Lamb Feta Pies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the garlic, bay leaf, carrot, celery, onion and oil in a medium skillet and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Push the vegetables to the perimeter of the pan and add the lamb. Increase the heat to high and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Sprinkle with the mustard, 1 teaspoon of the salt and some pepper. Stir until fragrant, 1 minute, then add the tomato paste, fennel seeds and tomato puree and stir again. Cook for 1 minute more. Turn off the heat and stir in the mint and sage. Remove the bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover by 2 inches with salted water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until a knife releases easily from the potatoes when pierced in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the potatoes. In the same pot, combine the milk, butter, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water and stir together over high heat. Bring to a boil. Mash the potatoes with a masher, then slowly drizzle the hot liquid over the potatoes and stir until light and fluffy. Taste and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon the lamb mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, covering completely. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to create a swirled pattern in the potatoes. Bake until the topping turns golden in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a casserole pot over a medium-high heat and fry the lamb for 5-7 mins, or until deep brown all over. Cover with the stock, then add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 11/2 hrs, or until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
• Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a frying pan, then fry the onions with a large pinch of salt for 15-20 mins, or until golden and sticky. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for 3 mins more. Remove the lamb from its stewing liquid (reserving the liquid), transfer to a chopping board and shred using two forks. Stir the shredded meat into the onion mixture, along with 50ml of the reserved liquid.
• Put the spinach in a pan with 1 tbsp water, and cook for 3-4 mins, or until wilted. Wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, or put in a fine sieve and press it out using the back of a wooden spoon. Roughly chop the spinach, then stir into the lamb and onion mixture along with the feta, mint, pine nuts and egg. Season.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and brush a 22cm round springform cake tin with some of the melted butter. Layer four sheets of filo pastry across the tin, then brush with more melted butter. Spoon in the filling, and fold the overhanging pastry over the top. Scrunch up the remaining pastry sheets, put on top of the pie, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 45-50 mins, or until golden and crisp. Will keep in the fridge for up to up to two days.

Steps:

• Make the lamb mixture
• In a colander sprinkle the eggplant with salt and let it drain for 30 minutes. In a large skillet heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over moderate heat, in it cook the eggplant, patted dry, in batches, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until it is tender but still holds its shape, and transfer it with a slotted spoon to a bowl. In the skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat and in it cook the onion, stirring, until it is softened. Add the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the lamb and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the lamb is no longer pink. Pour off any excess fat from the skillet, add the cinnamon, the mint, the orégano, and the allspice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with the reserved juice, the tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste and cook the mixture, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until it is thickened. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the Parmesan. The lamb mixture improves in flavor if made up to this point and kept, covered and chilled, overnight. Add the eggplant to the lamb mixture, combine the mixture well, and spread it in the buttered shallow 3-quart gratin dish.
• Make the topping
• In a large saucepan combine the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, with enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, and cook them over moderate heat, shaking the pan, for 30 seconds to evaporate any excess liquid. Force the potatoes through a ricer or the medium disk of a food mill into a bowl, add the butter, the Parmesan, the Feta, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir the mixture until it is combined well and butter is melted.
• Spoon the topping over the lamb mixture, spreading it to cover the lamb mixture completely, and dot the surface with the butter, cut into bits. Bake the potpie in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it is browned lightly.

Steps:

• Heat oil in pan, and add lamb. Cook until lightly browned, then remove from heat.
• In a bowl, combine lamb, sauce, and fetta.
• From each pastry sheet, cut 2 tops and two bottoms, and line 12 lightly greased pie tins with the larger rounds of pastry, and brush the edges lightly with milk.
• Divide the mixture evenly between each pie, and put top sheet of pastry on, pressing the edges to seal.
• Brush pies with milk, and bake at 200C for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden and flakey.