Luxury hotpot

This hotpot is a lot more than a typical hotpot.  Whilst it has the usual neck of lamb and potatoes, it is

augmented by inclusion of beer, black pudding and kidneys.  It is rich and full – an ideal winter dish.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 75 Mins

Total Time: 1½ Hrs

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

For the gravy

200 ml             Beer  - dark mild      

2 tbs               Olive oil    

1 tbs               Thyme  - dried        

200 ml             Stock  - lamb          

2 tsp               Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp               Mustard  - English, made        

1 tbs               Miso paste  - red      

For the hotpot

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

500 gms          Black pudding  - cut into bite size bits     

2 tbs               Olive oil    

1 kg                Neck of lamb          

4                    Onions  - cut in half and sliced into 1 cm slices       

1 kg                Potatoes  - cut into 2 cm wide slices       

4                    Kidneys  - lamb, cut into 2 cm cubes      

50 gms            Butter       

To serve

                     Carrots  - steamed   

Method

Preheat an oven to 180°C and put the lid for a 20cm casserole in the oven to heat.

To prepare the gravy…

Put the beer, oil, thyme and stock in a saucepan over a medium heat.  Simmer to reduce by one-third and thicken slightly.

To make the hotpot…

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a high heat and fry the black pudding with one tablespoon of the oil and then set it aside. Wipe the pan clean and return it to the heat, add the remaining oil and brown the lamb.  Turn down

the heat and push the meat to one side of the pan.  Add the onions and fry for about 10 minutes until softened.  Then mix together with the meat.

Stir the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and miso paste into the beer-stock mixture.  Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if required.

Butter the inside of the casserole dish and line the bottom with half the potatoes.  Put the lamb, onions and black pudding mixture and kidneys on top and fill two thirds of the pot with the gravy (using any remaining beer to make up the volume if needed).  Finish with a layer of potatoes.

Dot with butter, take the hot casserole lid from the oven and place on the casserole.  Put it in the oven and turning it down to 160°C.  Cook for 25 minutes.

Remove the casserole lid and cook for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are golden and crispy.

Take it out of the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with carrots.

Wine recommendations

Beer or a rich red wine.

Conventional

     Mild beer

Interesting

     Bordeaux Supérieur

     Chinon

     Côtes du Rhône Villages