewing lamb and kidneys and 2 bay leaves, then turn off the heat.
• Arrange 900g peeled and 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.

TRADITIONAL LANCASHIRE HOT POT

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
• Trim the lamb of any excess fat and pat dry with paper towel.
• Heat the oil and a small knob of butter in a large heavy-based frying pan until very hot.
• Add the lamb, two or three pieces at a time, and fry until brown, turning once.
• Once browned, put them in a wide 3.5-litre casserole. Brown the pieces of kidney.
• Once the meat and kidney are in the casserole, add the onions to the pan.
• Fry over medium heat, adding a little more butter to the pan if necessary, for about ten minutes until browned at the edges.
• Stir in the flour then gradually add the hot water and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until the flour and liquid are smoothly blended. Season with salt and pepper and bring to simmering point. Pour over the meat in the casserole.
• Add the bay leaf and thyme, then arrange the potato slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Season the potatoes and dot the surface with a few dabs of butter.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put in the oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Towards the end of cooking time, remove the lid and brush the potatoes with a little more butter.
• Then place under the grill to crisp up. Alternatively, remove the lid and increase the heat to 400F for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Remove the bay leaf and thyme before serving.