Lamb Tagine Pies topped with Couscous

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Lamb Tangine Pies Topped With Cous CousThese pies are great fun with the couscous topping making them the perfect all in one pie meal. The couscous is packed with fresh tomatoes, spring onions and pomegranate seeds which add a great zest to the soft stewed lamb tagine and all wrapped in a crisp and delicious short crust pastry base.  Nothing else needed for your own slice of pie heaven.

Serves: 6

What You’ll Need:

For the pie filling and base

  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
  • 1.2kg lamb shoulder, diced
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • 3 cloves so garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 2 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • 1 cinnamon stock
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 100g ready to eat dried apricots, diced
  • 100g pitted ready to eat dried dates, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 300ml dark chicken stock
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 50g chopped coriander
  • 600g short crust pastry

For the couscous topping

  • 200ml boiling water or chicken stock
  • 200g Couscous
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon harrisa paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • pinch sugar
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 250g baby plum tomatoes cut into quarters
  • 4 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 tablepspoons finely chopped coriander
  • seeds from one pomegranate
  • zest and juice of one lemon

What To Do:

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C. Heat a large oven safe casserole dish over medium heat with half the oil, in a bowl toss the lamb in the flour and seasoning. Brown the lamb in hot casserole dish until golden brown all over about 6 -8 minutes, drain the browned lamb in a colander, return the dish to the heat and add the rest of the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, celery, carrots, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, saffron and cinnamon for 8 -10 minutes until golden brown, return the lamb and add the tomato paste, vinegar, preserved lemon and cook for one minute.
  • Add the dried apricots and dates, diced tomatoes, sugar and stock; cover the dish with a lid and place in the oven for 1.5 hours. Stir once or twice during the cooking time. The lamb should be soft and flaky once cooked. Remove the dish from the oven, stir in the coriander and set aside to cool.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 180 °C.
  • In the meantime, roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to about 2 -3 mm thickness and line 6 individual pie dishes with the short crust pastry.
  • Fill the pastry cases with the cooked lamb tagine filling and place on a baking tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  • While the pies are baking make the couscous topping. Bring the stock/ water to the boil. Place the couscous, vinegar, oil, harissa paste, sugar and seasoning into a large bowl pour over the hot stock and mix, cover the dish with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the couscous stir in the tomatoes, spring onions, chopped coriander, pomegranate seeds, lemon zest and juice.
  • Pile the couscous onto the baked pies and serve.

Martin Dewey from Square Pie, The Gourmet Pie Company shares his summer pie recipes for you to try out at home. For more information visit: www.squarepie.com @SquarePie

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