Lancashire mutton stew

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 800 g mutton or lamb, preferably shoulder or neck
• 100 g lard
• 6 large onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
• 1 kg carrot(s), diced and floured
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 liter chicken stock or lamb stock
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• some sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes

Lancashire Hot Pot

Cut the meat into cubes, rub with pepper, dust with flour, and sear vigorously on all sides in a large pan in a third of the lard. Place in the designated casserole dish. Sauté the diced onion and floured carrot cubes in the pan with fresh lard, then mix with the lamb in the casserole dish. Season with marjoram and caraway seeds and add the two bay leaves. Finally, arrange the potato slices in one or more flaky layers. Brown a tablespoon of flour with the remaining lard in the frying pan, then pour in the stock and simmer for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of sugar. Pour into the casserole dish until the sauce is covered with the top layer of potatoes. Braise, covered, in a preheated oven to 180°C for two hours. Then remove the lid and switch to 200°C top heat so the potatoes take on more color. In older recipes, lamb kidneys are often added to the meat or freshly peeled oysters are placed between the potato slices.