What’s Britain’s most underrated dish? This is a Lancashire Hotpot, a humble Northern classic that deserves a place beside France’s most celebrated dishes. Slow-braised lamb shanks, caramelised onions, and layers of golden potatoes come together to show how simple British food can reach Michelin-level depth and elegance.
This is more than comfort food. It’s a celebration of British heritage, working-class roots, and the timeless craft of slow cooking. From the mills of Lancashire to the modern kitchen, we explore how one overlooked recipe can rival any French classic.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2–3 lamb shanks (about 1.2–1.5 kg total)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed or vegetable oil)
2 onions, quartered (leave the root end on)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ bottle red wine (about 175ml)
400ml beef stock (plus a little chicken stock if needed)
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
30g butter
1 tbsp flour (for thickening)
1 tbsp buerre manié (equal parts soft butter and flour mixed together, optional for body)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4–5 Charlotte potatoes (or another waxy potato like Jersey Royal or Anya), thinly sliced
25g melted butter
2–3 tbsp reserved stock (from braise)
RECIPE
1. Sear the lamb shanks
Heat oil in a large heavy pan.
Season lamb shanks generously and sear until browned all over.
Remove and set aside.
2. Build the base
In the same pan, add onion, carrot, and celery.
Cook until lightly golden and aromatic, scraping up the fond.
Deglaze with red wine and reduce by half.
3. Braise the lamb
Add beef stock (and a touch of chicken stock if needed) to just cover the meat.
Add thyme and bay leaf.
Return lamb to the pot, cover with a lid, and braise at 160°C (320°F) for about 3½ hours until tender but still holding together.
4. Cool and prepare the meat
Remove lamb and bones.
Pull meat into large chunks (keep the bones for presentation if desired).
Strain and reserve the braising liquid.
5. Make the filling sauce
In a clean pan, melt the butter and gently cook diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until soft but not browned.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually add the strained stock until thick and glossy.
Add thyme leaves, salt, and pepper to taste.
Fold in the lamb chunks carefully until just coated.
6. Prepare the potatoes
Thinly slice the Charlotte potatoes (ideally 2–3mm thick).
Toss in a bowl with melted butter, a little stock, salt, and pepper.
(This ensures even seasoning and prevents dry layers.)
7. Assemble the hotpot
Spoon the lamb mixture into an ovenproof dish or copper pot.
(Optional) Stand the reserved lamb bones upright in the center for presentation.
Layer the potato slices on top, overlapping neatly for the final layer.
Brush with clarified butter for shine.
8. Bake
Bake uncovered at 160°C (320°F) for about 35–40 minutes, until the potatoes are golden, crisp at the edges, and tender through.
9. Finish and serve
Brush with a little hot stock to glaze before serving.
Serve directly from the pan with seasonal greens or pickled red cabbage.
Texture balance: The sauce should be thick enough to suspend the meat — too thin and it’ll bubble through the potatoes.
Rest before serving: Let the hotpot sit for 10–15 minutes out of the oven for the flavors to settle.
Presentation tip: Keep the upright bones from the lamb shanks — they act as visual anchors and elevate the rustic presentation into something showstopping.
45 Comments
I always roll my eyes when anyone says British food is bad, clueless people..
Lots and lots of weird ai comments on here…
no Biryani ?
Bone sticking out = 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
WOW….That look more than yummy.
I'm going to try this to surprise my wife.
I'm pretty sure it was not originally made with a bottle of red wine.. What a load of crap.
English food is incredible. Like everything the English have ever done, it is heavily and wrongly criticised because there's an anti-english rhetoric. Well done for showing how good english food is!
The myth that British food is bad comes from ww2 when we had millions of americans staying here. We had rations at the time so nobody was eating nice food. Americans assumed that our cuisine was just bland and then spread this rumour around the world. We all know american food is the worst in the world so its even more annoying to hear when americans laugh at british food (without ever trying it)
These days, everything seems to have gotten more expensive. Even simple things like lamb shanks are now a luxury, costing a small fortune. It's a bit like saying they cost an arm and a leg, isn't it? 😁😁
When hot pot was made back in the day I don't think wine had been heard off 😂
Good video but quit the AI thumbnails
British food is actually pretty good. There are a lot of dishes that will blow your mind with how simple and how good they are. The problem that gives British food a bad reputation is that most British chefs just suck. They barely use salt, let alone add flavour and umami to their food. But when you find a good one, you will be amazed.
this shit looks like ahh
If you kist use a chest came, please stop swaying back and forth.
JUST THINK HOW MUCH BETTER IT COULD BE WITH SPICES AND FLAVOR
I loved the variety of potatoes in the UK. In Australia we dumbly call them red potatoes or white potatoes. Fruit and veg used to be excellent here but the supermarkets continue to stranglehold the diversity of produce and Aussies have become used to the diminished flavour and variety, the new lower benchmark. Lower the bar, raise the cost.
6:07 …that's the proof that you love food.
Hope someone at Fallow takes another look at the written recipe. It's missing ingredients and instructions.
At 5 minutes… dat crushed garlic technique
This looks so delicious. But then I remembered I hate lamb and mutton. The smell and flavour revolts me. I grew up around sheep. lovely creatures But their smell, no thanks.
No.
why such a stingy amount lamb shank this recipe has used strange
"British food is bad" who said that??? The entire GLOBE
The nicest meat on the lamb is the shanks most butchers with give you them for cheap they are delightful,
Ah yes, the infamous smoke stack meat pie, a reminder of the great Industrial Revolution where the kids would get the rickets
Surely this should be dark ale or stout?
crap, how you supposed to eat that when youve got massive bones to deal with.
I'd love to see the marrow pried or melted free of the bone and added to the sauce itself, it adds a lot of intense flavor as well as untold sums of nutrient. Otherwise, beautiful
Lamb is very dear here in Canada. Can we substitute with other shanks, and if so, beef or pork… or maybe both?
It transliterated offal as awful, and it honestly works both ways. (Sorry)
This is my new favorite dish
i tried it out today, it was a good taste, but i think i should've added more flour and less butter on top :/ next time it'll be better
UNDERRATED – most OVER USED word on social media. just say sssiiixxx seeevveeennnn.
9:40 The most Californian accent I’ve heard in my life
As a Canadian Brit, this was one of my signature dishes, a favourite of my husband. It’s been at least 5 years since I made it because of the ridiculous price of good lamb shanks. ☹️
British dish using multiple french techniques tho
why are the English so insecure about their food? you're always measuring yourself against the Italians or the French or the Americans when it's not necessary to do so. when you criticize another nation's food it only diminishes your own it makes your position weaker. be loud be proud.
The bones sticking out and raw potato was the dumbest shit I have ever seen in my life.
Just missing the pickled cabbage 😘
As a froggy I admit TRADITIONNAL English food is good. But the problem is that these traditions are extremely hard to come by in restaurants.
Why've I never thought of using lamb shanks? Such a simple tweak!
I've travelled a lot. No country has better food than the UK. None. Best local sourced. Variety. Care. Portions.
both these countries foods are horrible
The beauty of their women and the taste of their food made the British the best sailors in the world