Ah, Christmas...the time of year when you're virtually guaranteed to be hit by waves of homesickness (and a rather glutinous attitude towards comfort food)...both of which I was able to bludgeon into unconsciousness by making Lancashire Hot Pot...cue scenes of dark, northern mill towns...flat caps...and the occasional whippet (to go into stereotype overdrive I even found myself singing "On Ilkla Mooar baht 'at" until Mr. Heb claimed it fell under the auspices of cruel and unusual punishment).

The recipe, as you can see below, calls for neck of lamb...however my request for that specific cut of meat was met with blank stares at Whole Foods...so I had to settle for shoulder blade chops and some time spent alternating between de-boning and cursing. The end result, however, was worth the hassle...tender lamb, in a flavorful gravy, topped with just the right amount of potato.