Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 kg Fleurieu Gold lamb (leg or shoulder), diced
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cup good quality shiraz
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- Pastry:
- 2 cups plain flour
- 125g unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy based casserole dish on high heat. Add half of the lamb and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the lamb is well browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving any oil in the pan. Let the pan reheat, add the remaining lamb and repeat, cooking until well browned. Set lamb aside.
Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Return the lamb to the pan, with any juices. Add the wine and bring to the boil, deglazing the pan and stirring to combine any stuck-on bits.
Add the olives, thyme and tomatoes and season to taste. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook partially covered for about 1 hour, stirring often until the lamb is tender. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until completely chilled.
For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until combined and the mixture resembles large crumbs. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Add the sour cream and briefly knead until combined (do not overwork). Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Remove the pastry from the fridge 15 minutes before using and lightly grease 4 x 11?2 cup ramekins or ovenproof dishes.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll the pastry on a floured work surface, or between two sheets of plastic food wrap, to about 1?2cm thick. Cut out four circles to line the base of the pie dishes and another four circles to use as the lids. Use the remaining pastry to line the sides of the pie dishes, overhanging slightly. Spoon the set meat mixture into the pastry dishes (do not overfill as the mixture will expand during cooking). Brush some of the egg around the top edges of the pastry and sit the pastry lids on top. Use a fork to gently press around the edges to seal and brush all over with the remaining egg. Put onto a baking tray and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top. Serve with winter greens on the side.
Wine suggestion Hardys 2004 Eileen Hardy Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
