Lancashire mutton hotpot
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- A little effort
- Serves 4
- 800g potatoes⅓ sliced about the thickness of a £1 coin
- olive oil
- 2 large onionsroughly chopped
- 4 mutton or lamb chump chopstrimmed
- 2 (optional) lamb kidneys
- 4 bay leaves
- 8 sprigs (optional) thyme
- melted butter
- to serve pickled red cabbage or steamed green veg
- kcal581
- fat31.7g
- carbs42.2g
- fibre4g
- protein34.3g
- salt0.28g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spread the thick slices of potato in a baking dish that’s about 7cm deep and wide enough to hold the meat in a single layer. Season.
step 2
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion gently, turning regularly, for at least 10 minutes until translucent. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Add more oil to the pan and brown the chops on each side.
step 3
Put the chops, kidneys and bay leaves on top of the potatoes and scatter on the thyme, if using. Season. Spread the onion over the meat and season again. Pour 200ml water into the pan you cooked the chops in and stir over the heat to release the sticky debris from the bottom. Pour into the baking dish, add more water if needed, until the liquid comes halfway up the contents of the dish.
step 4
Overlap the thinly sliced potatoes in circles over everything. brush with more oil or melted butter. Cover with a double layer of foil and cook for 30 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and cook for a further 2 hours, then remove the foil to brown the potato slices lightly, turn the oven back up to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 to help them along.
step 5
Serve with pickled red cabbage or steamed green veg on the side.