Chiddingly Hotpot
It’s summer, so you know what that means - more hot food is on the menu! This week I was looking for something hearty that also had a “set-it-and-forget it” capability. This hotpot hails from the village of Chiddingly and combines a traditional meat and potato stew with acidic elements of vinegar and olives. The outcome is a layered dish that would appear heavy, but is easily consumable because of the bright elements hidden throughout. This satisfying dish isn’t the easiest to photograph, but eating it is another story altogether!
What he lacks in looks, he makes up for in brine-y depth.
Hotpots: A Brief UK History
The exact origins of hotpots aren’t easily traceable. The most likely explanation comes from the “Oxford Companion to Food” where “hot-pot” is said to be derived from “hodge podge”. This makes sense because hot pots are stews that are composed of meat, potatoes, and vegetables - essentially a jumble (or hodge podge, wink wink) of different ingredients.
Another origin, although less likely, comes from early industrialization when women lacked the time and appropriate kitchen to cook a stew for the entire family. Their solution was to bring the dish (in crockery called a “hot pot”) to their local baker’s oven and leave it there to cook while at work.
There are many variations of the hotpot throughout England - each specific to its respective region. The Chiddingly hotpot is the only one I was able to find that contained olives and it’s also unknown why that specific ingredient was added. The only fact that’s known is that it that it was first created in 1917, by a man named Edward Shoosmith.
Ready for the oven!
Chiddingly Hotpot
Occasions: A steamy first date, an excuse to clean out your refrigerator, or a pre-disco meal at the annual Chiddingly Festival
Pairings: Cabernet or Brown Ale
Components:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Flour, for dredging
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1/2 c green olives, chopped
2 Tbsp herb vinegar (Note: I used a lemon verbena vinegar in the dish; and I’ve read recipes that use tarragon vinegar. You should be able to use any vinegar as long as it’s got an herbal component)
2 Tbsp malt vinegar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
salt & ground black pepper to taste
3 large red-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
1 c chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge cubed steak in the flour and cook (in batches if needed), tossing the meat as it cooks, until browned and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat and add onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are softened (~5 min), scraping up the fond (browned bits on the bottom of the pan).
In a medium round baking dish, layer half the celery-onion mixture and then half the olives on top. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of each vinegar, 1/8 tsp cloves, salt, and pepper. Then add half of the meat, and arrange half of the potato slices on top. Repeat all of these layers again. Pour in chicken broth until it comes halfway up the sides of the dish. Top with a sprinkling of more salt and pepper, cover tightly, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the cover. If the stew seems dry add more chicken broth. Bake for another 30 min, uncovered, until browned on top.
* 4 servings