Ayrshire Bacon and Potato Hotpot
A comforting Scottish farmhouse bake featuring tender layers of sweet-cured Ayrshire bacon, soft onions, and sliced tatties baked in savoury stock.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •casserole dish with lid
- •sharp chef's knife
- •frying pan
- •measuring jug
- •chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan) or Gas Mark 3.
- 2
Melt 10g of butter in a frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- 3
Fry the bacon pieces for 4 minutes until lightly browned, then remove from the heat.
- 4
Grease a deep casserole dish lightly with a little butter.
- 5
Arrange a third of the sliced tatties (potatoes) across the base of the dish.
- 6
Layer half the sliced onions and half the fried bacon over the potatoes.
- 7
Sprinkle with half the thyme and a pinch of black pepper.
- 8
Repeat the layers, finishing with an overlapping decorative layer of sliced potatoes on top.
- 9
Pour the hot stock gently down the side of the dish to avoid disturbing the top layer.
- 10
Dot the remaining butter over the top potatoes and cover tightly with the lid.
- 11
Bake for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake for 25 minutes until golden and tender.
- 12
Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve warm.
Chef's tips
Slice the potatoes evenly with a sharp knife or mandoline to ensure uniform cooking. Ayrshire bacon imparts plenty of natural saltiness into the stock, so avoid adding extra salt until tasted. Dotting the final potato layer with butter guarantees a crisp, golden lid.
Ingredient substitutions
- Ayrshire bacon → thick-cut unsmoked back bacon or Wiltshire cured bacon
- Maris Piper potatoes → King Edward or Russet potatoes
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in an oven at 180°C covered with foil for 20 minutes until bubbling hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Slicing potatoes too thickly, which prevents them from cooking through at the same rate.
- •Over-salting the dish before baking, forgetting the curing salt already in the bacon.
- •Baking uncovered from the start, which dries out the stock before the potatoes soften.
Serving suggestions
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