Recipe: Lamb and Guinness pot pies

40 mins + time, to cool

THE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS

FILLING

1,.5kg boneless stewing lamb, cubed

50g (⅓ cup) cake flour

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

500ml (2 cups) beef stock

250ml (1 cup) Guinness dry stout

Handful fresh thyme sprigs

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

Salt and freshlyground black pepper, to taste

PASTRY

1 x 400g roll puff pastry, defrosted but still chilled

1 beaten egg, to brush

Small handful fresh sage leaves

HOW TO DO IT

1 For the filling, toss the lamb cubes in the cake flour. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over high heat. Brown the meat, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the dish and set aside for the moment. Lower the heat and fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. If necessary, add a little water to the pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to stop any meat that has stuck to the bottom of the dish from burning. Return the meat to the dish and add the tomatoes, beef stock, stout and thyme and simmer, covered, about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Add the carrots and simmer, a further 30 minutes, before tasting the stew and seasoning to taste. Allow the stew to cool completely (place the stew in a bowl in the freezer if you’d like to speed up the process).

2 To assemble the pies, preheat the oven to 220°C. Divide the stew among 6 individual 10cm ramekins or cocottes. Cut 6 rounds of 10cm from the puff pastry. Place the rounds on top of the ramekins to create a pastry lid (use a little beaten egg on the lip of the ramekins to secure the pastry). Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with salt. If desired, use the leftover pastry to decorate the tops of the pies and brush them with the beaten egg again, before topping each with a sage leaf. Bake the pies in the preheated oven, 30 – 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and puffed.

Serve immediately.

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