Lamb hotpot

Heat the oven to gas 3, 160°C, fan 140°C. At the same time, heat the butter in a shallow oven-proof casserole dish. Add the lamb chunks until browned, in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate.

In the same dish, fry the chopped onions and carrots until golden. Add the plain flour and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the Worcestershire sauce and the lamb stock. Bring to the boil.

Add the lamb back to the dish, along with the bay leaves. Turn off the heat.

Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the lamb filling, to create a full layer. Cover with a lid and place into the oven for 1hr 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked and golden.

Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with a little leftover butter, then finish under the grill for 6 minutes, or until crispy and brown. Serve warm.

Tips & tricks

The trick to a delicious lamb hotpot is to ensure the lamb is cooked slowly to become juicy and tender, whilst the potatoes need to crisp up and turn golden. In the recipe above, we’ve recommended a shallow casserole dish which helps to both tenderise the lamb and crisp the potatoes. There are also some recipes that call for a lamb hotpot slow cooker, encouraging long and slow cooking of the lamb before it’s assembled into the hotpot.

You don’t need to worry too much about cutting the potatoes really finely. Some chefs will use a mandolin, but as long as they are relatively even in thickness, that’s what matters the most. We also actually prefer having slightly thicker cuts of potatoes for this dish.

Try varying the herbs used. We’ve featured a relatively simple recipe above, with just a bay leaf, but lots of recipes include thyme or even some spices to elevate the recipe. Given though, traditionally, it is made with a short list of ingredients our best overall recommendation is to ensure you source the highest quality lamb. If you’re not sure where to start with lamb, have a read of our helpful article here explaining the different cuts.

How to serve it

The lamb hotpot recipe features a lot of the ingredients that we love with lamb already, namely carrots and potatoes, so it is ready to be enjoyed as it is fresh from the oven. Have a read of our best recommendations of what to serve with lamb here and if you fancy adding a side to accompany the dish, we’d recommend mushy peas for the full British cuisine experience.

Storage

Leftover lamb hotpot will keep in the fridge for up to three days. It can be safely reheated in the oven. Simply heat the oven to gas 3, 160°C, fan 140°C, cover with tin foil and bake it for at least thirty minutes, or until steaming and piping hot throughout.