Alastair Hendy's Lamb, Pearl Barley and Spring Vegetable Pie

Name: Alastair Hendy's Lamb, Pearl Barley and Spring Vegetable Pie
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250g selection baby spring vegetables; 50g pearl barley; 200g new potatoes peeled and cut in ½; salt and black pepper; 600g tender lamb such as shoulder or leg; 1tbsp plain flour plus extra for dusting; 2tbsp vegetable oil; 4 shallots peeled and finely chopped; 1 stick celery trimmed and finely chopped; 2 sprigs thyme, leaves roughly chopped; 450ml lamb or vegetable stock; 375g pastry; 1 egg lightly beaten

Over a year ago 2,833 views

Cook: 90 mins

Serves: 4

British Main Course 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Food ❄️ Winter

Ingredients

250g selection baby spring vegetables
50g pearl barley
200g new potatoes peeled and cut in ½
salt and black pepper
600g tender lamb such as shoulder or leg
1tbsp plain flour plus extra for dusting
2tbsp vegetable oil
4 shallots peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery trimmed and finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves roughly chopped
450ml lamb or vegetable stock
375g pastry
1 egg lightly beaten

Accompaniment

Method

1
1. Have ready a 1.5-litre capacity pie dish or 4 individual dishes (about 400ml capacity).
2. Trim and reserve your choice of baby vegetables (we used baby carrots, leeks, turnips and shelled peas). Cook the pearl barley in boiling water for 30 minutes, adding the potatoes and some salt for the last 10 minutes. Drain.
3. Cut the lamb into cubes, toss these in salt and pepper and then in the flour. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat all over, in batches, for 5 minutes. Set aside. Fry the shallots and celery in the remaining oil for 3-4 minutes or until the shallots have just softened. Add the reserved lamb, the cooked barley and potatoes, spring vegetables (not the peas, if using), thyme and stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas. Spoon the filling into the large pie dish or individual dishes and top up with the juices.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan /375F/gas 5. Put the pastry lid on the pie as in the panel below, brush the top with beaten egg and bake on a baking sheet for 40 minutes or until golden.

Chef's Tips

PASTRY TIPS You can use ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry or, for an old-fashioned pie crust, rub 135g lard into 270g plain flour with a good pinch of salt and then gradually work in 75ml water to make a pliable dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of two stacked £1 coins. Bought shortcrust or puff pastry should be rolled to the thickness of a £1 coin. Ready-rolled bought pastry can be used as it comes.
PUT THE LID ON IT When using a pie dish with a flat rim, cut a narrow strip of pastry to fit all around the edge – it doesn’t matter if it’s made up of several pieces. Glue this on by brushing the rim of the dish first with beaten egg, then brush the top of the strip with egg too. (This extra strip helps anchor the lid, but is not crucial. Ignore it if you’re in a rush, or if the edge of the dish is very thin – just brush the rim with beaten egg and proceed.) Lay your rolled out pastry over the filled pie dish and gently press down around the edge. Neatly trim off all the overhang with a knife, following the edge of the dish. Now brush the top with beaten egg. A steam hole is not always necessary but looks attractive and helps prevent the pie from leaking around the sides. Leave it out if you want a really puffy top. The pie can be chilled overnight before cooking.