Ingredients

Stock:
Lamb bones from the meat
1 carrot
1 onion
Stalk celery
Bouquet garni (thyme sprig, parsley stalks and small bay leaf) tied with string

Filling:
1 pound (450 grams) boneless lamb or mutton (from the shoulder or leg; keep bones for
stock)
9 ounces (255 grams/ 2 1/4 cups) chopped onions

9 ounces (255 grams/ 1 3/4 cups) chopped carrots
2 good teaspoons cumin seed
2 American tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons flour (2 Irish tablespoons) *see note
10 fluid ounces (300 milliliters/ 1 1/4 cups) mutton or lamb stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pastry:
1 pound (450 grams/3 1/2 cups) flour
Pinch salt
9 ounces (275 grams/2 1/4 cups) butter
6 fluid ounces (175 milliliters/3/4 cup) water

Egg Wash:
Water
1 egg, slightly beaten
Pinch salt

2 tins, 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter, 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) high

*Note: an Irish tablespoon is the same quantity as an American tablespoon plus a
teaspoon

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Stock: If no stock is available, put the bones, carrots, onions, celery and bouquet garni
into a saucepan. Cover with cold water and simmer for 3 to 4 hours to make a stock. Strain
and set aside.

Filling: Cut all the surplus fat away from the meat and then cut the meat into small, neat
pieces about the size of a small sugar lump. Render down the scraps of fat in a hot, wide
saucepan until the fat renders. Discard the pieces. Cut the vegetables into slightly
smaller dice and toss them in the fat, leaving them to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the
vegetables and toss the meat in the remaining fat over a high heat until the color turns
deep brown.

Heat the cumin seed in the oven for a few minutes and crush lightly. Stir the flour and
cumin seed into the meat. Cook gently for 2 minutes and add in the stock gradually. Bring
to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add back the vegetables, season with salt and freshly
ground pepper and leave to simmer, covered. If using young lamb, 30 minutes will be
sufficient; an older animal may take up to 1 hour.

Pastry: Meanwhile, make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a
well in the center. Dice the butter, put it into a saucepan with water and bring to a
boil. Pour the liquid all at once into the flour and mix together quickly; beat until
smooth. At first the pastry will be too soft to handle but as soon as it cools it may be
rolled out to 1/3 to 1/4- inch (2.5 to 5 millimeters) thick, to fit the 2 tins. The pastry
may be made into individual pies or 1 large pie. Keep back 1/3 of the pastry for lids.

Fill the pastry-lined tins with the meat mixture which should be almost, but not quite
cooked and cooled a little. Brush the edges of the pastry with the water and egg wash and

put on the pastry lids, pinching them tightly together. Roll out the trimmings to make
pastry leaves or twirls to decorate the tops of the pies. Make a hole in the center, brush
the lid with egg-wash and then egg-wash the decoration also.

Bake the pies for 40 minutes. Serve with a good green salad.

Note: This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk
recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the
proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the
results.