Greek Lamb Pie Recipes

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.

GREEK LAMB & MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the lamb mince, turn up the heat and brown, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon.
• Once the lamb is browned, add the cinnamon, crumbled stock cube, tomatoes and oregano. Stir well and simmer for 15 mins, covered, then for 15 mins, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have cooked down.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Mix together the ricotta, most of the parmesan and the milk with plenty of seasoning, and stir into the macaroni. Tip the mince into a large baking dish, top with the macaroni mixture, and scatter over the remaining parmesan. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve hot with garlic bread, if you like.

CEPHALONIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the dough placing flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in 1/3 cup olive oil, white wine, water, and salt. Mix together with your hands for a few minutes to form a smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while proceeding with recipe.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Stir in the lamb and pork; increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste until the meat is covered. Stir in white wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Pour in water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
• When the meat is done, remove from the heat and allow to cool while preparing crust.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly brush a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil.
• Divide the dough into two pieces, with one piece larger than the other. Roll out the large piece on a floured surface until it is large enough to fit the bottom of the baking dish and come up the sides of the pan; press into the baking dish. Roll out the smaller piece of dough into a rectangle to use as the top crust; set aside.
• Stir Kefalotiri cheese, potato, and rice into meat mixture. Season with parsley, mint, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Add egg and mix until well combined. Pour this mixture into the baking dish and top with remaining piece of dough. Brush the top with a little water and olive oil.
• Bake pie in preheated oven for 1 hour until deep golden brown.

KREATOPITA (GREEK MEAT PIE USING PHYLLO PASTRY)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, coat bottom of pan with olive oil and add ground beef (and mushrooms, if using). Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and stirring often until meat and mushrooms are browned and liquid emitted has evaporated (make sure all the liquid has evaporated - you don't want a soggy pita!).
• Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon and cook until liquid emitted from onions has evaporated, too.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to bring hot filling up (to cool faster).
• Add cheese, parsley and eggs to meat filling and combine thoroughly to blend. Taste filling and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.
• In a 15 x 10 inch pan (or large pan), layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one generously with olive oil (use a pastry brush), before adding the next sheet of pastry.
• Pour the meat filling into the phyllo-lined pan.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets in the same way, over the filling, brushing each one generously with olive oil before adding the next sheet of pastry. When you reach the last sheet (the top one), brush this one slightly more generously than the rest, tuck in any overhang you have neatly into the pie and score pie, lengthwise, into 4, using the tip of a small, sharp knife and making sure you don't cut all the way through the bottom of the pastry (just the top crust and slightly into the filling).
• Position baking rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
• Bring your pan next to the sink and run the cold water tap. Wet the tips of your fingers and shake the water onto the pastry. Do this a few times to ensure droplets of water fall all over the pastry (this ensures a crisp crust upon baking).
• Bake pie for approximately one hour, until you achieve a deep golden crust. If you have a flat-bottomed oven (no element), do put your pan on the floor of the oven for the last 20 minutes or so to ensure an even crisper bottom crust.
• The pita is best slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

TOURTA KRITIKI (CRETAN EASTER LAMB PIE)

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. In a medium bowl, combine 4 cups of the flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, the 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 eggs, very well beaten. Stir with a fork from the center outward until a dough begins to form. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Knead the dough until silky to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• In a heavy skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the scallions, and saute over medium heat until wilted. Add the lamb. Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
• Combine the anthotyro or ricotta with the shredded gravieri cheese. Stir in 1 egg.
• Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first half to a circle about 13 inches in diameter. Place on the bottom of the pan, and lightly press around the sides. There should be at least an inch of dough hanging over the pan's top rim. Spread half the lamb on the bottom of the pan. Spread half the cheese mixture evenly over it. Repeat with the remaining lamb and cheese. Roll out the second half of the dough, and place over the filling. Trim the edges, leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over the outer sides of the pan. Roll up the dough to form a rim of crust around the top of the pan. Cover, and set aside for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the remaining egg. With a sharp knife make four slits in the surface of the dough. Brush the dough with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and begins to separate from the sides of the pan. Cool slightly on a rack. Remove the sides of the pan just before serving.

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.

GREEK SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt and toss. Let stand for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with sour cream and butter; set aside. , Rinse eggplant and drain well. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat. In a skillet, cook eggplant in oil over medium heat until browned and oil is absorbed. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish., In the same skillet, cook lamb and turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, onion, parsley and seasonings. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Pour over eggplant; sprinkle with feta cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until top begins to brown. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.