Egyptian Lamb Pie Recipes

PHYLLO MEAT PIE (EGYPTIAN GOULASH)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Carefully lay the thawed phyllo dough sheets between two lightly damp kitchen towels.
• Begin with preparing the meat filling. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick pan. On medium-high heat, saute the chopped onions briefly. Add the ground beef. Cook until fully browned, tossing regularly. Remove the pan from the heat briefly to drain any fat, then return back to the stove. Add in the spices and stir to fully combine. Remove from the heat.
• Now, to assemble the phyllo pie, lay three to four sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of a lightly greased 9 1/2 x 13 x 2 1/4 inch baking pan. Fold any excess dough in. Brush the top phyllo sheet generously with olive oil (or oil and butter mixture). Repeat this step as you lay three to four sheets of phyllo at a time in the baking pan until you have used up 1/2 of the phyllo sheets.
• Now, as you have a nice base for your pie, spread the meat filling evenly on top of the last phyllo sheet.
• Layer the remaining sheets on top of the meat repeating the same process as before (again, three or four sheets at a time, fold excess phyllo and brush with the olive oil) until all phyllo is used up.
• Brush the top sheet with olive oil (or oil and butter mixture). With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo pie into 12 squares.
• Season the prepared milk and egg mixture with salt and pepper and pour evenly over the pie.
• Place the phyllo meat pie on the middle rack of the 350 degrees F heated-oven for about 30 to 45, or until cooked through. The phyllo should be crispy and it should turn a nice golden brown. Be watchful so that pie does not over bake or burn.
• Serve warm with a side salad! Enjoy!

LAMB AND EGGPLANT SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Scatter eggplant on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse eggplant and pat very dry.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
• Sprinkle lamb generously with coarse salt and pepper, then dust with flour to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add half of lamb. Sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining lamb.
• Add 1 additional tablespoon oil to same pot, if needed. Add onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until very tender, about 10 minutes (bottom of pot will be very dark). Add wine to pot. Increase heat and boil until wine evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, garlic, and oregano and bring to boil. Add lamb with any accumulated juices. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer until lamb is very tender and gravy thickens slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir in eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill.
• For topping:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add milk and bring to simmer.
• Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add milk mixture and mash potatoes until just smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Drop potatoes over filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering completely.
• Bake pie until filling is heated through and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.

EGYPTIAN BAMIA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion until translucent, about 7 minutes. Mix in lamb, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir until lamb is lightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce and water; season with salt and black pepper. Bring lamb mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer lamb in sauce until very tender, at least 1 hour, adding more water as needed. Stir occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir okra into lamb mixture, adding more water if necessary, and bring to a boil. Spoon the bamia into a 2-quart baking dish and adjust salt and black pepper; cover dish with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until okra is tender, about 45 minutes; uncover for last 10 minutes of baking.

SAMBOUSAK BI LAHM (EGYPTIAN MEAT PIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, mix the oil, water and salt, until dissolved.
• Gradually work in enough flour to make a soft, malleable dough.
• You may roll it out right away to use, or if you want to set it aside for an hour or so you can, but keep it covered and at room temperature.
• Now make the filling: Brown the meat in a large skillet, breaking up into small pieces.
• Add the onions and cook until they are translucent and starting to brown.
• Add the salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon, and stir well.
• Add the water to deglaze the pan and cook another 5 minutes or so.
• Add the toasted pine nuts and mix well. Turn off the heat.
• Now divide your dough in pieces, either 12 pieces for large pies or 20 pieces for small pies (appetizer-sized).
• Without using flour for the rolling board or rolling pin, roll each piece into circles or ovals, less than 1/4 inch thick, if possible (equivalent to less than 1/2 cm). This is an oily dough and won't stick to your rolling board or your pin, and doesn't need extra flour.
• For small pies put 2 heaping teaspoons of filling, for large pies put 3 generous tablespoons, just off-center.
• Fold one half of the dough over to cover, and make a half-moon shape. Seal the edges by pinching, folding and twisting.
• Lightly oil (or spray with Pam) your baking sheets, and place the pies spaced at least 1/2 inch apart.
• Mix the egg yolk with about one teaspoon of water, and use to glaze the pies, if desired.
• If desired, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
• Let cool a few minutes before eating, as filling will be very hot. These are also good cold the next day, if you have any left!
• Freezes well.

LAMB AND EGGPLANT PIDE

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon) combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and olive oil and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium, and mix until the dough comes together as a smooth ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While the dough is rising, make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the onion and eggplant and several pinches of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, red-pepper flakes and allspice and cook for 1 minute. Add the lamb, increase the heat to high and cook, breaking up the chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is barely pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly (or removing from the heat as necessary) to keep the garlic from scorching. Let cool slightly, then stir in the mint. Season to taste with more salt.
• Arrange the racks in the top and bottom third of the oven, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and egg, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 12 pieces, each about 1 1/2 ounces/45 grams. With a floured rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an even oval measuring about 6-by-4 inches/15-by-10 centimeters. Working with one piece of dough at a time, spoon a scant tablespoon of the yogurt mixture into the center of the oval, then use the back of the spoon to spread it in a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon some of the lamb mixture on top of the yogurt and spread in an even layer. Fold the edges of the dough up and pinch the ends so the pide resembles a canoe. With a large spatula (or the bottom of a removable bottom tart pan) transfer the pide to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, yogurt and lamb.
• Brush each pide with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the dough is deep brown, 18 to 23 minutes, rotating the pans and switching oven racks halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.

LEGENDARY LAMB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Season lamb meat with a pinch of salt & pepper, before adding 2 Tbsp of oil to a dutch oven on medium-high heat. Brown Meat until golden brown all over, you may do this in batches.
• Remove meat from pan add remaining olive oil along with the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned.
• Add meat back to the pan along with red wine, cook for 1-2 minutes until wine reduces to bubbles, pour in stock and add the bay leaves, thyme rosemary and a pinch of salt & pepper.
• Bring to a boil cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 4-6 hours or meat falls apart. Remove from the oven and cook on stove top with lid off until sauce reduces by a third.
• Meanwhile, bring another pot of water to a boil add a pinch of salt and cook potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Drain and mix in a bowl with 1 tbsp of butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Turn your broiler or grill on, spoon ricotta on top of lamb mix, followed by potato mix, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until slight little bits of golden color appear on the surface. Take straight to the table :).

GREEK LAMB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Lightly grease a 8 1/2 in springform pan.
• Fry the mince and onion in a dry nonstick pan until golden.
• Add the garlic, tomatoes, mint, nutmeg and seasoning.
• Bring to the boil, and simmer, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Wash the spinach and remove any tough stalks, then cook the leaves in only the water clinging to them for about 2 minutes.
• Drain the leaves well and then mix through the meat mixture.
• I sometimes add 1/4 lb of crumbled feta at this stage.
• Lightly brush each sheet of phyllo pastry with oil and lay in overlapping layers in the tin, leaving enough over hanging to wrap over the top.
• Spoon the meat and spinach mix in then wrap the pastry over to enclose.
• Scrunch up any remaining pastry into balls, and place over the top of the pie.
• Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and then bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
• I like to let this cool a little, and serve it with a green salad.

EGYPTIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a nonstick skillet, using a teaspoon of butter or oil, sweat the onions, pepper and garlic until soft.
• Add the ground meat and cook until no longer pink, then add the spices and mix well. Remove from heat and drain off excess fat.
• Prepare a rectangular baking dish (of a size similar to that of the phyllo sheets - I used 9" x 13") by lightly brushing the bottom and sides of the dish with the melted butter or oil.
• Layer the phyllo dough in the pan, brushing each two or three sheets with melted butter or oil.
• When 1/2 of the phyllo dough has been layered in the pan, spread the meat filling in and continue covering with the remaining phyllo dough, making sure to brush the last layer with a bit of extra butter or oil to ensure a nice golden color.
• Before baking uncovered in the oven, cut through the "pie" with a sharp knife into squares or diamonds.
• Bake until golden. May be eaten either hot or cold, with a large green salad.
• This dish may be made vegetarian by substituting a spinach/feta cheese mixture for the meat filling according to the original recipe, but I've always used the meat. I've also added feta cheese in with the meat mixture, and it makes a nice addition.