Lamb And Onion Pie

~ Tandy

Karl is very correct when he says that this lamb and onion pie is so tasty! Despite the pastry not completely cooking on the bottom in the middle, I am sharing it with you. The filling is delicious and the pastry is easier to make than you think.

Lamb And Onion Pie
Lamb And Onion Pie

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Is this a pie?

When I say pie, what do you think of? If you are American, probably key lime pie or pumpkin pie would come to mind. This filled pie has a single, bottom crust which is usually made from shortcrust pastry. If you are British, I am sure you are thinking of pork pies. This double crust completely encases the filling, and for a pork pie, is usually made from hot water crust pastry. There are also pub favourites, such as chicken pot pie, which has a top crust only. One would expect this to be made from puff pastry. Then we get cottage pie, shepards pie or fish pies which have mashed potatoes on top, and no pastry in sight! Even though I am not a huge fan of pies, I am partial to a sausage roll, and love pork pies.

Hot water crust pastry

I have had a recipe for pork pies for ages. But, I have put making them off as I thought making hot water crust pastry would be too difficult. And really, it is not! The key is to work with the pastry as soon as it is made, to ensure you can encase your pie filling completely. You start off by heating water and melting butter or lard before adding the flour. This sticky paste is great for hand raising pies, which is something I might put off attempting for a while. For this recipe, I used a cake tin as the mould and the pastry is left to cool before adding your filling. When using hot water crust pastry, the end result will not be beautiful! The pie will probably sag as you cook it, so it will not be neat looking.

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Lamb And Onion Pie

This is deliciousness at its best
Recipe Category: Meat
Makes enough for: 6 people
All Rights Reserved: Adapted from The Good Stuff page 72

Ingredients

for the filling:

  • 15 mls olive oil
  • 4 red onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
  • salt and frshly ground black pepper to season
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
  • 3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
  • 500 mls red wine
  • 250 mls balsamic vinegar
  • 500 mls beef stock
  • 20 g gelatine powder
  • 2.5 kg lamb knuckle

for the pastry:

  • 180 g salted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 180 mls water
  • 450 g flour, plus extra for dusting
  • semolina for dusting
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

for the filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 160° Celsius
  • Place the olive oil into a large saucepan and heat over a medium temperature
  • Add the onions, season and sauté until soft
  • Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and sauté until fragrant
  • Add the wine and vinegar, increase the temperature and bring to a boil
  • Reduce the temperature and leave to simmer until reduced by half
  • Increase the temperature, add the stock and gelatine and bring back to the boil
  • Generously season the lamb knuckle all over before placing it into a roasting pan
  • Add the liquid then cover with foil, and create a vent in the middle
  • Place into the oven to cook for 3 hours and 30 minutes
  • Remove the tin from the oven, then using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and set aside in a bowl to cool
  • Reduce the stock on the stove top while you pull the meat off the bones
  • Set the meat aside and once the stock has reduced, cover the meat with the stock
  • Once the meat is completely cool, start making the pastry

for the pastry:

  • Place a baking tray into the oven and preheat the oven to 180° Celsius
  • Place the butter and water into a small saucepan over a medium temperature
  • Bring to the boil and stir to combine once the buetter has melted
  • Place the flour into a large mixing bowl and bake a well in the centre
  • Pour the butter mixture into the flour and use a spatula to mix together until it comes together
  • Shape into a ball and set aside for 10 minutes
  • Divide the dough into two pieces, one a ⅓ of the weight and the other ⅔ of the weight
  • Shape the ⅓ piece into a ball then roll into a circle, 5mm thick
  • Use a 20cm loose bottomed tin as your template and cut the lid, 1cm bigger than the tin, and set aside
  • Grease the tin and dust the bottom with semolina
  • Using the left over pastry, shape it into a ball before rolling out to a 5mm thick circle
  • Lower the pastry into the tin, and press the bottom and sides into the tin, leaving a lip over the rim of the tin
  • If your pastry breaks just patch it up!
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat into the pastry, without taking too much sauce
  • Egg wash the lip of the pastry then place the lid on top, using your fingers to pinch the edges together
  • Trim any excess pastry, cut a slit into the top of the pie then egg wash the lid
  • Place the pie onto the baking tray and bake for 45 minutes
  • Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to cool for 30 minutes
  • Remove the pie from the baking tin and serve
See the links below for blog posts I published on April 23:

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Published by Tandy

I am passionate about using regional, seasonable and sustainable produce when I cook. I live in Gordons Bay with my husband and dogs. We visit new places locally and overseas as often as we can to experience the food of the area. Follow along on our adventures!

27 thoughts on “Lamb And Onion Pie”

  13. How interesting. Another blogger mentioned hot water pastry which I’d never hear off. All the pastries I make use iced water. Now I need to research this pastry further.

    Reply
  14. Pingback: April 2026 Showcasing In My Kitchen - Lavender and Lime

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