Serves 6.

There are many variations of hot pot in the UK, the most famous being the Lancashire Hot pot – lamb or mutton stew, with vegetables and sliced potatoes for the top. It is slow cooked in the oven.

For this edition of the Swan & Lion Newsletter, I wanted to showcase two of the best products of Somerset, apples and cider and I decided that a hot pot with pork would be the perfect way to match these flavours. The pork, apple and cider are the key ingredients for this recipe, but you can add other ingredients you like. I found some lovely brown mushrooms, so added those. Beans such as cannellini would also work well. There are no rules here, just match the flavours you enjoy.

I made my hot pot in one Le Creuset pot, but if you do not have one you can make the stew in a frying pan and then finish the hot pot in an ovenproof dish.

You can also enjoy this recipe as a casserole, without the potato topping. Just cook the sauce longer until the pork is soft and succulent.

Equipment Needed:

• Oven
• Oven proof pot (about 22cm) or a frying pan and ovenproof dish

Ingredients:

500g pork shoulder, cut into 4-5cm pieces	400ml chicken stock
4 TBS olive oil	2 bay leaves
30g butter	4 TBS flour
1 onion, finely diced	6 sage leaves or a few sprigs of thyme, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped	Salt & pepper to taste
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced	2 leeks, thickly sliced
2 apples (sour flavour if possible), peeled, cored and sliced	200g mushrooms (optional)
400ml dry cider	200g potato (large ones are best)
Apple vinegar (optional)

Method. First make the stew:

1. In the pot or frying pan, heat the olive oil, add half the pork and fry on a medium heat until browned on all sides. Remove and keep in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining pork.
2. Add the butter, onion, half the celery, leek and garlic and cook gently on a low heat until soft but not browned.
3. Add the flour, stir in well and cook on a low heat for a minute.
4. Pour in the cider and chicken stock, stir well and gently cook to make a sauce. If it is too thick, add a little water.
5. Add the pork, apple and sage and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cook on a low heat until the meat is almost tender (about 45 minutes to an hour), stirring from time to time.
7. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. If the sauce is more sweet than you like it, add apple cider vinegar to taste.
8. Add the remaining leeks, mushrooms (if using) and beans (if using).

Next prepare the potatoes and construct the hot pot:

1. Preheat the oven to 200℃.
2. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice the potatoes to about 3mm thick. Larger pieces of potato are best for the topping. Do not wash the potatoes.
3. Arrange the potato slices in a microwave safe dish, cover with clingfilm and cook in a 600W microwave for 150 seconds. Remove the clingfilm and allow the potatoes to cool a little.
4. If you are using a separate ovenproof dish, transfer your pork stew into that dish.
5. Arrange the potatoes in a design of your choice, so they overlap each other, on top of the stew.
6. Place a few small cubes of butter on the potatoes and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or more until the potatoes are nicely browned.
7. If you have any sage leaves remaining, you can place them on top of the potatoes for the final 5 minutes of baking.
8. Remove the hot pot from the oven and allow it to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with steamed vegetables or a green salad and a baguette for mopping up all the lovely juices!

In this recipe I used a Thatchers cider. Thatchers cider has been produced on Myrtle Farm in Somerset since 1904. With four generations of cider makers, Thatchers is one of the oldest cider makers in the UK.

Thatchers Cider is imported to Japan by Hobgoblin Imports. Check them out for cider, beer, cheese and more: https://www.hobgoblin-imports.jp/?lang=en

Here is a short video about them (English only):