Slow-Cooked Moroccan Lamb Pies
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
500 g lamb leg trimmed cut into 3-4cm pieces
1 brown onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tbs ras el hanout
1 tbs plain flour
400 g can of diced tomatoes
400 g pumpkin peeled cut into 3cm pieces
80 g frozen peas
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs fresh coriander finely chopped
4 sheets Pampas puff pastry thawed
1 egg lightly whiskedrip to Morocco with these luscious lamb pies.
Method
STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180˚C conventional or 160˚C fan-forced.
STEP 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Season lamb and cook in 2 batches for 4 minutes or until well browned. Set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 teaspoons of oil and cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add spice mix and flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Return meat to pan with juices and tomatoes. Season and bring to the boil. Cook, covered, in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until lamb is very tender and sauce is very thick.
STEP 3 Meanwhile, place pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Season and drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil. Toss to coat and bake along with lamb for 40 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
STEP 4 Stir lemon juice through lamb. Add roasted pumpkin, peas and coriander and gently stir to combine.
STEP 5 Increase oven temperature to 200˚C conventional or 180˚C fan-forced. Place an oven tray in the oven. Grease 4 x 1 cup (250ml) capacity pie moulds. Cut a 12.5cm circle from the corner of a pastry sheet and use the leftover pastry to line one of the pie moulds. Cut away excess overhanging pastry. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets and moulds.
STEP 6 Divide the lamb mixture between the pastry shells. Top with pastry circles, pressing edges to seal and mark the edges with fork twines. Brush with the egg. Place on the hot oven tray and bake for 45 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed. Stand for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan.
