Lamb Hot-Pot

I'm the only one of six sisters (being the youngest) not to have lived in Lancashire when I was a little girl - indeed, most of my siblings were born in that county, while I arrived and grew up here in Devon.  "Lancashire Hot-Pot", however, was a regular feature on the menu in my childhood home and is a dish I've enjoyed ever since.  There is something very comforting about the steaming potatoes and carrots, surrounded by rich, meaty gravy and a few chunks of tender lamb ... all it needs is some green veg of your choice and you have a delicious, well-balanced meal.

In a casserole dish, put a little oil in the bottom, then layer (don't just throw it all in!) half of your thinly sliced onion, sliced carrots, diced lamb, black pepper & mixed herbs, sliced potatoes ... then repeat, finishing with potatoes.  Make up some gravy (I used granules, but you could make a passata-based one, or stock and cornflour - whatever you like) and pour over the dish almost to the top.  Cover and place in a very hot oven for half an hour, then lower to medium heat for another half hour or so until the potatoes are tender (the meat will then be cooked).  If you like, you can brush a little melted butter on the top at this stage, but either way you should remove the lid and whack the heat back up, to brown and crisp up the potato (I didn't leave mine long enough for this ... we were too hungry!).  Total cooking time, about one and a half hours.

The longer you leave the dish, the more it will "blend" together and not fall apart so much when you dish it up (like mine did!!).

V  I've never made a vegetarian hot-pot, but I'm sure it would be lush!  I wouldn't recommend using Quorn, in this instance, because of the long cooking time (Quorn is much better cooked quickly), but substituting TVP for the meat layers might work well, or (this would be my choice) try a layer of sliced, big fat breakfast mushrooms.  Personally, I would sauté them  first in some oil and black pepper to bring out the rich, deep flavour and maybe even add some sliced red pepper for a piquant tang.  The rest of the layers would be as above, and I would use Bisto vegetable granules for the gravy ... yum!!