Lamb filo pie
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 4
A warming lamb filo pie with spices, preserved lemon, rose harissa and feta, served with a fruity, herby couscous. The crisp filo topping makes this a great dish for sharing.
Ingredients
For the lamb filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz lamb shoulder, cut into small chunks
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 50g/1¾oz pine nuts
- 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp rose harissa paste
- 150ml/5fl oz lamb stock (unit to be confirmed)
For the filo topping
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter, melted
- 8–10 sheets filo pastry
- 150g/5½oz feta cheese
For the couscous
- 300g/10½oz couscous
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 350ml/12fl oz hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 40g/1½oz dried apricots, finely chopped
- 40g/1½oz sultanas or dried cranberries
- 75g/2½oz pomegranate seeds
- 50g/1¾oz pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- 30g/1oz flaked almonds, toasted
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 large handful flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 1 small handful mint leaves, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
To serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g/7oz Greek yoghurt
- 50ml/2fl oz pomegranate molasses
Method
To make the lamb filling, season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish and fry the lamb until browned all over.
Add the onion and garlic, followed by the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, paprika, pine nuts, preserved lemons and rose harissa. Add the lamb stock, cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours, or until the lamb is tender. If necessary, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid. Leave to cool.
To make the filo topping, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Brush three filo sheets with melted butter and layer some of them in a 15cm/7in pie dish, leaving enough pastry to cover the top. Spoon in the cooled lamb filling and crumble the feta over it.
Scrunch the remaining buttered filo over the filling. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling is piping hot.
To make the couscous, put the couscous in a large bowl and stir in the olive oil. Pour over the hot stock, cover and leave until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender .
Fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in the apricots, sultanas or cranberries, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, almonds, spring onions, parsley, mint, lemon zest and juice, cumin and cinnamon.
To serve, divide the pie and couscous between plates. Add a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and drizzle over the pomegranate molasses.
