Autumn lamb, in my opinion, tastes much better than Spring lamb. It has a stronger flavour because the lambs have had longer to graze and grow, and you can be far bolder with the flavours you add to it, than you could with the more delicate Spring lamb.

Sadly lamb is not cheap whether Spring or Autumn, so it helps to accompany it with other less expensive ingredients. With food prices reflecting the credit crunch and the potato season in full swing its never been a better time to make the most of the humble potato. Incredibly nutritious and filling, potatoes have a wide range of uses and are packed full of goodness. They are an excellent source of low fat energy for your brain and body. They also provide a valuable amount of several important nutrients: Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, and iron - packing far more nutrition than either rice or pasta.

I know there are different varieties of potatoes best suited to different treatments, e.g. King Edwards make great roasties, while Charlottes are supreme in salads but I tend to buy all-rounders, it makes life a lot simpler. I’ve recently been trying out Rooster potatoes and they’re pretty good, we’ve had them mashed and roasted, with no complaints so far. I used them in this recipe too and they held their shape to my surprise. I thought they might fall apart but instead the tops were crunchily browned while the underneath soaked up the cooking juices and became lovely and soft.

Lamb Hot Pot
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 finely diced carrots
2 finely diced celery sticks
2 finely diced onions
1 crushed garlic clove
2 sprigs of rosemary
75g butter
4 large chump chops
150ml white wine
650ml good lamb or beef stock
8 thinly sliced Rooster potatoes
salt & pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC / Gas Mark 4
2. Lightly cook the vegetables, garlic and rosemary in 50g of butter. Then remove from the pan and keep to one side.
3. Melt the remaining butter in the pan and brown the chops on each side. Then remove from the pan.
4. Add the wine. Boil and reduce until almost dry.
5. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Place the chops into a shallow braising dish and cover with the vegetables. Season with salt & pepper.
6. Lay the sliced overlapping potatoes onto the chops, pour over the hot stock, and place into oven for 1 hour. Be sure to baste the potatoes every 15 minutes.

Oh, I could eat it all over again! Such a simple dish with fantastic British ingredients, so flavourful and so satisfying, it was the perfect meal for a chilly evening.

This recipe is one of Andrew Fairlie’s from the Albert Bartlett website.

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