Gather friends and family for an afternoon walk, then come home to hotpot and slow-cooked comfort food. The traditional Lancashire hotpot, originally made with mutton, makes a virtue of simplicity
Lamb hotpot
A hearty casserole that deserves its place as a classic
Serves 6–8
2 tbsp plain flour
900g diced lamb
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 large garlic bulb, cloves peeled and left whole
8 small shallots, peeled
500g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra to garnish
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
750g Maris Piper potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into 5mm slices
40g butter, melted
1 Tip the flour into a bowl, and season with a few pinches of sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Add the lamb and toss to coat in the flour. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and add the lamb (you may need to do this in two batches). Cook for 5–6 mins, until brown all over, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2 Add the remaining oil to the same casserole dish and gently fry the onions for around 5 mins, until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and cook for a further minute before adding the shallots and carrots. Cook, stirring, for a further 2–3 mins.
3 Return the lamb to the casserole dish, and add the mustard and chopped rosemary. Season and stir well, before stirring through the stock.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ 350F. Arrange the potato slices on top of the lamb, overlapping slightly to create a lid for the hotpot. Brush with the melted butter, season with salt and black pepper, and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 11⁄2 hours.
5 Remove the lid or foil, turn up the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F, and cook for a further 30–40 mins, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.
Mustardy greens
A tangy mustard dressing is a punchy match for cabbage
Serves 4
200g savoy cabbage, shredded
200g curly kale
200g frozen peas
25g butter
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Cook the vegetables in a pan of boiling salted water for about 4 mins, or until just tender.
2 Drain the vegetables well. Return the pan to a low heat and gently melt together the butter and mustards. Return the vegetables to the pan, season and serve immediately.
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