When you allow yourself to journey to the Kalahari, you get intimately acquainted with the Karoo. Neither a desert nor a lush landscape, this mystical region is full of treasures, particularly in its cuisine. These lamb pies always take me back to those Karoo road trips on the way to the Kalahari while we were creating Klein JAN, no matter where I find myself in the world.
FESTIVE LAMB PIES
TIME: 4 hours | SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
for the lamb filling
2 kg leg of lamb, cubed
70 g (125 ml) cake flour
Kalahari salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 ml olive oil
55g (60 ml) butter
2 onions, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200 ml red wine
400 ml beef stock
2 bay leaves
for the warm water pastry
300 g (325 ml) butter
320 ml water
600 g (1070 ml) cake flour
10 ml Kalahari salt
1 egg, beaten
METHOD
for the lamb filling
Heat the oven to 160 °C. Coat the meat in the flour then shake off any excess flour. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large cast iron pot. Fry the meat in batches until brown then keep to one side. Place the onions and garlic into the same pot and fry until soft. Add the wine and deglaze the pot. Add the meat back into the pot with the beef stock and bay leaves. Cover with a lid then place in the oven for at least 3 hours until the meat is super soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
for the warm water pastry
Place the butter and water into a saucepan. Place on medium heat until the butter has melted. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the flour and salt. Stir until well combined. Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead for at least 5 minutes. Be careful – the pastry will be hot. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll into 6 circles.
Spoon the meat into the centre of the dough and fold the dough over to meet in the centre. Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place the pies on a lined baking tray. Place in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes and cook until the pastry is golden.
FEATURED RECIPES
