Lamb & Sweet Potato Pie

This hearty, rosemary-scented pie makes a delicious one-pot meal. In the main recipe, we bake it in a pastry crust, but you can also put the filling under a puff-pastry lid or mashed potatoes, shepherd’s-pie-style. (See Variations, below.)

• Serves: 4-6
• Course: Dinner

Ingredients

• 2 lbs  boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut in small chunks (about 3/4
• 2 tsp kosher or sea salt (10 ml)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (5 ml)
• 1/3 cup flour (75 ml)
• olive oil (approx.) (45 ml) 3 tbsp
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups chicken or lamb stock (approx.) (750 ml)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (15 ml)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (30 ml) or 2 tsp dried rosemary (10 ml)
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 19 oz (540 ml) can navy beans or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp/15 ml cream or water)

Preparation

1. Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper, and toss in flour to coat. (Reserve any flour that doesn’t adhere to lamb.)
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or flame-proof casserole, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil over medium-high heat. Place a small batch of lamb pieces in the pan and brown well on all sides. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with remaining lamb, adding additional oil as needed.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Cook onion and celery in 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Add any reserved flour and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with 1 cup (250 ml) stock, scraping up crispy bits. Return lamb to pan with garlic, rosemary, and enough of remaining stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
4. Add sweet potato and beans and simmer, partially covered, until potato is cooked and stock has thickened, about 30–45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, and set aside to cool.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Make Lemon Short Crust Pastry. Roll out pastry for a double-crust pie.
6. Line a 9" (23 cm) pie plate with pastry. Add cooled filling and brush outer edge of pastry with a little water. Place pastry lid over filling, crimp edges to seal, and cut vent holes in the top.
7. Brush top of pie with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven 30–40 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Allow pie to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
8. Tip:
9. The filling can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated, or further ahead and frozen.
10. Variations:
11. - For a shepherd’s-pie-style topping, place the filling in a shallow, ovenproof dish and top with mashed potatoes or Potato-Celery Root Mash. Brush top with 1 tbsp (15 ml) melted butter and place in 375°F (190°C) oven for 30–40 minutes until filling is hot and top is golden brown.
12. - Puff-pastry lid: Place filling in a shallow, ovenproof casserole. Thaw 1/2 pkg. of puff pastry (a 200 g block) following package directions and roll out to size needed to cover casserole. Place pastry on top of casserole and brush with egg wash. Bake in preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 5–10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 30 minutes more, until puff pastry is golden.
13. - Individual Lamb and Sweet Potato Pasties: Use filling to make individual pies.