Recipe Archives->Casseroles->Suffolk Hotpot

Suffolk Hotpot

1 kg pork shoulder - cut into 1" chunks                
10 g plain flour                                       
1 onion - coarsely chopped                          
50 g mushrooms - cut into bite-sized pieces            
450 g leeks - sliced lengthways and then into 1" chunks 
225 g carrots - cut into 1" chunks                      
700 g potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper) - in 1/8" slices      
10 g butter plus a little extra for greasing           
1 pint stock (pork or vegetable)                         
1 Tbsp vegetable oil                                     
1/2 tsp dried thyme                                       
1 bay leaf                                          
salt and pepper                                   

Lightly butter the bottom of a casserole with a scrap of butter
then add half the potatoes in a layer, keeping the better-looking
slices back for the top.  Now scatter the onions, carrots and
mushrooms on top and season with salt and pepper.  Leave everything
to one side for the moment.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3 Heat the oil in a fairly
large frying pan over a high flame and, as soon as it is very hot,
toss in the flour covered pieces of pork. Cook the pork for a couple
of minutes turning it around until it has  Remove the pork with a
slotted spoon and add it to the casserole on top of the vegetables.

Add the thyme and bay leaf and shake in any remaining flour.
Finally put the leeks in the casserole and finish off with the rest
of the potatoes, overlapping the slices like roof tiles.  Season
again, being quite generous with the salt.  Return the frying pan
to a high heat and deglaze with the stock. Pour the hot stock
carefully into the casserole making sure that it covers the leeks
but that the top layer of potatoes is not immersed. Dot the butter
over the potatoes and place the casserole in the oven, uncovered,
for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the top looks golden-brown and crusty.

Printable version: suffolk-hotpot.txt.