Traditional Lamb Lancashire Hotpot

Potato topped lamb Lancashire hotpot with kidneys and oysters.

Traditional Lamb Lancashire Hotpot

A traditional Lancashire hotpot is a lamb or mutton stew topped with scalloped potatoes that is baked in the oven. I lean on old-school ideas and combine the expensive meat with kidneys and season with a tin of smoked oysters. This recipe is special!

Course Lamb Recipes

Cuisine British

Keyword lamb hot pot, lamb hotpot, lancashire hot pot, lancashire hotpot

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 15

Servings Servings

Calories 1153kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

225 g Lamb Neck Fillet 8oz
4 Lambs Kidneys Approx 225g or 8oz
85 g Tin of Smoked Oysters in Oil 3oz (optional)
3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
50 g Butter 3 tablespoon +1 teaspoon
1 Large Onion 200g
1½ tablespoon Plain Flour
500 ml Lamb Stock 2 Cups
500 g Potatoes 3-3½ Cups
Salt (as required)

Instructions

Cut the lamb across the fillet into 1.5cm (½"-¾") long pieces, then cut each of those pieces in half.
Prepare the kidneys by cutting them in half lengthways and trimming out the white membrane. Then cut them into a 1cm (½") dice.
Drain the canned oysters and cut them in half.
Peel the onion, cut it in half and then into 3-4mm (⅛") thick half-moon shapes.
Strip the leaves from the rosemary and chop them as finely as you can.
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan (not non-stick if possible) over a high-medium heat, and when it is hot, add the oil and two-thirds of the butter. When the butter begins to foam, add the lamb neck fillet and brown on all sides, then remove and set aside.
Add the kidneys to the pan and brown for 2-3 minutes, remove and combine with the lamb.
Add the onions to the butter, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes until they begin to soften and colour up.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir in for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the flour from burning.
Pour in the lamb stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all of the tasty bits!
Add two-thirds of the rosemary and the oysters, then cook for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Have a taste and add salt if you think it needs some.
Cut the potatoes into 5-6mm (¼") thick slices.

Using a mandolin here really helps, but watch your fingers.

Add a layer of potatoes to the base of a casserole dish (21cm x 16cm x 4.5cm or 8″ x 6″ x 2″) and then pour over the lamb stew, then arrange the remaining potatoes over the top of the dish.
Dot on the remaining butter and sprinkle over a little sea salt, then wrap tightly in tin foil and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours at 150°C or 300°F.
Remove the hotpot from the oven and turn the heat up to 200°C or 400°F, then remove the foil, sprinkle over the remaining rosemary and return to the oven for a final 30 minutes.

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