Everything Aberystwyth

Lancashire Hotpot has been a favourite up north for 100′s of years.

It’s a great meal in winter when its cold outside, full of flavour whilst being hearty and warming too.

This is a classic dish, with a wonderful Welsh twist to it, well worth a try!




What You Need: (Serves 4)

4 Large Potatoes Skins On – Cut Into 0.5cm Thick Slices
1 Large Leek – Cut Into Rings
3 Large Carrots Skins On – Cut Into 0.5cm Thick Rings
500g Organic Welsh Lamb – Cubed
400ml Hot Lamb Stock
3 Heaped Tablespoons Plain Flour
100g Mature Welsh Cheddar Cheese
50g Caerphilly Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Dried Rosemary

1 Large Ovenproof Dish With Lid


1. Fry the cubed lamb in a deep non stick pan over a medium heat until brown all over.

2. Remove the lamb from the pan and transfer into a dish.

3. Cook the leeks in the meat juices in the pan for a few minutes until they soften. Remove a quater of the leeks for use later on, and add the carrots the the remaining leeks and meat juices, stirring continuously.

4. Cook for another 2 -3 minutes and then add the meat back into the pan and continue to stir.

5. After cooking for another minute add in the 3 heaped tablespoons of flour. Be careful not to let the flour burn on the base of the pan.

6. Add all of your lamb stock to the pan and stir until the flour is soaked up and the mixture begins to thicken.

7. Continue to simmer for another 2 minutes, adding a pinch of rosemary along with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

8. Whilst simmering add a layer of sliced potatoes to the base of your oven proof dish, until the base is covered.

9. Pour the mixture from the pan on top of the layer of potatoes, and spead out evenly. If the mixture looks too this, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir well.

10. Place the final layer of potatoes over the top of the mixture, and cover the dish with the lid.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees for two hours with the lid on.

12. In preparation, grate your cheese and mix together thoroughly. The caerphilly adds a slightly fresh and tangy taste to the dish.

13. Grind two teaspoons of dried rosemery into a fine mixture using a pestle and mortar and combine with the cheese.

14. After two hours remove the dish from the oven and top the bubbling mixture with the mixture of two cheeses and rosemary. Then top this with the remaining leeks and return to the oven for 15 minutes with the lid on at 200 degrees.

15. After 15 minutes remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes and 200 degrees until golden brown.

16. Serve immediately with your favourite seasonal veg. Try it with some tender stem broccoli, sliced string beans or even glazed roast parsnips!




For better results try using fresh seasonal veg. The shorter the time between the spade and the plate the better quality the dish. With so much goodness in the skins, I prefer to leave them on, but don’t forget to give them a good wash first!


Wales is renowned for its lamb, and this is a great dish to try with some locally reared spring lamb. The length of cooking time should ensure that what ever cut of meat you use it is very tender and should melt in the mouth. I like to take the meat off the bone from lamb shanks and dice it because it is exceptionally tender and the small amount of fat on the meat adds plenty of flavour without too many extra calories.


And to wash it all down why not try a nice bottle conditioned ale too….