Mediterranean Lamb Shank Pie
Ideal for your Easter family gathering, the recipe for my Mediterranean Lamb Shank Pie works equally well as individual pot pies or one large dish. Not only aesthetic, the addition of the shank bones’ marrow further flavors the pies as they bake as well as serving as a pleasingly rustic pie bird.
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
step 1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
step 2
Using a large casserole, heat the Olive Oil (as needed), add in Fresh Rosemary (2 sprigs), and brown the Lamb Shanks (4), careful to color each side of the meat. Remove the shanks and rosemary and set them aside.
step 3
Fry the Onion (1), Carrots (2), and Baby Eggplants (5) in the remaining oil and rendered lamb fat until soft and slightly browned.
step 4
Add in the Anchovy Fillets in Oil (3) and melt them into the vegetables. Season with Sea Salt (to taste) and Coarse Black Pepper (to taste), and add Garlic (4 cloves) and Tomato Paste (2 Tbsp).
step 5
Cook on high for a little longer then pour in Red Wine (1 cup) to deglaze the base of the casserole.
step 6
Pour in Chicken Stock (2 cups) and return the shanks to the pot. Bring to a simmer then cover the casserole with its lid and cook the shanks in the oven for 30 minutes.
step 7
Cook for a further 2 hours at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). The lamb shanks need to be meltingly tender and the liquid substantially reduced.
step 8
Use two forks to shred the meat, removing any bones and setting them aside. Carefully stir through the Black Olives (2 Tbsp) and season the shredded lamb to taste.
step 9
Fill individual pie dishes halfway with the lamb filling and then stand the discarded shank bones upright in each dish. Fill the rest of the pie dishes with the lamb filling.
step 10
On a floured surface, roll out the Puff Pastry (1) and divide according to the number of pies being made. Slice a small “x” into the middle of each pastry sheet (this allows the shank bone to poke through the pastry).
step 11
Carefully drape the pastry over each pie, slicing off any excess around the edges. Crimp in the cut edges of the pastry and roll out any leftover scraps to decorate the pies with.
step 12
Brush the pastry with Eggland's Best Classic Egg (1) and bake the pies in a preheated 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
step 13
Serve the lamb shank pies with creamy mashed potato and steamed greens. Enjoy!
