Lancashire Hotpot

With the weather getting cooler, I tend to start using my Dutch oven a bit more.

You'll need a Dutch oven if you don't have one! All kinds of good stuff you can cook in those things.

A suggestion before you start: search Lancashire Hotpot to get an examples of the neat patterns people use with their top layer of potatoes. You'll see what I mean when you check out the photos.

Ingredients

2 lbs. Lamb, cut into approx. 9 pieces

3 cups Beef broth

16 oz. Mushrooms, sliced or halved

6 Medium potatoes, thinly sliced

2 Medium onions, thinly sliced

2 carrots, chopped

2 Medium stalks celery, thinly sliced

Bouquet garni (I used thyme, savory, rosemary, parsley, rosemary)

2 Bay leaves

Herbes de Provence

Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Prepare your ingredients beforehand, makes like a lot easier when cooking anything.

Prepare your ingredients beforehand, makes like a lot easier when cooking anything.

1. Collect the ingredients and prepare all vegetables. I know, I know, obvious right?

Well I don't do this half the time and I end up doing things in the middle of cooking when I should have had prep work done already.

I always check the discount bin at the butcher's counter. Found these at a great price.

I always check the discount bin at the butcher's counter. Found these at a great price.

2. Preheat oven at 380 degrees. For the first hour the hotpot is in the oven it will cook on high. After an hour reduce heat to 320.

3. Start layering your potatoes, vegetables, and lamb. Season as you go along with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence--be careful not to over season.

IMG_1684_ps.jpg

About halfway through layering add your Bouquet garni and bay leaves.

Work in layers

Work in layers

The top layer is supposed to be a layer of potatoes arranged in a fancy pattern. This potato layer will be browned after the dish is done. 

Traditionally the top layer will be layer of potatoes, arranged in a fancy pattern. I just added the ingredients till I ran out. 

Traditionally the top layer will be layer of potatoes, arranged in a fancy pattern. I just added the ingredients till I ran out. 

4. Pour beef broth over the lamb and vegetables in the pot. If you haven't seasoned the hotpot, do so now. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 5-6 hours.

5. Remove hotpot from oven. Test meat to make sure it's tender and ready. When the meat pulls apart easily with a fork, you know it's done.

Out of the oven, time to finish up.

Out of the oven, time to finish up.

6. Crisp top layer of potatoes. Spritz olive oil or brush melted butter over the potatoes and broil, uncovered until potatoes brown and are slightly crispy.

Alternate method: I removed the potatoes from the hotpot and places them in a casserole dish. I then coated them and broiled separately from the meat and vegetables. 

To plate...

Ready to eat!

Ready to eat!

...just put it on your plate and eat it.

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

Braise Opening Week

Recently we went out out for our 23rd Anniversary and we decided to try the newly opened Braise in Virginia Beach, VA. Chef Bobby Huber is a staple in the culinary scene in this area and I’ve heard good things about his food. We ordered a couple of appetizers—a softshell crab & “lobstah” and scallops with apple butter. They were very pretty but I’ll honest and say the flavor was little flat. The softshell crab was kind of tough and the lobster—hate to say it—bland. I got to try a sample of cheesy grits and they were great. For our entrees we ordered the BBQ lamb shank on bleu cheese polenta and a seafood plate. The lamb shank was cooked perfectly but I thought the sauce drowned out the flavor of the lamb. I loved the bleu cheese polenta. Shelby’s seafood was very good.

Another thing that bothered me a little was that our server seemed a little out of it. I don’t know, maybe it was because they were busy but her disheveled appearance didn’t help; she was very nice though. I’d like to try again after they get their legs under them and see what happens next time.