Lancashire Hotpot with Sweet Braised Cabbage

A deeply flavorful and comforting British lamb stew, slowly cooked and topped with tender, overlapping potato slices that brown beautifully in the oven. Served alongside tangy-sweet braised red cabbage and crusty bread.

• Prep: 45 min
• Cook: 2 hr 30 min
• Total: 3 hr 15 min
• Servings: 6
• Cuisine: British
• Difficulty: Hard

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• stir-fry
• comfort food
• savory
• classic
• rich

Ingredients

• 2.5 pound boneless lamb shoulder (cut into 1.5-inch chunks)
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 yellow onions (large, sliced)
• 3 carrots (peeled, sliced)
• 2 celery stalks (sliced)
• 8 ounce cremini mushroom (quartered)
• 3 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 fresh thymes (sprigs)
• 2.5 pound Russet potato (peeled, thinly sliced)
• 0.5 head red cabbage (thinly sliced)
• 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar
• 0.25 cup light brown sugar
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 red onion (small, thinly sliced)
• 1 crusty bread
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss boneless lamb shoulder chunks with all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until evenly coated.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches until well-caramelized on all sides, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove lamb and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Add yellow onions, carrots, celery stalk, and cremini mushrooms. Cook until vegetables soften, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Return lamb to the pot. Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1.5 hours, or until lamb is very tender.
5. While the hotpot simmers, prepare the braised red cabbage: In a separate pot or deep skillet, combine thinly sliced red cabbage, red onion, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and whole cloves (if using). Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender and liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove whole cloves before serving.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the lamb mixture. Ladle the lamb and vegetable stew into a 9x13 inch oven-safe baking dish, if not already using one. Top with thinly sliced Russet potatoes, overlapping them neatly in concentric circles to cover the entire surface.
7. Lightly brush the potato topping with a little olive oil or melted butter (not included in ingredient list as it's optional, assume from prep oils or butter for bread). Season potatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. Bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy on top and the stew is bubbling through the edges. If potatoes start to brown too quickly, you can cover loosely with foil for part of the baking time.
9. Let the hotpot rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with the braised red cabbage and crusty bread, optionally with unsalted butter.

Notes

Using a mandoline slicer for the potatoes will ensure uniform thickness, allowing them to cook evenly and get beautifully crispy on top. This dish can be made a day ahead; reheat gently in the oven.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 780
• Protein: 50.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 65.8 g
• Fat: 33.9 g
• Fiber: 12.3 g
• Sodium: 890 mg
• Saturated Fat: 12.1 g
• Sugar: 14.7 g
• Cholesterol: 130 mg