Hot Pot Mystery: Uncovering The Coronation Street Delicacy

Lancashire hot pot, or Betty's hot pot, is a traditional dish from North West England that has been featured on the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street. The dish is associated with the character Betty Williams, who worked at the Rover's Return Inn and was known for her signature hot pot. It consists primarily of lamb or mutton, potatoes, and onions, slow-cooked in a heavy pot on low heat. The dish is prepared by browning meat in oil, adding vegetables, and layering with sliced potatoes or pastry on top. It is then baked in the oven for a few hours until the potatoes are browned. The recipe has been shared in various publications related to Coronation Street, allowing fans to recreate this iconic dish at home.

Betty Turpin's Hot Pot recipe

Betty Turpin's Hot Pot is a famous recipe often cooked on the British soap opera Coronation Street. The character Betty Williams, played by Betty Driver, worked behind the bar of the Rover's Return, and her hotpot was always on the menu.

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Lamb necks, cubed
• Onions, roughly chopped
• Light stock or hot water
• Worcestershire sauce
• Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Flour
• Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Melt the butter over high heat in a heavy-bottomed frying pan until the fat smokes.
• Seal the meat and continue frying until nicely browned.
• Remove the meat from the pan and place it in a deep casserole or divide it into four individual high-sided ovenproof dishes.
• Turn down the heat to medium and fry the onions in the pan juices, adding more butter if needed.
• When the onions are soft and starting to brown, sprinkle on the flour and stir to soak up the fat and juices.
• As the flour paste starts to colour, gradually add the stock or water, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the onions and liquid over the meat and mix well.
• Arrange the potatoes over the meat in overlapping layers, seasoning each layer.
• Dot the top layer of potatoes with butter.
• Cover the dish and place it on the top shelf of the oven for 2 hours.
• Uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• If the potatoes are not browned, increase the oven temperature and cook for a further 15 minutes, or finish under the grill, brushing the potatoes with more butter if they look dry.
• Serve with red cabbage and chips.

The history of hot pot

The hot pot, or to give it its full name, the Lancashire hot pot, is a traditional dish associated with North West England. It is believed to have originated in the days before the Industrial Revolution, when families slow-cooked the meal in their homes while spinning cotton. After the arrival of cotton mills, families could leave the dish at the bakers while they worked long hours at the looms.

The name is thought to be a derivative of "Hotch Potch", referring to the different ingredients that go into the dish. The famous Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management contains a recipe for the dish under this name.

The dish consists mainly of lamb or mutton with potatoes and onions, though there are many regional variations. It is baked in a heavy pot on low heat, requiring minimal preparation. The basic recipe involves mixing meat and vegetables, which are then covered with a "thatched roof" of sliced potatoes or pastry.

The Lancashire hot pot became famous through its association with the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street. In the show, the dish is served at the Rover's Return Inn and cooked by Betty Williams, who became known as "the hotpot Queen". The recipe has been featured several times in various publications related to Coronation Street.

The role of hot pot in Coronation Street

The hot pot is a traditional dish from North West England, specifically Lancashire. It is a stew consisting of lamb or mutton, onion, and potatoes, baked in a heavy pot on low heat. The dish is thought to have originated before the Industrial Revolution, when families slow-cooked the meal in their homes while spinning cotton. After the arrival of cotton mills, families could leave the dish at the bakers while they worked long hours at the looms. The name "hot pot" is thought to be derived from "Hotch Potch", meaning the different ingredients in the dish.

On Coronation Street, the hot pot is most famously associated with the character Betty Williams, who worked as a barmaid at the Rover's Return Inn. Betty's hot pot was always on the menu, and she became known as "the hotpot Queen". The hot pot was Betty's signature dish, and it remains a popular item on the menu at the Rover's Return Inn. After Betty's death in April 2012, Sean Tully was bequeathed the recipe and continues to cook it for patrons.

The "official" Coronation Street recipe for Betty's hot pot includes neck of lamb, potatoes, onion, water or light stock, cooking oil or butter, flour, and Worcestershire sauce. The dish is seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and baked in the oven for 2-3 hours.

Vegetarian hot pot

A hot pot is a fun and engaging way to host a dinner party, and it's super easy to prepare. It involves a large pot of broth placed in the center of the table, with various vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and noodles presented on small plates around the pot. Each guest chooses their favorite ingredients and cooks them in the pot. Once cooked, the ingredients are transferred to individual plates and served with a rich dipping sauce.

Equipment:

You will need a hot pot, preferably one with a divider so you can serve two different broth bases at the same time. If you want to use the traditional method, you can place a hot pot with a divider on a portable burner. Alternatively, you can use an electric hot pot, such as the Zojirushi electric hot pot, which is more convenient and safe for a home party.

Long chopsticks and serving spoons are also useful to have on hand. While guests can use their own chopsticks to cook their ingredients, it's nice to have some long chopsticks and slotted spoons available as well, especially for picking up ingredients like tofu that may be difficult to pick up with regular chopsticks.

Soup Base and Dipping Sauce:

The soup base and dipping sauce are crucial to a successful hot pot as they provide the foundation of flavor. You can either make your own or purchase a pre-made hot pot base. For the soup base, you can offer a spicy broth and a non-spicy broth, or you can choose any flavors you prefer. Some popular options include Sichuan-style spicy base, Mongolian-style soup base, plain hot pot base, tomato base, and mushroom base.

For the dipping sauce, you can either make your own or buy a variety of hot pot dipping sauces from the grocery store. A tasty option is to make a sesame paste-based dipping sauce, which pairs perfectly with vegetables and tofu. You can also offer a selection of condiments and sauces for your guests to customize their own dipping bowls, such as Chinese chili oil, Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, Asian-style hot sauces, MSG, minced garlic, sesame paste, sesame oil, chopped peanuts, cilantro, or green onions.

The key to a successful vegetarian hot pot is to offer a variety of ingredients with different flavors and textures. Here are some ideas for ingredients to include:

• Tofu and tofu products: Fried tofu, yuba sheets, yuba knots, tofu skin, and frozen tofu (freezing and thawing tofu changes its texture and makes it more porous and suitable for hot pot).
• Vegetables: Include a mix of crunchy vegetables like bamboo shoots, lotus root, cauliflower, radish, broccoli, and carrot; starchy vegetables like squash, potato, sweet potato, and taro root; leafy greens like napa cabbage, pea shoots, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, yu choy, and Swiss chard; and other Chinese vegetables like winter melon, celtuce, and bean sprouts. Aim to serve at least six types of vegetables, preferably eight, with a few types from each category.
• Mushrooms: Enokitake (golden needle mushrooms), oyster mushrooms, seafood mushrooms, shimeji, and wood ear mushrooms (pre-soaking may be needed).
• Noodles or dumplings: Wheat noodles, potato starch noodles, sweet potato noodles, rice noodles, or vermicelli. If using dried starchy noodles, remember to pre-soak them according to the package instructions before serving. You can also offer vegetarian frozen dumplings, which can be boiled directly in the hot pot.

Preparation and Cooking:

On the day of the party, prepare the hot pot with the chosen soup base and water. Plate all the ingredients and make sure to have one small plate and one dipping sauce bowl for each guest. If your guests are new to hot pot, take a moment to explain how it works and how to put together a dipping sauce.

When your guests arrive, heat up the hot pot over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Each guest can then choose their desired ingredients and cook them in the hot pot. The cooking time will depend on the ingredient. Once an item is cooked, transfer it to an individual serving plate. To eat, dip the cooked item in the dipping sauce and enjoy!

Remember to add boiling water to the hot pot as needed to prevent it from running dry.

The controversy over the type of meat used

The "Coronation Street" hot pot, also known as Betty's Hotpot, is a famous dish often cooked on the British soap opera. It is a lamb and potato dish, with the official recipe calling for neck of lamb. However, there has been some controversy over the type of meat used in the dish.

Some people have suggested that the use of neck of lamb may not be the best choice due to the high fat content and the potential for the meat to dry out during cooking. In the comments section of a blog post about Betty's Hotpot, one person suggests using beef or leg of lamb instead of neck of lamb. Another person mentions that they have made the dish with grass-fed stewing beef.

There are also concerns about the healthiness of the dish due to its high fat content. One commenter mentions that fatty dishes like this may have been more acceptable in the past but are not seen as healthy today.

However, others defend the use of neck of lamb, arguing that it is a tasty and economical cut of meat that is perfect for a hot pot. They also point out that the long cooking time in the oven helps to tenderize the meat and that the fat can be soaked up by the flour and other ingredients.

There are also suggestions for alternative meats that can be used in a hot pot. These include precooked chicken, beef, and lamb chops. One person even suggests using chicken soup and chicken broth instead of water for added flavour.

Overall, while there may be some controversy over the type of meat used in the "Coronation Street" hot pot, it is clear that this dish has a special place in the hearts of many fans of the show, and people are willing to experiment with different ingredients to make it their own.

Frequently asked questions