The latest in Corinne's list of yummy meals
When I lived in Manchester, I discovered the difference is between a Stew, and a Hot Pot. A stew is cooked completely on the stove, whereas hotpot is cooked in the oven, whereas in a stew the potatoes are either whole or halved and added, on a traditional hot pot the potatoes are peeled, sliced, and cooked on top of the hot pot to form a crispy crust.
The Hotpot is thought to have originated during the cotton industry in the 19th century. It's an easy to prepare meal that would have contained mutton & have been left to cook slowly all day, ready for the mill workers at the end of their shift.
Lamb Hot Pot. Serves 4.
- 700g well-trimmed lamb diced.
- 2 tsp sunflower oil
- 2 medium onions peeled and thinly sliced.
- 300 grams carrots peeled and thickly sliced.
- 1 celery stalk sliced.
- 1 tbsp plain or gluten free flour
- 600ml stock, vegetable, beef, chicken or lamb
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 rosemary stalk or ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 500 Grams potatoes
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½.
Season your lamb. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the lamb over a medium-high heat until nicely browned on all sides.
Transfer the browned meat to a 2.5 litre casserole dish.
Add the onions, celery, and carrots into the pan with the lamb and sprinkle with the flour. Toss everything together well, then pour over the stock and add the thyme leaves, rosemary and bay leaf and stock Stir well.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 5mm thick.
Arrange the slices of potato on top of the lamb, overlapping and layering traditionally in a circle.
Season with ground black pepper and cover the whole pot with a tight-fitting lid or tight-fitting silver foil.
Bake the hotpot for 1 hour, then remove the lid and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the potatoes are nicely browned and the lamb is tender.
Serve with cabbage or greens, or mashed swede.
This hearty meal beats the winter cold.