Lancashire Hot-Pot

 

                    This modern version of the popular favorite, Lancashire hot-pot, is still slow-cooked for maximum flavour, but is lighter, using lean lamb and more vegetables than the original recipe. If you like, sprinkle the top with a little cheddar cheese at the end of cooking.

4 servings (400 calories per serving)

• 500 gr lean lamb, trimmed of all excess fat, then sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 250 gr button mushrooms, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 500 gr new potatoes, scrubbed and thickly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1½ cups beef or chicken stock, hot
• 50 gr cheddar cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
2. Toss the lamb pieces together with the garlic and Worcestershire in a bowl.
3. Spread a layer of onion, leeks and carrots in the bottom of a large casserole dish ; top with a layer of meat and mushrooms and season lightly, then repeat the layers until the ingredients are all used up.
4. Make a bouquet garni by tying together the bay leaf,thyme and rosemary with kitchen string ; tuck it into the center of the casserole and top with a thick layer of overlapping potato slices.
5. Mix the tomato paste into the hot stock and pour the mixture over the potatos.
6. Cover tightly with a lid and bake for 1½ hours or until the meat and potatoes are tender.
7. Remove the lid and sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the potatoes ; increase the oven temperature to 450F (220C) and bake, for a further 25-30 minutes until golden.

BON APPÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉTIT