Lamb shank, pea & mint pie

Serves 6 Prep 1 hr Cook 3½ -4½ hrs unbaked

2 tbsp sunflower oil

4-5 lamb shanks

2 onions, chopped

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped 2 thyme sprigs

300ml white wine

1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock

25g butter

3 tbsp plain flour

250g frozen peas

5 spring onions, finely chopped small bunch of parsley, finely chopped small bunch of mint, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten

FOR THE PASTRY

400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 100g butter, diced

100g suet

1 Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the lamb shanks well all over in batches. Transfer the lamb to a plate. Reduce the heat, tip in the onions and gently soften, adding a splash more oil if needed. Stir in the rosemary for the final 1 min, then add the thyme and wine. Bring to a fierce simmer, scraping all the lamb bits off the bottom of the dish as you go – these will add lots of flavour. When the wine has boiled for 1 min, add the stock, return the shanks and any juices, and gently bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat a little and cook until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone – this can take

2-3 hrs. Leave until cool enough to handle.

2 Lift the shanks out of the stock (at this stage you can spoon off any fat that has separated to the surface). Gently pull the meat off the bones in nice big chunks, discarding any fatty bits, and put in a pie dish – about 30 x 20cm and 5cm deep.

3 Put the stock back on the heat and boil fiercely until reduced by just under half. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, melt the butter, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for 1-2 mins. Gradually whisk in ladlefuls of the reduced stock until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble for a few minutes to thicken (the sauce will thin a little when cooked in the pie). Season, then tip over the lamb.

4 To make the pastry, put the flour, butter, suet and 1 tsp salt in a food processor and whizz together until no lumps of fat remain. With the motor running, gradually pour in 150ml water to bring the pastry together – you may need 1 tsp more water. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and gently bring together to a smooth dough, then roll out until just over 0.5cm thick. 5 Add the peas, spring onions and herbs and gently mix to combine. Brush the rim of the dish with a little egg, then cut thin strips of pastry and stick them on the rim, like a picture frame. Lift the rest of the pastry onto the pie and press down to the edges to stick. Trim the excess and crimp the edges to seal well. Make a small cross in the centre to help steam escape, and roll the trimmings into leaves, if you like. Stick these all over the pie, again using egg, to decorate. Can now be chilled for 24 hrs or frozen for up to a month. 6 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the whole pie with more egg, then bake for 40-45 mins until golden and crisp. PER SERVING 1,081 kcals, fat 58g, saturates 28g,

carbs 67g, sugars 7g, fibre 9g, protein 62g, salt 2.1g