Lancashire Hotpot-5 of the best by Valli Little

This recipe is adapted from "5 of the best" by Valli Little, which is a very simple book that I refer to often. Great for midweek suppers, most recipes have only a handful of ingredients, which are mostly store cupboard essentials This is a real winter warmer, and although it takes a while in the oven, it really is very easy to make and yields very little washing up which is always a bonus! Also the book calls for individual hotpots ( a bit like Betty from the Rover's return)! but I make just one big one. Tonight, we had this with just some warm bread with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Recipe (serves 2)

approx. 300-400g of diced lamb
40mls olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled, and diced
1 celery stalk finely chopped
1 tbsp of flour
60mls of vermouth
100mls of vegetable stock
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced
25g butter, melted.

Preheat the oven to 170oc

Heat half of the oil in a frying pan and add the lamb and fry untiled sealed and slightly brown on the edges. Place the lamb in a oven proof dish.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, and scrap any bits of lamb from the bottom of the pan, as this will add flavour. Add the onion and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until slightly softened. Add the celery, and carrot and cook for a further few minutes. Add the flour to the pan and stir in well, before adding the vermouth and stock and nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add this to the dish with the lamb.

Arrange the potatoes on top brush with melted butter and place on a roasting tin. Transfer this into the hot oven and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.