Food Gatherer's Note: As Christmas beckons, (I know, I know, it is early but as my granny use to say, the secret to getting ahead is getting started!) I begin to think about how I can get organised and I like to cook ahead a few indulgent dishes to freeze and then I can magically pull these out after a busy day of rushing around. This pie from chef, Mark Sargeant has been a firm family favourite for the last few years and never fails to bring a contented smile from the whole gang. It's a wonderful winter warmer and serves 6. What can I say, there is never any leftovers, we are just a greedy bunch!- Kim MD x
Slow cooked lamb shoulder pie
Ingredients:
1.5kg deboned rolled lamb shoulder
200ml dry white wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
200ml chicken stock
pinch of caster sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
150g small black olives
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
375g puff pastry
1 egg beaten
5 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 chilli
large bunch of flat leaf parsley
70ml olive oil
To prepare:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºc
2. Unroll the lamb and put in roasting tin.
3. Make the paste, by popping 5 peeled garlic cloves, 4 sprigs of rosemary leaves, stripped off stalk. 1 chilli deseeded and the parsley into a processor and whizz. Slowly add the 70ml of olive oil to create a paste.
4. Rub the paste all over the lamb on both sides, then roll up. Pour over the wine and cover with foil.
5. Cook for 2-21/2 hours until melting and tender.
6. Pull the lamb apart into large chunks and leave to cool.
7. Strain off the juice form the tin and skim the fat off. Pour the juices back into the tin add the tomatoes, puree stock sugar and vinegar and season. Bring to the boil on the hob then simmer for 10 minutes until thicker.
8. Put the lamb into a 1.7 litre pie dish, pour over the sauce then add the olive and parsley. Leave to cool.
9. Unroll the pastry and tim to create two thin strips. Brush the edges of the pie dish with a little egg and press the strips around the edge. Brush with a little more egg, then lay the pastry sheet on top of the dish and crimp and trim around the edge. Use the trimmings to decorate the pie top then brush all over with egg.
Your pie is now ready to be frozen. Wrap in baking paper then cling film and freeze for up to 1 month.
This pie can be cooked from frozen when needed, Just brush with egg and cook for 45-55 minutes at 200ºc.
Kim