Lamb, black garlic and pearl barley pie
There are meat pies, and then there is this meat pie. Acclaimed Australian baker Michael James elevates a beloved pub classic into a deeply savoury, hearty winter winner. Featuring melt-in-your-mouth lamb shanks slow-braised in red wine, this recipe gets its magic from the addition of black garlic – which weaves a sweet, earthy umami through the rich gravy – and rustic pearl barley for the perfect texture. Crowned with golden, cumin-spiced puff pastry, this comforting bake is the ultimate weekend project. It takes a little time, but that spectacular filling and flaky crust are entirely worth the wait.
You’ll need to start this recipe 5 hours ahead, and you’ll need a large, heavy-based casserole with a lid and a 25cm x 5.5cm-deep round baking dish.
Ingredients (16)
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, just thawed (we used Carême)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, to brush
- 1 tbs cumin seeds
Filling
- 5 lamb shanks
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 25g unsalted butter
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1 bulb black garlic (from specialty grocers), peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 2 tbs plain flour
- 660ml red wine
- 400g can whole tomatoes
- 65g pearl barley
Method
-
1.To prepare the filling, preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced.
-
2.Season lamb with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole that has a lid over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, brown lamb for 8 minutes each batch, and set aside.
-
3.Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat, then add carrot and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, until they start to soften. Add black garlic, thyme and bay leaf, and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomato paste and flour and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine and tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer and skim off any impurities that rise to the top.
-
4.Remove from heat, stir through the pearl barley and add the lamb, cover with lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the meat is falling off the bone, and you have a nice, thick gravy. (Reduce the liquid further on the stove if necessary.) Cool slightly, and when cool enough to handle, remove the bones and break up the meat, making sure all the ingredients are well mixed. Discard bones and set filling aside to cool completely.
-
5.To assemble pies, preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
-
6.Generously fill a 25cm x 5.5cm-deep round baking dish with the filling and top with puff pastry, pressing edges to seal. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, then pierce it a couple of times with a sharp knife or a fork and sprinkle with cumin seeds.
-
7.Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced before baking for a further 30-40 minutes, until pie is nice and golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
You can cook the filling up to 2 days ahead. Store in a container in the fridge.
If you like a challenge, you can also make your own pastry. You’ll need a half-quantity of this Michael James puff pastry recipe. Roll out pastry into a sheet roughly 3mm thick, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Let the pastry rest after rolling it out – this will stop it shrinking once cut.
You could also make this dish as 8 individual pies.
Reviews
Join the conversation
Log in Register