A mixture of ingredients, commonly diced sheep meat with carrot, lettuce (or cabbage) and other vegetables, cooked so as the ingredients fall and produce a highly thickened stew. Known from the 17th to 19th Centuries, eg. Digby 1669, Moxon 1764, Soyer 1845, Mrs.B.

Original Receipt in 'The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight, Opened ' (Digby 1669)

TO MAKE AN HOTCHPOT
Take a piece of Brisket-beef; a piece of Mutton; a knuckle of Veal; a good Colander of pot-herbs; half minced Carrots, Onions and Cabbage a little broken. Boil all these together until they be very thick.

ANOTHER HOTCHPOT
Take a Pot of two Gallons or more; and take a brisket rand of Beef; any piece of Mutton, and a piece of Veal; put this with sufficient water into the pot, and after it hath boiled, and been skimmed, put in a great Colander full of ordinary pot-herbs; a piece of Cabbage, all half cut; a good quantity of Onions whole, six Carrots cut and sliced, and two or three Pippins quartered. Let this boil three hours until it be almost a gelly, and stir it often, least it burn.


Original Receipt from 'The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory' of 1844

Hodge-Podge.
Stew a scrag of mutton: put in a peck of peas, a bunch of turnips cut small, a few carrots, onions, lettuce, and some parsley. When sufficiently boiled add a few mutton chops, which must stew gently till done.


Original Receipt from 'A Shilling Cookery for The People' by Alexis Soyer (Soyer 1845)

25. Simplified Hodge-Podge. - Cut two pounds of fresh scrag of mutton into small pieces, which put into a stewpan, with three quarts of cold water, and a tablespoonful of salt, one ditto of sugar, half a ditto of pepper; set it on the fire; when boiling, place it at the side to simmer for one hour; keep it skimmed; well wash a large carrot, two turnips, two onions, and six small cabbage lettuces; cut them up, and place in the pot, and simmer till done. A pint of green peas, if in season, may be added. A carrot grated is an improvement. If in winter, use cabbage instead of lettuce. Serve the meat with it.