Last Updated on March 15, 2024
Simple, Traditional British Lamb Hotpot made with Herdwick Lamb
Herdwick lamb from the Lake District is such special meat. While Lancashire is the region directly south of the Cumbrian Lake District, I have no doubt this is the meat that led to a lamb hotpot recipe so simple and yet so delicious that my six guests managed to eat through a recipe portioned for eight people – despite having already enjoyed a starter and despite knowing that there was hot cross bun bread and butter pudding to follow.
When we were offered a sample ‘half lamb’ from Lake District butcher Roast Mutton, I knew instantly that at least one of the recipes I’d make would be a classic lamb hotpot, a Lancashire Hotpot. My reasoning is that the quality of the meat would really shine through with a dish that doesn’t need much more than meat, potatoes, onions and stock. And, the advantage of using Herdwick lamb from Roast Mutton was that I could have the meat butchered exactly as I wanted it – and I could have the bones to make stock.
Herdwick Lamb is a heritage breed from the Lake District. It’s particularly famous for a hardy constitution which means it can stay out on the hills over winter and seldom needs any extra feed. The resulting meat is very sweet and tender and packed with flavour. We’ve already made a few recipes with the lamb – for a herb crusted rack of lamb, a slow roast leg of lamb and for a South African dish called tomato bredie which I think sounds truly intriguing. My own hotpot uses a gently adapted recipe from the ROAST cookery book, simply because it is the kind of unfussy recipe I remember my mother using, though she’d probably have used dripping rather than butter. I added carrots and celery because I seldom make a stew or a casserole without them. And, I didn’t add oysters or kidneys – for me, this is a protein-heavy dish already – and neither ingredient is particularly frugal these days.
It’s a very simple dish to make, although having a mandoline to slice the onions and potatoes does make it a lot easier. Traditionally this dish would have been made in a special earthenware pot. I chose to use a very heavy deep roasting pan simply because I wanted lots of crunchy potatoes. As I mentioned, the version I used was based on one from the Roast cookbook. Other versions involve sealing the lamb in advance and adding things like lamb kidneys or even oysters. My
Here’s the recipe if you want to try for yourself. Do try to make your own stock – there are two different methods of which the first involves roasting the bones initially so that you get a dark, rich stock. I used the second method – a piece of cake if you have a pressure cooker. If you don’t have lamb bones then do use a good quality stock cube or, my favourite, Essential Cuisine stock (you can buy it from Amazon).
An easy recipe for a classic Lancashire Hotpot - a lamb hotpot made with Herdwick Lamb
- 1.5 kg Lamb bones
- 1 large Onion
- 1 large Carrot
- 1 bouquet garni of bay, rosemary and thyme
- 1 litre water
- 1 kg Shoulder, Leg and Neck of Lamb cut into 4cm cubes
- 1.5 kg Potatoes
- 3 large Brown Onions
- 2 large Carrots
- 2 sticks Celery
- 700 ml Lamb stock
- 100 grams Flour
- 100 grams Butter
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Rosemary (leaves only, chopped)
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Put the lamb bones, herbs and stock vegetables into a pressure cooker
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Cover with at least a litre of cold water
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Set the pressure to high and the timer to one hour
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Once the stock is cooked, release the pressure naturally
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If you prefer, make this on a hob by filling a stock pot, bringing to the boil and simmering for 2 hours.
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Strain the liquid and allow to cool before refrigerating
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Preheat the oven to 190C (fan) or 200C (conventional oven)
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Season the flour with plenty of salt and pepper
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Peel and slice the onions into rounds about 1/2cm thick
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Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds about 1/2cm thick
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Trim the carrots and celery and dice them into 1cm pieces
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Put half the butter into a large, deep saute pan and melt over a moderate heat
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Add the onion slices and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 6-8 minutes. Add the carrots and celery for the last 2 minutes of cooking
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Meanwhile, sprinkle the flour over the lamb and mix well.
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Once the onions are soft, set to one side and add the remaining butter to the pan so that it melts, then take it off the heat
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Add the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes around gently so all the pieces get coated with butter
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Spread the lamb out across the base of a heavy roasting pan or shallow casserole
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Top the lamb with the onion and vegetable mixture.
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Now layer in the potatoes, overlapping the slices as neatly as possible.
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Heat up the lamb stock (I did this in the microwave) till it's nearly at boiling point
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Pour it gently into the casserole
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Cover the casserole with a lid or with foil and put it into the oven
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Cook for 45 minutes covered, then remove the lid or foil and continue to cook for a further 45 minutes. Check regularly to make sure the potatoes are not overcooking
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Serve with buttered green vegetables
If you’d like to order Herdwick lamb or other meat from Roast Mutton, they deliver across the country. Master butcher Rob will happily discuss your plans and butcher your meat accordingly.
Wonderful cook says
I cannot wait to try this! This looks deliciously rich in flavour! Thanks for the recipe!
tony wilson says
Absolute ly PERFECT !
TONY WILSON
Fiona Maclean says
We love it too!
Delicious and simple!