Yes I agree with you Nina that in a hotpot (is there any other kind than Lancashire, which should be made with the charmingly named 'scrag end'?) the potatoes are sliced and artistically placed on the top and allowed to brown.
I've don't put potatoes in stews/casseroles because I'm always afraid they will overcook and do what my mother used to refer to as 'fall'.
This was sometimes a desirable quality and sometimes not. In a potato pie, if the potatoes 'fell' too much you would end up with a mushy goo instead of discrete pieces of potato.
On the other hand, if apples did not 'fall' during the cooking of an apple pie, that was considered a culinary disaster and that was why Bramleys were the apple of choice for making pies, because of their superior ability to 'fall' as well as their flavour.
Happy Monday everyone
I’m finished my festival poncho
I’ve just finished a jacket for my grandson