This Greek lamb pie can be made ahead and frozen, ready to cook for an easy mid-week supper.
Ingredients
- 1kg lamb shoulder, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Large handful of fresh oregano, roughly chopped, or 2 tsp dried
- 75g kalamata olives
- 600ml red wine
- 300ml beef stock
- Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
- Large bunch of fresh mint, chopped
- FOR THE MASH TOPPING
- 1kg floury potatoes, such as maris piper, cubed
- 250ml whole milk, hot
- 50g butter, melted
- 180g feta, drained and crumbled
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Put the lamb cubes in a bowl and toss well in the flour. Season with ground black pepper and a good pinch of salt.
- 2. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large lidded flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Fry the lamb pieces in batches until just golden all over. Remove the cooked lamb from the dish with a slotted spoon after each batch and set aside.
- 3. Heat the remaining oil, add the red onion, then cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and olives, then toss together well. Increase the heat to high, add the red wine and bubble rapidly for 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the beef stock, return the lamb to the dish and season.
- 4. Cover the casserole and place in the oven for about 1½ hours until the lamb is tender and the sauce is rich and thickened. Set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.
- 5. Boil the potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain, then pass through a potato ricer or mash well until smooth. Return to the pan and beat in the hot milk and butter. Stir in 120g feta and season well.
- 6. Stir the lemon zest and juice into the lamb filling along with the fresh mint. Spoon into 4 x 500ml (or 6 x 350ml) pie dishes and spoon the feta mash on top. Sprinkle with the remaining feta, then allow to cool completely. Wrap the pies well in cling film, then foil, and freeze until needed.
- 7. The day before you want to eat the pies, remove them from the freezer and defrost completely overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Bake the pies for 30-35 minutes until golden on top.
Nutritional info
Per pie(based on 6): 701kcals, 34.3g fat (16.1g saturated), 46.2g protein, 38g carbs, 4.9g sugar, 2.2g salt
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