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