Midweek Meal: Put your cooking in Top Gear with James May’s Lancashire hotpot recipe

The presenter turned cookery writer brings us this perfect recipe to keep warm as winter approaches.

James May, best known for presenting the Top Gear motoring show, has turned his hand to cooking recently and even launched his own cookbook back in October, which is where this recipe has come from.

A warming disT that’s perfect for those wintry evenings, a Lancashire hot pot has the perfect mix of hearty winter veggies to keep you going.

For more inspiration, take a look at our other Midweek Meal recipes, which are ideal for cooking throughout the week.

Lancashire hot pot

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 12 lamb cutlets
• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 tsp flour (optional)
• 750ml hot lamb or vegetable stock
• Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 450g floury potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/375F/Gas Mark 4. Put a large lidded casserole in the oven to heat up.
2. Meanwhile, add the oil to a large frying pan and fry the cutlets on both sides to brown them off a bit. You might need to do this in stages depending on the size of your pan. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Now soften the onions in the same pan, but not too much – four to five minutes should be enough. Don’t let them brown.
4. Take the hot casserole from the oven and chuck the lamb and onions into it. Stir in a couple of teaspoons of flour if you want a thicker sauce, and add the stock. Add the thyme leaves and a bit of seasoning.
5. Put the lid on this lot and shove it back in the oven for around 30 minutes.
6. Remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the sliced carrots. Now layer the sliced potatoes over the top so that they overlap attractively and cover the whole area.
7. Put the lid back on and stick it back in the oven for an hour.
8. Take it back out of the oven. Turn the oven up to 230C/Fan 210C/450F/Gas Mark 8. Dot the butter over the top of the potato layer then put it back in the oven, without the lid on, for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp and golden.
9. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe from Oh Cook! 60 Easy Recipes That Any Idiot Can Make by James May is published by Pavilion, priced £14.99. Photography by Martin Poole.