BASED ON ONE OF THE GREAT STEWS OF THE WORLD, [THE LANCASHIRE HOTPOT] THIS IS A DISH THAT MAKES A VIRTUE OF SIMPLICITY AND IS AN INDISPUTABLE CLASSIC.
Ingredients
- 3 Ox cheeks
- 16 Small round shallots, peeled -
- 12 Fresh oysters, shucked
- 2tbsp Vegetable oil
- 300ml Red wine
- 300ml Chicken stock
- 1 Onion, diced
- 1 Carrot, peeled and diced
- ½ Leek, finely chopped
- 1 Clove of garlic, peeled
- 2 Sprigs of thyme
- 4 Large Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
- 30g Plain flour
- 30g Butter
- 30g Butter, melted
How to cook Beef + Oyster Hotpot
This will take time to cook; the cheeks are one of the toughest parts of the animal but have amazing flavour and become incredibly tender. They will produce a lovely sticky gravy. If you are not a fan of oysters, simply leave them out.
Preheat the oven to 120°C. Place a frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and the ox cheeks and colour well on both sides. In the same pan, colour the shallots. Transfer the cheeks and shallots to a deep roasting tray, and cover with the red wine and chicken stock. Put the onion, carrot, leek, thyme and garlic on the muslin, pull up the sides and tie with string to create a sachet. Put the sachet in with the ox cheeks and wine, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 3-4 hours until tender. Remove the ox cheeks and shallots from the liquid and allow cooling. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes and set aside to cool. In a casserole, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 5-7 minutes until golden. Pour in the ox cheek liquor and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Cook gently for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the ox cheek into large pieces and add them to the sauce, along with the shallots. Remove from the heat. Spread the oysters throughout the sauce in the casserole. Thinly slice the blanched potatoes and arrange neatly, [remembering to leave a hole in the centre for steam to escape] on top of the meat and onions until they are covered. Brush the potato with the melted butter, bake until golden and serve
