Lancashire Hot Pot

My boyfriend was hankering after Lancashire Hot Pot.

This is the first time I have made this traditional English dish. I had not realised it was so simple to make. It's pretty quick to prepare too but just takes quite a long time to cook.
I know a lot of people don't like kidneys but they do add a lot of flavour to this dish.
My boyfriend really enjoyed this dinner; he said it was better than his favourite Waitrose ready meal, which is also Lancashire Hot Pot. Well, I suppose that's a compliment!

This is what I cooked - an adaptation of a recipe from a book and a few recipes I saw on the Internet.

Lancashire Hot Pot
Serves 4 

Butter
2 x baking potatoes, peeled and sliced
350g stewing lamb, cut into 1" chunks
1 x large onion, finely sliced
3 x lambs kidneys, quartered
300ml stock (lamb or chicken)
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 356F / Gas Mark 4.
• Grease a casserole dish with a knob of butter.
• Layer the casserole dish with one of the sliced potatoes.
• Put the lamb on top.
• Season.
• Throw in the bay leaf.
• Cover with the onion.
• Then add the kidneys.
• Sprinkle over the parsley.
• Pour on the stock.
• Cover with the other potatoes and dot with butter.
• Put the lid on the casserole dish or if you don't have a lid, cover with foil.
• Cook for 2 hours.
• Take the lid/foil off and cook for another 30 minutes to brown the potatoes.

Serve with steamed vegetables.

Traditionally this would have also had oysters in it. I suppose you could add a few drops of oyster sauce to get the flavour they would have imparted.

Next time I think I would trim a little of the fat off the lamb, not too much because that's what gives the flavour...but just a little wouldn't harm, I don't like it too greasy.