LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE Makes 1 pie, serves 10 to 12 By Dennis W. Viau; inspired by a recipe in a food magazine. Lamb and Sausage Pie is probably the most delicious savory pie I make. I like meat pies, especially when they can be made with a fancy but easy pastry shell. They look beautiful and taste delicious. This pie is also appropriate for summer fare, as it tastes as good at room temperature as it does warm from the oven. Ingredients: For the filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 ounces (113g) sweet chorizo (buy the good stuff) 1 pound (454g) trimmed lean lamb; cut into ½-inch (13mm) pieces Salt and pepper 2 medium-sized sweet onions; chopped 2 cloves garlic; minced or crushed with a garlic press ¼ teaspoon ground rosemary ½ cup (118ml) dry white wine ¼ ounce (7g) fresh basil leaves (stems removed); coarsely chopped 2 ounces (57g) prosciutto; diced 4 ounces (113g) linguiça; diced 2 eggs For the pastry shell: 1 16-ounce (454g) package phyllo dough pastry sheets; thawed ½ cup (113g) butter; melted Directions: To prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chorizo 2 minutes and then transfer to a bowl, reserving the oil in the pan. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Sauté until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl. Sauté the onions and garlic about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the onions until tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Return the lamb and chorizo to the skillet. Add the wine and rosemary. Simmer until nearly all the liquid is evaporated. Add the prosciutto and linguiça. Stir and sauté another 2 minutes. Let cool. Beat one egg and add to the cooled filling mixture. Blend well. To prepare the top and bottom crust: Working with half the phyllo sheets, place one sheet on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Arrange a second sheet on top, at a different angle, and brush with butter. Continue until all the sheets are used from half the package. If you are using a 9-inch (24cm) springform pan your bottom crust should measure about 15 inches (38cm) in diameter. Use the same method to make the top crust, but wait until it is needed (or make in advance, trim, and wrap in plastic until needed). Trim to fit inside the filled pie. To assemble pie: Heat oven to 375 F (190 C). 1 20110719
Carefully arrange the bottom pastry shell in a springform pan, distributing the excess around the sides. Add the cooled filling and arrange evenly. Set the top crust in place. Beat the remaining egg with 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to make an egg wash. Brush around the edges with a coating of egg wash and fold down the sides to seal. Brush the entire top surface with egg wash. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. If the filling is prepared correctly, there should be little to no liquid in the bottom of the pie shell. One way to avoid too much liquid is to dust the lamb with a little flour or bread crumbs before browning. 2 1 STEP-BY-STEP When asking for prosciutto at the deli counter, request it all in one piece for easy dicing. Prosciutto is typically sold thinly sliced. If you must buy it sliced it can be chopped for this recipe. 2 Chorizo usually has an inner plastic wrapper that must be removed before cooking. It will reduce to a fine grainy texture in the skillet. Transfer the cooked chorizo to a bowl and set aside.
3 3 Lightly brown the chopped lamb after sprinkling it lightly with salt and pepper. Use the same oil in which the chorizo was cooked. It will help flavor the lamb. Move to the bowl that holds the cooked chorizo. 4 Sauté the chopped onions and garlic in the same skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let cook until the onions are tender and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
5 4 Add the wine and rosemary, then the cooked meat. Simmer to reduce the liquid until it is almost all evaporated. Add the chopped linguiça, prosciutto, and basil. Cook two minutes, remove from the heat, and allow to cool while you prepare the pastry shell. 6 The phyllo dough pastry sheets (spelled fillo above) I buy are typically wrapped in two plastic packages, making it easy to use half for the bottom crust and the remaining half for the top crust. They are usually frozen and need to thaw a day or two in the refrigerator. The sheets dry out very quickly; so don t open the plastic package until you are ready to make your pastry shell. Keep the other package sealed until you are ready to use it.
7 5 Sometimes I make the top crust first, as this can easily be wrapped in plastic and set aside until needed. One trick is to trace the inside of the springform pan s ring on parchment paper. Turn the paper over and use it as a guide for shaping the top crust. It will be trimmed later. 8 Place a phyllo sheet on your work surface (working on a piece of parchment paper can make the task a little easier), brush with melted butter, and arrange another sheet on top. When making the top crust, which is smaller, you can fold the extra length of pastry in as you work with each sheet. I cross the grains at different angles to add strength to the pastry as I build it. Don t brush the final surface with butter, as you ll be brushing it with an egg wash later.
9 6 One trick for getting the top crust trimmed to the correct size is to press the springform pan ring onto the surface of the finished crust, making an impression. 10 Trim inside the line created by the ring. I use a pair of kitchen scissors. Wrap this crust in plastic and set aside.
11 7 Using the same technique of brushing each sheet with butter, form a bottom crust large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your springform pan. For a 9-inch (24cm) pan I usually aim for a size of about 15 inches (38cm) in diameter. 12 Carefully arrange the bottom shell in the springform pan, easing the excess around the sides. The top edges will be folded down later, but work quickly so that they don t dry out. Heat your oven to 375 F (190 C).
13 8 Pour the meat filling into the bottom shell. Place the top crust on the pie. Beat the remaining egg with 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and use a pastry brush to coat the inside edges with egg wash. Roll down the edges to seal. Then coat the entire top surface with egg wash. 14 Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the springform pan and cutting. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Conclusion This is a delicious savory pie that is fancy enough to be appropriate for many occasions. If you are not familiar with phyllo dough, it can take a while to develop the skills to work with it. Once you learn the benefits of these pastry sheets, you ll find plenty of ways to use them. 9