Lancashire Hotpot
Encyclopedia
Lancashire hotpot is a dish made traditionally from lamb or mutton and onion
, topped with sliced potato
es, left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire
in the North West of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare. It is sometimes served at parties in England, because it is easy to prepare for a large number of people and is relatively inexpensive.
, turnip
, potatoes, onion
s or leek
s) then covered with sliced potato. Sometimes lamb kidney
s are included in the dish. Modern variants may use beef instead of lamb, or have a pastry topping. As much food can be added as will fit in the pot.
The basic recipe once included oyster
s, but increasing cost brought them out of common usage. Pickled red cabbage
or beetroot
are often served as an accompaniment. In some areas Lancashire cheese
is also served with the dish.
would be the most traditional, and any other ingredients available in the kitchen. Some stock
is usually added to cover the contents while it cooks, though some recipes rely on a well-sealed pot on a low heat to retain enough moisture within the meat, onion and potato.
s in British cuisine
.
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, topped with sliced potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in the North West of England, it requires a minimum of effort to prepare. It is sometimes served at parties in England, because it is easy to prepare for a large number of people and is relatively inexpensive.
Preparation techniques
There are many regional variations. It is frequently found listed amongst the usual pub grub dishes in hostelries around Britain. The basic recipe consists of a mix made up of lamb, vegetables (carrotCarrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
, turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
, potatoes, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s or leek
Leek
The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum , also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Allioideae...
s) then covered with sliced potato. Sometimes lamb kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s are included in the dish. Modern variants may use beef instead of lamb, or have a pastry topping. As much food can be added as will fit in the pot.
The basic recipe once included oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, but increasing cost brought them out of common usage. Pickled red cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
or beetroot
Beetroot
The beetroot, also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet or informally simply as beet, is one of the many cultivated varieties of beets and arguably the most commonly encountered variety in North America, Central America and Britain.-Consumption:The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are...
are often served as an accompaniment. In some areas Lancashire cheese
Lancashire cheese
Lancashire is an English cow's-milk cheese from the county of Lancashire. There are three distinct varieties of Lancashire cheese. Young Creamy Lancashire and mature Tasty Lancashire are produced by a traditional method, whereas Crumbly Lancashire is a more recent creation suitable for mass...
is also served with the dish.
Flavouring
Flavour can be enhanced with seasoning; salt and pepperBlack pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
would be the most traditional, and any other ingredients available in the kitchen. Some stock
Stock (food)
Stock is a flavoured water preparation. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces.- Preparation :Stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water, including some or all of the following...
is usually added to cover the contents while it cooks, though some recipes rely on a well-sealed pot on a low heat to retain enough moisture within the meat, onion and potato.
The hot pot
The hot pot referred to is a pottery dish used to cook casseroleCasserole
A casserole, from the French for "saucepan", is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan...
s in British cuisine
British cuisine
English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India...
.
Cultural references
- It is (as "Betty'sBetty Williams (Coronation Street)Elizabeth "Betty" Williams is a long-standing fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by former music hall star Betty Driver. Driver was cast as Betty in 1969, after first auditioning for the role of Hilda Ogden...
hotpot") also associated with the Rovers Return pub in the soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. A frozen food range has been endorsed by Betty. In 2008, British food retailer TescoTescoTesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
called Lancashire hotpot one of the most endangered recipes in British cuisine.
- It is available as a meal in the 24-hour field ration pack used by the British Army.
- The dish is referred to in the Wallace and GromitWallace and GromitWallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
film A Grand Day OutA Grand Day OutA Grand Day Out is an award-nominated 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol. This was the first adventure featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit...
: "Hold tight, lad, and think of Lancashire hotpot!"
- It is also referred to in the Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
film Alfie about one of his "birds" who can cook, but her only dishes are "Lancashire hotpot and steak and kidney pieSteak and kidney pieSteak and kidney pie is a savoury pie that is filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney , fried onion, and brown gravy...
."
- In Dean SpanleyDean SpanleyDean Spanley is a 2008 New Zealand and British comedy-drama film, with fantastic elements, from Miramax Films, Atlantic Film Group and General Film Corporation , directed by Fijian New Zealander Toa Fraser...
, Peter O'ToolePeter O'ToolePeter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
's character (Horatio Fisk) persistently requests hotpot for dinner, to the chagrin of his housekeeper.
- In Jeffrey Archer's novel First Among Equals, the character Joyce Gould cooks herself a Lancashire hotpot "but only pick[s] at it" while waiting to hear the outcome of an important committee vote.
See also
- CawlCawlCawl is the Welsh word for soup or broth. The term is used in English to refer to traditional Welsh stews, usually containing meat and vegetables. Its ingredients tend to vary, but lamb and leeks are particularly common, owing to their association with Wales....
- Irish stewIrish stewIrish stew is a traditional stew made from lamb, or mutton, as well as potatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley....
- Pot roast
- ScouseScouse (food)Scouse is a type of lamb or beef stew. The word comes from lobscouse or lapskaus, Norwegian for "stew" and refers to a meat based stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe, which became popular in seaports such as Liverpool.-Origin of the term:In the 18th and 19th centuries...
- Lobby (food)Lobby (food)Lobby is a traditional beef stew or broth from North Staffordshire, England. It was originally eaten by impoverished potters who lacked the money for fresh ingredients.-Background:...
- Stewing
- CholentCholentCholent or Hamin is a traditional Jewish stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat . Cholent was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish religious laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath...
External links
- A recipe from BBC Food by James MartinJames Martin (chef)James Martin , is an English cook who first appeared on television in 1996.-Television career:...
- Traditional Recipe from 1937