A Hearty Helping Of History: Exploring The British Hot Pot

A British hot pot is a traditional English comfort food. It is a stew that originated in Lancashire in the North West of England. The basic recipe consists of layers of lamb or beef, root vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips, onions, and leeks), and sliced potatoes. The dish is typically cooked slowly in a pot at a low heat or baked in the oven.

History of the British hot pot

The British hot pot, or Lancashire hotpot, is a stew that originated in Lancashire in the North West of England. It is thought to have originated during the cotton industry in the 19th century, when it would have been cooked slowly throughout the day, ready to be eaten by cotton workers after their shift. The dish was likely to have contained mutton, rather than lamb, and would have been cooked with a lamb bone left in for added flavour. The meat was also often bulked out with oysters, which were very cheap at the time.

In the 17th century, the word "hotpot" referred not to a stew but to a hot drink—a mixture of ale and spirits, or sweetened spiced ale. An early use of the term to mean a meat stew was in The Liverpool Telegraph in 1836. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) cites the dish as being served in Liverpool in 1842. The Oxford Companion to Food (OCF) cites Elizabeth Gaskell's 1854 novel North and South, depicting hot-pot as the most prized dish among cotton workers in a northern town.

The OCF also notes that the popularity of the dish may have been due to the local cheap coal used in kitchen ranges and the early adoption of the potato in Lancashire. The fact that the dish could be left to cook while the family were at work was also a great advantage.

The traditional Lancashire hotpot dish is tall, round and straight-sided, with a lid. Some early recipes add lamb kidneys or oysters to the dish; it is traditionally served with pickled red cabbage.

Ingredients

A British hot pot, or Lancashire hotpot, is a stew that originated in Lancashire in the North West of England. It is a mix of mutton or lamb, onions, sliced potatoes, and stock. The dish is slowly baked in a pot at a low heat.

The ingredients for a traditional Lancashire hotpot are as follows:

• Lamb or mutton
• Onions
• Sliced potatoes
• Stock (chicken or lamb)

Some recipes also include the following:

• Butter
• Carrots
• Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• Worcestershire sauce
• Flour
• Lamb kidneys or oysters
• Thyme
• Vegetable oil

Preparation

The lamb, onions, and potatoes are typically fried or browned before being assembled in a casserole dish and baked. The dish is usually cooked slowly in the oven for a couple of hours.

Preparation method

Lancashire Hotpot Preparation Method

Lancashire hotpot is a stew that originated in the county of Lancashire in the North West of England. The dish consists of lamb or mutton, onion, and sliced potatoes, slowly baked in a pot at a low heat. Here is a detailed preparation method for this traditional British dish:

Ingredients:

• Lamb or mutton
• Onion
• Potatoes
• Butter
• Stock (chicken or vegetable)
• Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• Worcestershire sauce
• Carrots (optional)

Step-by-Step Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 170C/325F (fan).
• Melt butter and vegetable oil in a medium-sized casserole or sauce pan.
• Fry the lamb in the pan until lightly browned all over (about 3-4 minutes). Remove the lamb and set aside.
• Soften the onions in the same pan. Add the lamb back into the pan.
• Stir in plain flour and cook for a minute.
• Add the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring it to a gentle bubble.
• Place a lid on the pan and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and stir in chopped carrots (if using).
• Transfer the contents to a casserole dish. Top with thinly sliced potatoes, overlapping each other.
• Brush the potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle dried thyme on top.
• Cover the dish and place it back in the oven. Bake for 1 hour.
• Remove the lid and increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F (fan). Bake for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are golden and crisp.
• Remove the hotpot from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips:

• You can use a mandolin to cut the potatoes thinly, but a sharp knife also works well.
• The potatoes should be about 2-3mm thick to ensure they are cooked and crisp.
• You can make this dish ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate it. Reheat it in the oven before serving.
• For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free stock cubes, gluten-free plain flour, and check the Worcestershire sauce brand.

Cooking time

A British hot pot, or Lancashire hotpot, is a stew that originated in Lancashire, North West England. It is typically cooked slowly at a low heat for a long period of time.

The cooking time for a Lancashire hotpot varies depending on the recipe and the method of cooking. For example, a recipe that uses a slow cooker will take around 5-6 hours. However, a recipe that uses an oven will take around 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Oven-Cooked Lancashire Hotpot:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan).
• Fry the lamb in a pan until lightly browned, then remove and set aside.
• Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft.
• Add the lamb back to the pan, stir in the flour, and cook for a minute.
• Pour in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle bubble.
• Place the lid on the pan and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Transfer the contents to a casserole dish and stir in the carrots.
• Top with thinly sliced potatoes, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with dried thyme.
• Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour.
• Remove the lid, increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F (fan), and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.

Slow-Cooker Lancashire Hotpot:

• Brown the lamb in a frying pan and transfer to the slow cooker.
• Softened the onion, stir in the flour, stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and carrots. Bring to a boil and transfer to the slow cooker.
• Layer the potatoes on top, brush with butter, and sprinkle with thyme.
• Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the lamb and potatoes are tender.

The cooking time for a Lancashire hotpot can vary depending on the recipe and the desired level of doneness for the meat and potatoes. It is important to keep an eye on the dish and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Nutritional value

A British hot pot, or Lancashire hotpot, is a stew that originated in the North West of England. It is typically made with lamb or mutton, onions, and sliced potatoes, and slowly baked in a pot at a low heat. The dish is often served with pickled red cabbage.

The nutritional value of a British hot pot will depend on the specific ingredients and quantities used, as well as the cooking method. However, a few examples of the nutritional content of a serving of Lancashire hotpot are provided below.

One recipe for Lancashire hotpot provides the following nutritional information per serving:

• Calories: 402kcal
• Carbohydrates: 23g
• Protein: 17g
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Cholesterol: 71mg
• Sodium: 771mg
• Potassium: 878mg
• Fibre: 4g
• Sugar: 4g
• Vitamin A: 6260IU
• Vitamin C: 19.5mg
• Calcium: 77mg
• Iron: 5.5mg

Another recipe for Lancashire hotpot offers the following nutritional information per serving:

• Calories: 482kcal
• Fat: 31.5g
• Saturated Fat: 12.2g
• Carbohydrates: 43.6g
• Fibre: 0g
• Sugar: 0g
• Protein: 17.3g

A third recipe for Lancashire hotpot provides the following nutritional information per serving:

Total Carbohydrate: 38g

Finally, a fourth recipe for Lancashire hotpot gives the following nutritional information per serving:

Total Carbohydrate: 112g

Frequently asked questions