Lancashire Hotpot

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Cut the lamb into large chunks, season with salt and pepper, then toss in plain flour.

In a heatproof casserole dish, melt half the butter and brown the lamb in batches until nicely seared; transfer the meat to a plate.

In the same dish, sauté the onion and carrots in the remaining butter for 5–7 minutes, until lightly golden.

Return the lamb to the dish, pour in the stock, add the Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Slice the potatoes thinly and arrange them in overlapping layers over the meat and vegetables; season the top layer with salt and pepper.

Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 90 minutes at 160°C, until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.

Remove the lid, raise the oven temperature to 200°C and bake for another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crisp; let the hotpot rest for 10 minutes before serving.