Christmas Countdown: Betty's hotpot recipe

What finer accompaniment to your Christmas dinner than the iconic dish of Betty's hotpot. Here's the official recipe, as taken from the 'Life and Times at the Rovers Return' book by Daran Little.

Served with chips and red cabbage, Betty's hotpot complements Newton & Ridley's best mild and bitter.

Serves 4.Ingredients:1 1/2lb/675g neck of lamb, chopped and fried quickly until golden1.5lb/675g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 large onion, chopped3/4 pint/425ml chicken stock1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce1 bayleaf1 tablespoon flour2oz/50g butterSalt and pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celcius/375 degrees Fahrenheit/gas mark 5. Melt half the butter over a high heat in a heavy bottomed frying pan.Add the meat and fry until nicely browned. Put the fried meat into a casserole dish. Fry the onions in the frying pan juices, adding more butter if necessary. When soft, sprinkle on the flour and stir. As the flour paste starts to colour, add the stock a few tablespoons at a time, while stirring continuously.Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the liquid and onion mix over meat in the casserole dish and mix well.Add the bayleaf to the pot. Arrange the sliced potatoes over the meat in overlapping layers. Dot the top layer with the remainder of the butter. Cover the dish with tin foil and place on the top shelf of the oven for two hours. Uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.