Lancashire Hotpot with Pickled Red Cabbage, Buttered Baby Carrots and Leeks

 

This is a recipe by Nigel Haworth Michelin Star Chef from Northcote Manor. This takes a bit of effort but as it tastes amazing is well worth it!. I did all this for Easter Sunday lunch. I have not adapted the recipe ( except for making the Lamb easier to source than the original recipe) Really put that little bit of effort in and make the cabbage as its the best red cabbage ever and goes perfectly with the lamb! Great dinner party meal especially if you get the pots to serve it in!

Ingredients:

500g Shoulder, neck & shin of lamb, cut into 3cm pieces (equal quantities of each)
600gm Onions, thinly sliced
500gm Maris Piper potatoes, peeled, medium size
10g Plain flour
40g Salted Butter - melted
2tsp Sea Salt Black Pepper
25g Sugar
10g Melted butter

What To Do:

Season the lamb with salt, sugar and a good pinch of pepper, dust with flour, put the diced lamb into the base of the Hot Pot dish Sweat off the onions in 15gm of butter with half a teaspoon of salt for 2-3mins (to sweat is to cook without colour in a covered pan, on a moderate to hot temperature).

Spread the onions evenly on top of the lamb in the Hot Pot dish. Make sure the top of the chop meat is fully covered with the onions and any juices.

Slice the potatoes vertically [2mm thick]. Place in a medium size bowl, add the remaining 25gm melted butter, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper, and mix well.

Put the sliced potatoes evenly on top of the onions, reserving the best-shaped potatoes for the final layer,

Place the Hot Pot in a pre-heated convection oven for 21/2 hours on 140C.

Once the Hot Pot is cooked remove from the oven. Serve with pickled red cabbage in one dish and the carrots and leeks tangled together in another.

Pickled Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

300gm Finely shredded Red Cabbage
1 Star Anise
400ml Red Wine
275ml Malt Vinegar
140ml White Wine Vinegar
140ml Balsamic Vinegar
5 Bay Leaves
10 Whole Cloves
1tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1tsp Whole Pink Peppercorns
1 Stick Cinnamon (snapped in half)
5 Whole Dried Chillies
250gm Sugar
80gm Coarse sea salt

What To Do:

Half and quarter the red cabbage. De-vein away the large stem and finely slice the red cabbage leaves. Put the sliced red cabbage in a bowl or on a tray and salt with coarse sea salt, mix well. And leave for 2-3 hours until a deep rich colour is achieved. Drain and wash all the salt away thoroughly – pat dry.

Place all the vinegars, wine and sugar in a suitable pan and reduce by half.

Place all the dry ingredients in a pestle and mortar and coarsely pound. When the reduction is near completion throw all the dry spices into the reduction and allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Pass the reduction through a fine sieve and, while warm, pour on to the red cabbage, allow to cool.

Place the cabbage in a Kilner jar and seal. The liquor should just cover the cabbage.

Baby Garden Carrots:

Ingredients:

120g Baby Carrots

500ml Evian Mineral Water

1tbsp Natural Sugar

100gm Butter

Pinch of salt

What To Do:

Carefully wash the carrots and clean thoroughly Place the carrots in a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar, butter and a pinch of salt, barely cover with water.

Bring to the boil and cook until tender.

Garden Leeks

Ingredients:

2  Garden Leeks

500ml Mineral Water

1tbsp Natural Sugar

100gm Butter Pinch of salt

What To do:

Carefully wash the leeks and clean thoroughly. Put the leeks into the boiling salted water with the butter and rapid boil for 30 seconds. Remove and mix with the carrots.

 

Recipe by Nigel Haworth

Photos by Rach & Matt Grice

Amazing Chilli

I love this Chili! By swapping mince for stewing beef, adding spices and some TLC this Chili changes from being bog standard, to a dish rich in depth of flavour.  Spending a little more time and thought takes it from being a bland dish to a tasty dinner with friends meal or fantastic lads grub...in either case, drink with Mexican beer...Corona with a slice of lime...perfect!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

2lb Diced stewing beef (from a quality Butchers)
1 tsp Oregano
Thumb nail piece of fresh chili, finely chopped
400g tinned kidney beans
Heaped tsp of Smoked Paprika
Heaped tsp of Ground Cinnamon
Heaped tsp of Cumin
2 tbsp of Tomato Puree
400g Chopped tomato's (Tinned)
2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 large Glass of Red Wine
1 Onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 tsp of chilli flakes
Sea Salt
Ground pepper
1 red pointed Pepper, finely sliced
1 lime
Fresh Coriander chopped.
3/4 cubes of Dark Chocolate
plain flour
500mls of chicken stock


WHAT TO DO:

Turn the oven onto 170c

In a Cast iron pan (or a pan suitable for both the hob and oven) pour a glug of olive oil and place on a medium heat.  Spread some flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Take the beef and coat in the flour and then in batches fry the beef in the pan. (you want to brown the beef on all sides). Once browned, remove and set aside, do this with all the beef, remove and set aside.

In the pan pour a glass of wine and deglaze the pan (to deglaze; is to use liquid with a wooden spoon to scrape all the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan). Once you have done this pour the wine into a jug (do not throw this away as this liquid is amazing and helps flavour the dish later).

In the empty pan pour a tiny bit of oil and place on a medium heat, and add the onions, Paprika, Cumin, Cinnamon, Oregano, Chilli's and Garlic. Gently fry to allow the oils to come out (takes about 5 minutes). Add the meat back in and stir.

Now pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes, reserve red wine (saved from before), the tomato puree and stir, add the stock.

Take a large sheet of tin foil, fold in half and wrap over the top of the pan. Place the lid on top and put in the oven for 2 1/2 hrs.

Handy Hint:

After 1 1/2hrs check the liquid if you feel it is drying out a bit add some boiling water.

After 2 1/2 hrs remove from the oven, add the kidney beans and the finely chopped coriander, chocolate and chopped red pepper. Put back in the oven for 30 Min's.

Handy Hint:

Add the kidney beans later on in the cooking process so not to over cook the beans as they can go mushy if this happens

Remove from the oven. The chili should have a thick sauce. If you need to thicken more, cook for a little bit longer.

Serve the Chili with Mexican tortillas, nachos (this brings in different textures to the dish) and lime on the side. You could also serve it with plain rice....And don't forget the Beer!

Pictures by Matt & Rach Grice