Lamb Hotpot
Similar to a Lancashire Hotpot, which is traditionally made with mutton, this lamb hotpot is a great example of how cheaper cuts of lamb (scrag end & neck) can deliver the best flavoursome dishes when cooked slowly with a few key ingredients and real stock. Definitely worth the effort!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500 ml Pure beef stock
- 500 g Scrag end of lamb (on the bone)
- 400 g Lamb neck (whole piece)
- 150 ml Red wine (Merlot)
- 2 Medium carrots
- 4 Medium onions (2 sliced & 2 diced)
- 3 Celery sticks (diced)
- 1 Leek diced
- 5 Garlic cloves
- 3 Potatoes
- 1 sprig of Rosemary & Thyme
- 40 g Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Defrost the beef stock in a pan to a warm liquid.
- In a hot frying pan, season and sear all the lamb until beautifully coloured. (Remember colour = flavour)
- Remove and place in a casserole dish along with the herbs.
- Add the sliced onion to the same pan and allow to colour lightly before adding 2 crushed cloves of garlic followed by the red wine – use this to de-glaze the pan – reduce by half and add to the casserole dish.
- Add the beef stock to the lamb and cover with greaseproof paper and seal with tinfoil.
- Place in a hot oven at 160C for 3 to 3.5hrs or until tender.
- Remove from the oven and separate the sauce and the meat.
- Pull the meat from any bones and excess fat and place back into the casserole dish.
- Allow the sauce to settle, remove any fat and pass through a sieve back over the lamb.
- Place the carrot, onion, leek and celery in a pan with half the butter and fry gently to soften before spreading evenly over the lamb.
- Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and layer over the lamb quite tightly. Dab the remaining butter over the top, cover with the greaseproof paper and tinfoil (you can re-use the covering from earlier).
- Place in the oven and bake for ½ hr at 160C then remove the cover and bake for a further 20 mins at 180/200C or until the potato has cooked and crisped up.
- Serve with greens of choice.