Gordon Ramsay\'s Great British Pub Food

Lancashire hotpot

During the industrial times, long working days for men

and women left little time to devote to cooking. Meat,

vegetables and potatoes were often piled into pots and left

to cook all day in a low oven. A welcome return after a hard

day's work, this hotpot soon became a staple in Lancashire.

Preheat the oven to 170°ClGas 3. Cut the lamb into chops, about 2cm

thick, trimming off any fa t. Season the flour w ith salt and pepper and

use to dust the cho ps light ly. If using kidneys, ha lve them and snip out

the core wit h a pair of kitchen scissors, then cut each half in two.

Heat halfthe olive oil in a w ide frying pan and fry the lamb in batches,

for 2 minutes o n each side or until evenly browned all over. Remove

with a slotted spoon to a plate. Dust the kidneys in seasoned flour and

fry for 11/ 2 m inutes on each side until browned; t ransfer to the plate.

Add a little mort. oil to the pan and fry the onion, carrots and garlic

with a little seasoning for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.

Tip in any remaining seaso ned flour and fry fo r another minute or so.

Pour the stock int o the pan, stirring, and add the thyme and rosemary.

Simmer for 5- 10 minutes, t hen take the pan off the heat.

Assemble the hotpot in a buttered, deep casserole dish. Layer the

meat, browned vegetables and sauce in the dish, seasoning well

between each layer. Top w it h two or three layers of neatly overlapping

potato slices, brushing each layer with butter a nd seasoning well.

Cook in t he oven for about 11/2-2 hours until the meat is tender and
the potatoes are golden brown and criSp around the edges. To check,
insert a thin s kewe r through the potatoes and meat; it should meet
with little resistance. If t he potatoes appear to be browning too
quickly in the oven, cover loosely with a piece offoil. Leave the hotpot
to stand for 10 -1 5 minutes before serving.

SERVES 4-6

lkg best end of lamb

3 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

3 lamb's kidneys

(optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and

thinly sliced

2 large carrots, peeled

and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and

chopped

700mllamb stock

(see page 245)

few thyme sprigs, leaves

stripped

1 or 2 rosemary sprigs,

leaves only, finely

chopped

700g floury potatoes,

such as Maris Piper or

King Edward, peeled

and thinly sliced

30g butter, melted

COMFORT FOOD 163