Family Heirloom
Americanized Lancashire Hot-Pot
I'm 60 years old, and my mother is 93. All the women in my family have been strong women, on both sides. I grew up in Lancashire, in the UK, and as a child, my paternal grandmother lived with us, as was often the custom for elder family members. My mother went out to work, and my grandmother prepared many of our meals. We had an old AGA stove in a living kitchen, and the smells emanating from it when this dish was cooked were wonderful; they filled the house with a wonderful scent of 'home.' Very evocative and satisfying.
We had several family dogs (how can you have a family without dogs?), and one was a huge white Pyrannean Mountain Dog. He liked to sit behind my grandmother's wingback chair in the kitchen, and as a small child, I was glad he stayed there. The scent of this dish used to pull everyone into the kitchen, but I would climb on my grandmother's knee so that I wouldn't have to encounter the dog (his size was so intimidating to me as a small child!), but even the dog would creep out of his usual place behind her chair.
Because of her kindness to me, and the dog's love of this smell, I learned confidence with even the largest of dogs, and my family continues to love dogs. I presently have three pits, all rescued, and all loved.
Americanized Lancashire Hot-Pot
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- Sliced potatoes
- 1 sliced white onion
- Sliced carrots
- 1 bag frozen petite peas
Meat:
- A cheap cut of lamb (eg. best end of neck) - I have Americanized it and use a cheap cut of beef, like skirt, but really any beef will work, cubed
Seasoning:
- Sea salt, to taste
- White pepper, to taste
- Beef stock cubes, if required (such as OXO brand, but another will do in a pinch)
Crust:
- Flour
- 1 stick of butter
- A pinch of salt
- Grated sharp cheddar cheese, to taste
- 1 beaten egg, for brushing
The original recipe didn't have a crust, but my late husband was a Texan through and through and loved the Tex/Mex cooking style with lots of cheese. He was also an Anglophile (why he married me, I might add!) so I added this scone recipe for the crust, which also soaks up some of the juices from the meal and becomes a little like a dumpling on the under side.
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
Prep all the vegetables and meat beforehand. The potatoes and carrots should be sliced to about a quarter-inch thick and the onions a little less.
I don't know what the American name is for one of these, but you need to use a deep, oven-proof, lidded dish, similar to those found in a slow cooker.
Layer the potatoes on the bottom of the dish, followed by the carrots, onions and meat, seasoning as you go. Fill the dish with the layers, but end with a good layer of potatoes. Fill with water, just covering the last layer of potatoes. Cover, but leave the lid just off a little to allow the steam to escape.
Place in a hot oven until the liquid begins to bubble. Then turn down the heat to around 275-300°F and leave in the oven to cook for a total of at least three hours. (Okay, it takes a long time, but it's great the next day, or ideal for a day when you aren't at home for the afternoon, because it just cooks itself and the meat is sooo tender done this way!)
About 30 minutes before serving, cut the butter into the flour to make fine crumbles, then add salt and as much or as little sharp cheddar cheese as you like. We like a LOT.
Using a fork to begin with, mix in cold water, and as the dough begins to form, use your hands to mold it all together. Lift the dough from the bowl and continue to form a ball of dough on a floured surface. Then either form the shape with your hands or a rolling pin to match the top of the dish in which you have the hot-pot.
Remove the dish from the oven and remove the lid. Add the frozen peas (these act as a support for the crust mixture, and prevent it from sinking into the liquid and becoming too soggy) and top with the crust. Cut vent holes in the pastry-like crust mixture and brush with the egg.
Return to the oven and increase the temperature to about 400° F and cook until the crust is golden brown.
Serve with Branston Pickle, or even red cabbage, or just eat alone.
