Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Lancashire Lamb Hotpot
蘭開夏羊肉薯仔焗鍋
Recipe overview
Tender lamb and root vegetables bake beneath overlapping golden potato slices in this traditional Lancashire hotpot.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g lamb shoulder
- 900 g medium potatoes
- 2 piece onion
- 2 piece carrot
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 500 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 piece bay leaf
- 20 g butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- baking dish
- oven
- oven mitts
- mixing bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Preheat the oven
Heat the oven to 180°C and leave it for 10 minutes so the temperature is stable before the hotpot goes in.
Step 2
Slice potatoes and vegetables
Slice 900 g potatoes into even 3 mm rounds, slice 2 onions, and cut 2 carrots into 1 cm coins; keep the potato slices in cold water.
Step 3
Season the lamb
Cut 700 g lamb shoulder into varied 3–5 cm irregular butcher-cut solid-meat chunks, keeping oblique faces and natural fat seams; pat dry and toss with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Step 4
Brown the lamb
Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat and brown the irregular lamb chunks in batches for 8 minutes total; leave space between them and turn until each has two dark-brown faces while the other cut faces still show muscle grain.
Step 5
Coat with flour
Lower the heat, sprinkle 2 tbsp flour over the browned irregular lamb chunks and stir for 1 minute, until each piece has only a thin flour film and no white flour pile remains in the pan.
Step 6
Add stock and seasoning
Pour in 500 ml stock, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp thyme and 1 bay leaf; scrape the pan and bring to a gentle simmer until slightly thickened.
Step 7
Layer the lamb filling
Spread the lamb and its gravy in an even layer in the casserole, then distribute all sliced onion and carrot so no lamb cubes sit dry above the liquid.
Step 8
Overlap potato slices
Drain and dry the potato slices, then overlap them tightly from the outside inward in one complete layer with no large gaps.
Step 9
Brush the potato top
Melt 20 g butter and brush it evenly over every exposed potato slice so the top can brown without dry patches.
Step 10
Bake covered
Cover tightly and bake at 180°C for 75 minutes; the gravy should bubble at the edge and a knife should pass through the potato layer.
Step 11
Brown uncovered
Remove the lid and bake at 210°C for 25 minutes until the potato edges are crisp and deep golden while the lamb remains moist underneath.
Step 12
Rest and serve
Rest the uncovered hotpot for 10 minutes away from the oven, then serve through the potato crust; the gravy should be thick, not watery.
Common mistakes
- Crowding the lamb drops the pan temperature, causing it to release water instead of browning.
- Layering wet potato slices dilutes the gravy and prevents the top from crisping.
- Keeping the oven at 180°C after uncovering cooks the potato but does not develop deeply golden crisp edges.
Tips
Cut the lamb and vegetables a day ahead if useful, but keep the potatoes whole until assembly to prevent discolouring.
After resting, mark four equal sectors through the potato crust before serving so each plate receives lamb, onion and crisp topping.
