Nigel Barden serves up Lancashire hotpot made with ale and diced leg of mutton on Radio 2 Drivetime with Simon Mayo.

Lancashire hotpot is a dish made traditionally from lamb or mutton and onion, topped with sliced potatoes, left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat.

The ingredients for Nigel’s version are: 50g butter, 250g onions, sliced, 1kg boned leg of mutton, cut in 3-4cm dice, 150g carrots, sliced, 10g fresh thyme, leaves picked, 3 bay leaves, 700g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and thinly sliced, 500ml meat stock, 100ml pale ale and salt and black pepper.

To prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 135C/Gas mark 1.

Heat up half of the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and sweat over a low heat for about 15 mins or until soft and translucent but not browned.

Place the meat in an ovenproof dish and add the onions, carrots, thyme and bay leaves. Season well with salt and pepper the mix together.

Arrange the potato slices on top of the meat and vegetable mix, overlapping the slices slightly. Melt the remaining butter and brush over the potatoes.

Pour the stock and ale into the dish, then cover it and cook in the oven for 2hrs.

Remove the cover from the dish and increase the oven temperature to 150C/Gas Mark 2.

Continue cooking for 30-45mins until the potato top is browned.