Hot pot is a traditional
Northern (Northern English, that is) dish made from meat and
potatoes and could be best described as a meat stew with layers of potato.
Lancashire hot pot is perhaps the most traditional of all and is usually made from lamb or mutton and
kidneys. Sometimes
oysters are also added but hey, this is supposed to be a
working class dish, after all.
If you don't really have a
penchant for internal organs then why not try my recipe for a delicious
bacon hot pot? For four, you will need:
Bacon. (12-15
rashers)
Two fairly large onions.
Oil for frying.
Potatoes. (probably about 6 largish ones, if you don't have enough you can always peel some more)
Note: The bacon used should not be the "
streaky" kind, but the sort with a large section of meat in one piece. This is possibly known as Irish Bacon or
somesuch in the US but here in the
UK this kind of bacon is the norm.
1
Method:
Grease a
casserole dish with butter or
margarine.
Peel the potatoes and cut into slices varying between about 8 and 15
mm. Line the casserole dish with a layer of these potatoes, around 20mm thick.
Chop the onions and fry in the oil until soft and light brown. Spread the fried onions on top of the layer of potato in the casserole dish.
Fry the bacon in the oil left over from the onions until the fat on the bacon is just beginning to turn brown.
Put the bacon on top of the onions in the dish.
Now add about a third of a cup of
water to the
frying pan and bring to the boil. Stir with a
wooden spoon to gather up all the bits, and pour this over the bacon and onions.
Top with another layer of sliced potatoes, preferably thicker slices as they won't go so
crispy during cooking.
Dot the top layer with margarine or butter, and cover with a lid or baking
foil.
Cook at 180
centigrade for two hours, removing the lid 20-30 mins before removing from the oven to brown the potatoes.
Serve with coarsely chopped cabbage, boiled briskly for about 10 minutes.
1. I've been informed that this type of bacon is known as "Canadian bacon" or "Back Bacon" or "Side bacon". So many bacons! Thanks!