Located in northwestern England, Lancashire was once a backwater but rapid industrialization during the 19th century brought wealth and fame into the county. Liverpool and Manchester were both in Lancashire until new counties were created around them.

Lancastrian cuisine is, however, a peasant cuisine with a focus on tasty and hearty dishes. As with their Irish cousins right across the pond, Lancastrians are fond of potatoes which are featured in dishes such as the butter pie, a dish of potatoes and onions in a shortbread shell favored by Catholics on Fridays. Lancashire is famed as the home of black pudding, a sausage made from pig's blood which Lancastrians eat along tripe. And Lancastrian pastires such as eccles and chorley cakes, sometimes served with some Lancashire cheese, have become famous in all of England.

For my quick sojourn into Lancastrian cuisine, this is the recipe I made:

Lancashire Hotpot

If there is something better than simple meat and potatoes is lamb and potatoes. This hotpot dish which consists of lamb stewed with onions and carrots and then topped with potatoes is very simple, but absolutely delicious. I had not enjoyed lamb so much in a very long time. The dish is relatively easy to make, slightly sweet and very hearty - but so good, that I still enjoyed it on a warm summer day.

You can make this dish in a dutch oven or lidded sauté pan and move it from the stove to the oven. I wanted to use my pretty casserole, however, so I started in on the sauté pan and then just transferred it to a casserole dish. I used bone-in lamb chops and deboned them, you probably want to get 3 lbs of chops to get enough meat for four people. I used beef stock, and it was the right decision.

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Lancashire Hotpot Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cubed salt & pepper to taste 3 Tbsp butter, divided 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 1 Tbsp flour 2 cups lamb, beef or chicken stock. 2 bay leaves 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced 2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds 1/4 tsp dried thyme Directions Preheat oven to 325°F. Season lamb with salt & pepper. Place 1 Tbsp butter and vegetable oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Remove lamb and set aside. Add the sliced onions to the pan, turn heat to medium, and sauté until the onions are light brown. Return lamb to the pan. Add the flour and cook for a minute. Add the stock, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and transfer to a casserole dish. Cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove dish from the oven. Mix in the carrots. Carefully, to avoid getting burnt, top with the sliced potatoes. Brush the potatoes with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the dried thyme. Cover again and return to the oven for 1 hour. Remove and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Nicky Corbishley's recipe at Kitchen Sanctuary

Related cuisines I've cooked so far: Anglo-Indian, Anglo-Saxon, Cornish, Dorset, English, Irish, Elizabethan, Georgian England

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