For a LANCASHIRE HOT-POT take about a couple of pounds of lean beef
and as many potatoes and several onions. Cut the beef into small pieces
about an inch square and roll these in flour that has been liberally
seasoned with salt and pepper. Pare the potatoes and cut them in very
thick slices; peel the onions and chop roughly. Make a layer of beef,
onions and potato alternately in a stewpan just large enough to hold
the whole quantity comfortably without leaving much space. Pour in
enough water to barely cover, then put on the lid and set in a moderate
oven for quite two hours, to simmer well but not boil. It should be
very tender and lightly browned on the top. Serve in the same pan. The
flouring of the meat keeps that more tender and makes the gravy richer.
For a HUNTER’S HOT-POT take any game or rabbits, and after cleaning and
skinning, joint them and roll in seasoned flour, then form layers of
rabbit, onion, whole potatoes or pieces of turnip or other sweet roots,
and fill up with warm water, closing tightly and stewing for two to
three hours or even longer. Venison would be good stewed in this way.
Game birds are better stewed without vegetable additions, but with a
little pork or bacon cut in strips and put with them. Flour well all
the same.
For IRISH STEW take the neck and breast of mutton and cut in
convenient sized pieces, flouring well in seasoned flour as before, and
lay in a deep stewpan with whole onions and potatoes, as many as the
stewpan will accommodate. Put in less water, only enough to cover the
bottom well, then lay a plate face downwards on the top before putting
on the cover of the pan, and cook in good oven for three hours. The
plate helps to keep in the steam and to keep the top of the stew from
browning.
For making a Hot-Pot with breast of veal or lamb, as sometimes it is
possible to do in the spring or summer time, the meat is cut in strips
and across in short lengths, is floured and put in a deep jar with
a few very young onions, some herbs like mint and parsley, plenty
of seasoning and a spoonful of vinegar, as well as sufficient water
to just barely cover the whole. The vegetable additions are cooked
separately, although a few boiled green peas might be put into the pot
just before serving.
A VEGETARIAN HOT-POT is very savoury when no meat is procurable, and a
mixture of vegetables, such as carrots, onions, potatoes, turnips and
so on, should be pared, cut into neat rounds and fried well in clear
fat till all are lightly browned, then sprinkle with pepper and salt
and dredge flour over very lightly, put the vegetables in the stew
pan, rinse out the frying-pan with hot water, add just a tablespoonful
of vinegar or sharp sauce, and pour over the rest. Cover down closely
and stew for an hour in the oven. A little American green corn taken
from the husk and put into a vegetable stew makes it very nice.
A bottle of curry powder would be of great assistance to a camp
cook, as a spoonful of this stirred into a stew or a sauce would
make a wonderful difference to the savouriness of the dish, to stews
of mutton especially, and of vegetables without meat. After frying
the vegetables, let the curry powder be stirred into the fat in the
frying-pan and mixed with that and the flour, then a little hot water
or stock added, and just cooked a little before pouring it into
the stewpan. The addition of an apple or a ripe tomato, or failing
everything else a spoonful of vinegar, will give the desirable flavour
of acidity which a curry should have.