A Lancashire hotpot is one of those dishes that travels well. The principle – cheap cuts of lamb, root vegetables, and a lid of sliced potatoes crisped in butter – works wherever you happen to be cooking. This andaluz lamb hotpot was made at Casa Adora on one of those November afternoons that remind you why you moved to southern Spain in the first place.

I had spent the afternoon painting wrought iron chairs on the roof terrace in 22°C sunshine, with the pool glittering below and the hills of Jaén stretching out beyond the tree line. The moment the sun dropped behind those trees, the temperature followed. Suddenly, hotpot beckoned.

Browning the lamb neck and painting chairs on the roof terrace — Casa Adora

Lamb neck is not a cut you see often at the butcher's here in rural Andalucía. When it appeared, I grabbed the lot — six bone-in pieces, roughly a kilogram, more than enough for a generous pot. The bone-in cut is important: it gives the stock body and the meat a succulence that boneless lamb simply cannot match after an hour and a half in a low oven.

A traditional Lancashire hotpot would include lamb kidneys. I didn't have any — you cannot have everything in rural Andalucía — but the lamb neck more than holds its own. A pinch of turmeric in the seasoned flour gives the meat a warmth and colour that feels entirely at home in a Spanish kitchen. Worcestershire sauce in the stock adds depth without announcing itself. The potato lid does what it always does: crisps at the edges, soaks up the juices beneath, and makes everything considerably more satisfying than it would otherwise be.

If you enjoy this kind of honest, one-pot cooking, take a look at my Dublin Coddle — another classic from the poorer end of the recipe book that has no business being as good as it is.

Andaluz Lamb Hotpot

Serves 2–3

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in lamb neck pieces (approximately 1 kg)
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• A pinch of turmeric
• White pepper
• A knob of butter, plus extra for the potatoes
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• A splash of olive oil
• A good shake of Worcestershire sauce
• 400 ml hot chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• A small bunch of parsley, stalks chopped
• 4–5 medium floury potatoes, thinly sliced
• Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
2. Place the lamb neck pieces in a plastic bag with the flour, turmeric, and white pepper. Seal and shake well until the meat is evenly coated.
3. Heat a knob of butter in a casserole pan over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add the onion and carrot with a splash of olive oil. Cook until softened.
5. Shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the hot chicken stock, and bring to the boil.
6. Stir in the lamb, add the bay leaf and parsley stalks, and turn off the heat.
7. Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes over the top, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with a little melted butter and season with salt.
8. Cover and place in the oven for 1½ hours.
9. Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with more melted butter, and turn the oven up to 200°C. Cook uncovered for a further 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are golden and crisping at the edges.
10. Serve straight from the pot.

This andaluz lamb hotpot recipe is part of my Lamb & Goat Recipes collection — slow braises, grilled chops, and everything in between.

This recipe is also part of the Slow Cooker & Slow Cooking Recipes collection — braised meat, one-pot casseroles, confit, and slow roasts from Casa Adora and the road, gathered in one place. Browse all recipes here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef