Legendary Lamb Pie Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance.
• In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using a masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Mix in the hot butter mixture, just until blended. Stir in the Cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large oven-safe skillet with high sides or an enameled cast-iron braiser (at least 2 1/2-quart capacity) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and the lamb and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. (At this point, you can drain off some of the excess fat if you like.) Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it is well combined, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened slightly. Stir in the parsley and remove the thyme and rosemary stems. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Top the meat mixture with dollops of the mashed potatoes then spread them out over the top. (Or transfer the meat mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish and spread into an even layer, and top with potatoes.) Transfer to the oven and, if the mixture is at the top edges of your pan, set a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any drips. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

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 the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the lamb shanks well all over (you may need to do this in batches). Transfer the lamb to a plate. Reduce the heat, tip the onions into the dish and gently soften, adding a splash more oil if you need to. Stir in the rosemary for the final 1 min, then add the thyme and wine. Bring to a fierce simmer, scraping all the lamb bits off the bottom of the dish as you go - these will add lots of flavour. When the wine has boiled for 1 min, add the stock, return the shanks and any juices, and gently bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat a little and cook until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone - this can take 2-3 hrs. Leave until cool enough to handle. Can be done 24 hrs ahead, covered and chilled, or frozen for up to a month.
• Lift the shanks out of the stock (at this stage you can spoon off any fat that has separated to the surface). Gently pull the meat off the bones in nice big chunks, discarding any fatty bits, and put in a pie dish - about 30 x 20cm and 5cm deep will be big enough.
• Put the stock back on the heat and boil fiercely until reduced by just under half. Meanwhile, in a big frying pan, melt the butter, then stir in the flour to a paste and cook for 1-2 mins. Gradually whisk in ladlefuls of the reduced stock until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble for a few mins to thicken up nicely (the sauce will thin a little when cooked in the pie). Taste for seasoning, then tip over the lamb.
• To make the pastry, put the flour, butter, suet and 1 tsp salt in a food processor, and whizz together until no lumps of fat remain. With the motor running, gradually pour in 150ml water to bring the pastry together - you may need 1 tsp more water. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and gently bring together to a smooth dough, then roll out until just over 0.5cm thick.
• Add the frozen peas, spring onions, parsley and mint to the lamb, and gently mix to combine. Brush the rim of the dish with a little egg, then cut thin strips of pastry and stick them on the rim, like a picture frame. Lift the rest of the pastry onto the pie and press down to the edges to stick. Trim the excess and crimp the edges to seal well. Make a small cross in the centre with a knife to help steam escape, and roll the trimmings into leaves, if you like. Stick these all over the pie, again using egg, to decorate. Can now be chilled for another 24 hrs or frozen for up to a month.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the whole pie with more egg, then bake for 40-45 mins until really golden and crisp.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Toss the lamb in the flour with some seasoning, then brown it in the dish. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the dish (which will cause the meat to steam instead of fry). Take your time to build up a deep brown colour, which will add lots of meaty flavour to the stew. Set the meat aside on a plate as you go.
• Add the remaining oil to the dish along with the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 mins until softened, then stir in the spices, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, honey and molasses. Fill the tomato can halfway with water, swill around and add this too. Season well, bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and cook for 2 hrs 30 mins-3 hrs or until the meat is tender. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Transfer the meat to a pie dish that's about 25cm wide, or leave it in the casserole if it's wide enough to fit the topping. Unwrap the filo and brush a sheet with butter, scrunch up and place on top of the pie. Continue with the remaining sheets until the tagine is covered. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top and scatter over the almonds, then bake for 45 mins or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds just before serving.