That's award winning lamb pot pie! Or is it prize winning?

Either way, I won a prize with this recipe, and not just any prize. A weekend's stay for two at chef Neven Maguires B&B, MacNean House, with the prestige 9 course dinner at his restaurant included.

I'm not sure which I was more excited about, winning a prize for my recipe, or what the amazing prize actually was.

The rules of the competition was pretty simple, submit a recipe where as many of the ingredients possible were Bord Bia approved. For those of you outside of Ireland, Bord Bia is the Irish food board, and their mark of quality approval appears on Irish grown ingredients like meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables.

I used Board Bia approved lamb, carrots, parsnips, bay leaf and thyme, and even a quality assured egg for the egg wash to help the pastry turn a golden brown. I also threw in some shallots and peas to add more flavour and colour. (And here my recipe sits on the Bord Bia website)

I realise we're heading into Summer up North of the equator, but half the world is heading into colder weather and I've had this post half ready to go for months now, I didn't want to leave it sitting unpublished until next Winter. Besides, this is Ireland, we're bound to have a chilly day here or there on our way into warmer weather, and with Spring lamb stocking the butchers, there's always a chance the mood (and weather!) will hit for pot pie.

I made my pot pie in individual serving dishes, but you could double the ingredients and make this as one large pot pie to feed four.

The carrots and parsnips make this dish quite sweet, so I serve it with tangy mint sauce, it offsets the sweetness, and of course, lamb and mint are a perfect couple.

You'll notice that I put the whole lot of ingredients into the pot to cook all at the beginning, and I do this so that the flavours meld and so that the parsnips and some of the carrots melt and help thicken the sauce. It also means I don't have to keep too close an eye on it which makes it a fairly low maintenance meal to make. If you prefer to have lovely chunky bits of vegetable in your pot pie, then simply put half of the veggies in from the start, and add the remaining halfway through cooking so that they're just cooked through but still hold their shape.

Now, you're welcome to make your own puff pastry, given enough time I actually really enjoy making it, but store bought will do just as well.

Sunday lunch or a cold night in, this lamb pot pie is wholesome, filling, warm and tasty. And you know it has to be good, it won me an awesome prize! :)

Ingredients

Makes 2 individual pot pies, easily doubled or quadrupled to feed more

400g Lamb shoulder, cut into roughly 3-5cm cubes

1 Small Onion, diced OR 4 Shallots, sliced

1 large clove Garlic, finely diced

2 Medium Carrots, peeled & thickly sliced

2 Medium Parsnips, peeled & thickly sliced

1/2l Chicken or Beef Stock

1 tsp Tomato Purée

2 full Sprigs of Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 cup Frozen Peas

(1 tsp Flour, if needed)

Salt & Pepper

1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Method

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Over medium high heat, brown the lamb in 2 or 3 batches, adding more olive oil if needed
Tip: Don't over-crowd the pan so that the meat sears and doesn't boil
Set meat aside. Deglaze the pan with a bit of water and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan Assisted)
In a large pot over medium heat, heat a small amount of olive oil, sauté the onions until translucent
Add garlic and sauté for a further 10-15 seconds
Add the browned meat, carrots, parsnips, thyme, bay leaf & tomato purée to the pot
Add the de-glazed juices from the pan and enough stock to almost cover the meat & veg (add water if needed)
Season with a bit of salt & freshly ground black pepper
Turn the heat up and bring to a boil
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half, occasionally skimming the scum off the top (about 30mins)
Remove the bay leaf and stalks from the thyme
Add the frozen peas to the pot
At this point, if you prefer a very thick sauce, add about a teaspoon of flour mixed with a small amount of water, stir it in to thicken the gravy
Check seasoning & remove from heat

Cut the chilled puff pastry into two
Trim each half to the shape of your dish, making sure to trim it to have a 1-2cm overlap
Lightly score the pastry with a sharp knife

Spoon the lamb filling into each dish
Brush the rims and bit of the sides of each dish with the beaten egg
Lay the puff pastry over each dish (scored side up) and gently seal the edges of the pie to the rims of the dishes, using the egg wash to glue it to the dish
Egg wash the pastry and cut 2 slits into each to let the steam escape
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-30mins until the pastry is golden brown
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving
Serve with tangy mint sauce

Lamb Pot Pie