Hotch Potch

“Made from scraps and survival, it fed generations without apology.”

Hotch Potch

This is a stew for the in-between seasons, the lean times, the days when abundance looks like a pot that never empties. Traditionally made with mutton or beef and whatever veg was growing nearby, Hotch Potch isn’t about precision. It’s about making do, making well, and making full. It’s not fancy—it’s true

Ingredients

  • 1½–2 lbs lamb shoulder or stewing beef, bone-in if possible
  • 1 tbsp fat (drippings, butter, or oil)
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 3–4 carrots, chunked
  • 2–3 parsnips, chunked
  • ½ head green cabbage, roughly chopped
  • 1–2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
  • ½ cup pearl barley (optional, but traditional)
  • 6 cups water or light broth
  • Salt + pepper to taste
  • Fresh thyme or parsley, if you’ve got it


How The Alchemy Happens


In a large pot, sear the meat in fat until browned. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, sauté onions and leeks until soft.

Return the meat, add water or broth, and bring to a boil. Skim if needed.

Add carrots, parsnips, barley, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered for 1–1.5 hours.

Add cabbage near the end, let it wilt into the stew.

Remove bones if present, shred the meat, return to the pot.

Taste, adjust, and serve steaming, preferably with bread and silence.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“A poor man’s feast, a rich man’s envy—Hotch Potch belongs to the ones who stay fed.”