Description
This pie is a mixture of herby, spiced meat and crumbly pastry. You can eat it piping hot at home with some creamy mashed potato or you can take it on a picnic and eat it warm.
Ingredients
For the pastry
175g/6¼oz unsalted butter (or a mixture of butter and lard)
350g/12¼oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface
a pinch of salt
3-4 tbsp water
For the filling
1 small-medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
350g/12¼oz minced lamb
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
a good pinch of ground cloves
400g/14¼oz can chopped tomatoes
a big handful of fresh flatleaf parsley and/or fresh coriander leaves
1 free-range egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. To make the pastry, cut the butter into little cubes. Sift the flour into the mixing bowl and add the salt and butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, breaking down the butter lumps until the mixture looks like tiny breadcrumbs.
2. Add enough cold water (start with three tablespoons) to bring the mixture into a firm, unsticky dough with a little gentle kneading. Divide the dough in half, wrap each piece in cling film and put them in the fridge while you make the filling for the pie.
3. Peel the onion and garlic and chop them finely. Heat the olive oil in the frying pan, add the onion and fry over a low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onion is lightly golden and starting to soften, or about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and fry for a couple more minutes.
4. Add the minced lamb, turn up the heat and brown the meat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the cinnamon, cumin and cloves. Season with half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, add the can of chopped tomatoes and stir.
5. Let the meat mixture simmer over a low heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid should evaporate during this time, leaving you with a thick sauce. Turn off the heat.
6. Break off any tough stalks from the parsley and/or coriander and chop up the leaves. Stir them into the meat mixture and leave to cool while you roll out the pastry.
7. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Place the baking sheet in the oven to get hot. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and the rolling pin. Take one half of the pastry from the fridge, unwrap it and start to roll it out gently but firmly, giving it a quarter turn after every couple of rolls so you know it hasn't stuck and so you get a fairly even circle. Always roll away from you rather than battering the pastry by rolling the pin back and forth.
8. When the circle of pastry is just a little bigger than the pie plate, roll it up on the pin and line the plate. Roll out the other piece of pastry in the same way.
9. Place a pie funnel into the middle of the pie dish, if you like, then spoon in the filling.
10. Break the egg into a cup and beat it lightly with a fork. Brush a little of the egg around the edge of the pastry. Roll up the second circle of pastry on the pin and cover the pie. Trim the sides, then pinch them together to make a wavy edge.
11. Brush the pie with more of the egg and use any pastry trimmings to decorate the top. Wearing oven gloves, place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
