Lancashire hotpot
Lancashire hotpot is a slow-baked lamb dish with vegetables under a layer of thin potato slices. Most of the time, the dish is cooked covered, then the lid is removed to crisp up the potatoes.
Additional 10 min — resting and preparation
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the ingredients
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Cut the lamb into pieces about 4 cm, dry them and season with half the salt and pepper. Slice the onion into half-rings, the carrot into rounds, and the potato into very thin slices about 3 mm thick.
Brown the meat
Melt 30 g butter in a heavy ovenproof casserole. Brown the lamb in small batches for 4–5 minutes per batch, turning to colour the sides, then set aside. Do not crowd all the meat into the pot at once.
Make the sauce
In the same pan, cook the onion and carrot for 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, add the bay leaf, thyme, remaining salt, and return the lamb.
Place the potato lid
Bring the filling to a gentle boil. Carefully place the potato slices overlapping each other, covering the entire surface. Melt the remaining 40 g of butter and distribute it evenly over the potatoes.
Slowly bake
Cover the pan with a lid and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the meat: it should be easily fork-tender. If still tough, continue baking covered; if there is insufficient liquid, add a little hot water around the edges.
Crisp and serve
Remove the lid, increase the temperature to 200 °C, and cook for another 25-35 minutes until the potatoes are golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes, remove any bay leaves, and serve with the sauce without additional cheese or green garnish.
Little hint
Tightly overlapping thin potato slices retain moisture during braising. Do not open the dish too early for a crispy crust: the lamb should soften first, then the top should crisp up.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Tightly overlapping thin potato slices retain moisture during braising. Do not open the dish too early for a crispy crust: the lamb should soften first, then the top should crisp up.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Cut the lamb into pieces about 4 cm, dry them and season with half the salt and pepper. Slice the onion into half-rings, the carrot into rounds, and the potato into very thin slices about 3 mm thick.
