Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
A spiced Scotch pie: fragrant cumin-and-coriander lamb in a sturdy hot-water crust, baked golden. Rich, savoury and good with chutney.
This is a Scotch pie given a South Asian turn: a sturdy hot-water crust packed with lamb mince spiced with cumin, chilli and coriander, then baked until deep golden. The two traditions sit together surprisingly easily, the hand-pie format holding all that fragrant filling. It eats well warm or chilled, and a sharp chutney alongside is all it really needs.
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Prep 40 min
Cook 105 min
Total 145 min
Hard
Scale:
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tbs Rapeseed Oil
- 2 finely chopped Red Onions
- 6 Garlic Clove
- 3 finely chopped Green Chilli
- 1 finely chopped Red Pepper
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1kg Lamb Mince
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 3 tbs Coriander
- 340g Plain Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 90 ml Milk
- 150g Lard
- Beaten Egg Yolks
Tags:
Pie
Preparation
- Heat a large frying pan and toast the cumin seeds for a few minutes, then set them aside. Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli, pepper and a good pinch of salt for around eight minutes, until no moisture is left. Off the heat, stir in the toasted cumin, ground mace (or nutmeg) and ground coriander, then leave to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the minced lamb, white pepper, fresh coriander and the cooled spiced onion mixture until combined. Cover and chill.
- Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and grease a 20cm loose-bottomed round cake tin generously with lard.
- For the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Heat the milk, lard and 90ml water gently in a pan until the lard melts, then bring to the boil. Pour it into the flour and combine with a wooden spoon until cool enough to handle, then bring it into a ball.
- Working quickly on a floured surface, knead the soft, moist dough briefly. Set aside a third for the lid and roll out the rest, then line the tin, pressing the pastry up the sides until it pokes just above the top.
- Add the filling a bit at a time, forming a slight peak. Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid, cap the pie, pinch the edges to seal, and trim. Make a hole in the top and slot in a small foil tube for steam.
- Brush with beaten egg yolk and bake for 30 minutes, with a tray below to catch any drips, then drop to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and bake a further 1¼ hours until golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely, then chill for two hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge, lift it from the tin, and serve with chutneys, salads or pickles.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Cook the spiced onion mixture until it is dry, or the filling turns watery, and let it cool before mixing into the lamb.
- Shape the hot-water crust while it is still warm and pliable, as it firms up fast.
- Slide a small tube of foil into the steam hole to keep it open while the pie bakes.
- Chill the baked pie right through before cutting, so it slices cleanly rather than collapsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
A robust pastry made by melting fat into hot liquid, then mixing it through the flour. It holds its shape well, which is why it suits filled raised pies.
Hot-water crust is soft and workable while warm and sets as it cools, so line your tin quickly before it stiffens up.
Yes. Scotch pies are traditionally eaten cold or reheated, and this one slices best once chilled. It keeps for a couple of days.
Chutneys, pickles and a salad all suit the spiced lamb. It also packs well for a picnic or a lunchbox.
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