If you live in the north of England, and love food, then you will know of Booths Supermarkets. For the past couple of years they have realised a beautiful Christmas Book to showcase their festive fare, and the 2017 version hit the stores today (3 Nov).

Luckily for you, I have eaten my way through Booth’s Christmas range and can confirm it is wonderous.

You can pick up a copy of the Christmas book in your nearest Booths or view it online. And, great news, apparently at Christmas they deliver nationwide. As well as showing you what you can buy, it includes some great recipes, including this classic Lancashire hotpot.

Booths Herdwick Hotpot

Ingredients

• 800g lamb shoulder – (Booths like to use Cumbrian Herdwick, available exclusively in their stores)
• 600g lamb neck steaks – on the bone
• 2l of chicken stock
• 3 carrots -chopped
• 2 onions – chopped
• 2 sticks celery – chopped
• 5 garlic cloves – crushed
• 3/4 tsp chinese 5 spice
• 30ml sherry vinegar
• 20ml Worcestershire sauce
• Olive oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• 3 large baking potatoes
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 100g melted butter for brushing.

Method

1. This can be used with either lamb, hogget or mutton. The cooking times will be longer for the hogget and mutton. Cook until the meat falls off the bone.
2. In a large sauce pan over a medium-high heat, with a little olive oil fry the seasoned lamb on all sides until well browned and remove from the pan.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and allow to caramelise while stirring regularly. Add the carrots, garlic, celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Chinese 5 spice and cook for 1 minute. Add a splash of the sherry vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and cooker 1 minute.
4. Add the stock and the meat. If the liquid needs topping up to cover the meat use water. Bring to the simmer, place on a lid and cook for 4 hours or until the meat falls off the bone.
5. Remove the meat and turn up the heat to reduce the liquids to a sauce consistency. Once the sauce is the correct consistency check for seasoning adjusting using the sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
6. Pick the meat off the bone and break down to bite sized pieces. Peel and slice the baking potato and cut in to discs. Peel and slice the sweet potato and cut in to stars of different sizes.
7. Place the meat and sauce in an oven dish and top with the potato.
8. Brush with butter and season.
9. Bake until the potatoes are cooked and starting to crisp.

I don’t know where we are spending Christmas this year, but I am taking it easy on the cooking front. I will be getting a cockerel cushion which I can serve up either on Christmas Day or when we have friends over. The Christmas cake is made by Waterfields Bakery, based here in Leigh where I live, and the stollen is made in Cumbria – so I may add them to my order as well.

I love festive food, so flicking through the Christmas book and planning festive feasts is my idea of fun!

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*Thank you Booths for allowing me to taste your Christmas goodies 🙂