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–+ servings

Spicy lamb and spinach pie

One of the most complete crowd-pleasers of all, this pie has all the greens you could want, plus a layer of tasty spiced lamb and the crowning glory – the golden, crispy pastry. You could leave out the lamb and it would still be delicious.
Couverts8
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup 80 ml olive oil
  • 1 brown onion finely diced
  • 8 handfuls English spinach about 1 large bunch, stalks discarded, roughly chopped
  • A few pinches of salt
  • 1 cup 230 g ricotta cheese
  • ¾ cup 110 g crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp harissa
  • 500 g 1 lb 2 oz lamb mince
  • 400 g 14 oz tin whole peeled tomatoes
  • 100 g 3½ oz butter, melted
  • 6 sheets filo pastry
  • ¼ cup 40 g sesame seeds
  • 2 Tbsp nigella seeds
  • Tzatziki to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
  • Heat a little of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  • Cook the onion for 5 minutes or until soft.
  • Add the spinach, a handful at a time, waiting for it to wilt a little before adding more.
  • Add a few pinches of salt as you go and cook until all of the spinach has just wilted.
  • Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
  • Whisk the ricotta, feta, eggs and lemon zest together in a bowl, then fold in the spinach mixture.
  • Wipe your pan clean, then place it over medium–high heat.
  • Add another splash of olive oil, then add the garlic and harissa and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break it up, for about 8 minutes or until browned.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat, check the seasoning and set aside.
  • Grease a 24 cm (9½ inch) spring-form tin with a little of the melted butter.
  • Lay the filo pastry out on a work surface.
  • Brush one sheet with melted butter and gently lay it across the tin, then press it into the base and leave the excess pastry hanging over the side.
  • Repeat with the remaining pastry.
  • Spoon the lamb into the pastry base, then spread the spinach mixture on top.
  • Bring the pastry edges up and over the filling to make a rough lid.
  • Brush the pastry with a little more melted butter and sprinkle it with the sesame seeds and nigella seeds.
  • Bake the pie for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
  • Remove from the tin and serve warm or at room temperature (my preference!
  • ), with tzatziki.

Notes & Wine Advice

You could also bake the pie in a rectangular tin with 5 cm (2 inch) high sides.
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Course; Lamb / Quiche