Mediterranean Lamb Pies

Mediterranean Lamb Pies

Serves: 4 Prep: 15 mins Cook: 2 hours 30 mins Pair: Special Release Cabernet Sauvignon

This Mediterranean lamb pie, bursting with aromatic herbs and tender meat, finds its perfect match in a robust Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine’s rich tannins and dark fruit notes complement the pie’s savoury flavours, creating a harmonious and satisfying culinary experience.

Ingredients

1 kg lamb shoulder – diced

400ml tinned chopped tomatoes

1 x brown onion – diced

400g pumpkin/squash – diced into 1cm pieces

1 tbsp tomato paste

200ml chicken or vegetable stock

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

125ml Special Release Cabernet

Salt & pepper

1 egg

Puff pastry sheets

Method

1. Dice the onion and cube the pumpkin into 1cm pieces
2. Season lamb generously and in a heavy-bottomed pan brown the lamb in batches and remove
3. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook for a couple minutes, stirring regularly
4. Add flour, tomato paste & spices and cook for a further minute.
5. Deglaze the pan with wine, and add stock, pumpkin and the lamb back in. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1hr 45mins – 2hrs @ 170c in the oven or until the lamb is cooked to your liking
6. Allow the lamb to cool for 30 minutes and then prepare the pastry
7. Using individual pie tins generously butter/grease the tin and place the puff pastry in the base (ensuring to come all the way over to the edges. Fill with the cooled lamb filling and top with another piece of puff pastry. Crimp/close the edges using a fork to seal everything.
8. Beat the egg and brush the pastry with an egg wash and poke a few holes/make a slit in the top of the pastry
9. Bake @ 180c for approx 25mins or until the pastry is flaky and golden in colour
10. Allow to cool for a moment and remove from the pastry tin – or if like me one gets stuck, just eat it straight from the tin 😉

Essential Tools

• Chef knives
• Chopping board
• Weighing/measuring utensils
• Heavy bottomed pan
• Tongs
• Pie moulds

Tips/Tricks

• When cutting the lamb ensure pieces are cut the same size – this allows for even cooking
• The mixture is great on its own with a little mash potatoes if you don’t have time for the pie-making part
• Allowing the lamb to cool means the pastry won’t go all soggy when you add it to the pie moulds
• You can make the pie in advance and then cook them when ready
• You can freeze the pies – but we recommend doing so once cooked/cooled and then reheating them on low heat in the oven

These wines would also pair fantastically with this recipe: