Ultimate Lancashire Hot Pot
- 2 kg potatoes
- 3 large onions
- 1 kg lamb (Neck, shoulder or chops can all be used)
- chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
- lamb bones or beef bone
- 2 large carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 large onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves
- salt & pepper
- rosemary
- 4 pints water
- Stock:.
- You can just buy some stock from the supermarket if you want, but this way is more satisfying and it makes the kitchen, nay, the whole house, smell gorgeous!
- Chuck the bones on a roasting tray and place in an oven at gas 6 for one hour.
- Roughly chop the veg, bash the garlic and add the bay leaves and rosemary to a large casserole dish or pan.
- When the bones have roasted for an hour, drain off the fat and add the bones to the casserole dish.
- Cover with water and place on the heat and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and leave for at least one hour.
- Leave for longer for a better flavour.
- I recommend at least two hours, three if you can.
- Remove the bones and sieve the stock into a large jug.
- For extra flavour let the softened veg fall into the sieve and go at them with a potato masher so squeeze out all the juices and flavour.
- Put the stock in the fridge or freezer to cool so the fat in the stock forms a solid crust on the surface.
- Much easier to remove it this way than skimming it when still in little globules floating on the surface.
- Hot Pot:.
- Take a bowl and add about 250g of plain flour.
- Doesnt matter how much really as its just to coat the meat.
- Season it well with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Coat the lamb in the flour mixture and brown quickly in a very hot pan.
- Does this in batches.
- Adding load of meat to a pan will just reduce the heat and youll and up with a mess in the pan.
- This isnt just about sealing the meat.
- You want to get a nice golden colour on it for look and flavour.
- Peel and slice the onions (Dont dice or finely chop) and sweat in butter on a low heat for around 20/30 minutes until they start to darken in colour.
- Set to one side.
- Peel and slice the spuds.
- Youre looking for something between 1/2 and 1 cm slices.
- Assemble in a large casserole dish in layers.
- Meat / Onions / Potato and repeat until the dish is full.
- If using chops you want about four per layer, depending on how many youre feeding.
- Go the extra mile and arrange the last layer of potato in overlapping concentric circles.
- Its worth.
- it for the look of the thing when you bring it to the table to serve.
- When done, peel the layer of now solid fat from the stock and pour a couple of pints over the hot pot, put the lid on and cook in a low oven (gas 3 or 4) for at least 3 hours.
- For a better flavour, cook for longer, but check that youre not evaporating all the stock.
- You should have.
- additional stock to top up if you find it getting low (Check using a skewer).
- Finally, just before serving, melt some butter in a saucepan and brush over the top layer of spuds.
- Place under a hot grill or back in the oven on a high heat to get a really nice golden colour.
- Sprinkle with some of the chopped parsley and serve in large bowls with fresh crusty.
- bread and red cabbage if you like it.
potatoes, onions, lamb, fresh parsley, beef bone, carrots, stalks celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, rosemary, water
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/ultimate-lancashire-hot-pot-253481 (may not work)