My mutton pie recipe with a balti twist pops with flavour and celebrates the multiculturalism of the North of England. The chicken version of this pie, since it’s invention in 1997, has become a cult staple at pie shops and football stadia the country over. The pie is an institution of the cuisine of This Sceptred Isle. It takes on many a forms, suitable for scoffing outside a football stadium, or served with mushy peas and gravy at a local caff, to share with buttered greens at a gastro pub or at the centre of a family table with a side of peas. Very few dishes have this remarkable range. All hail the humble pie!
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the suet pastry
Method
For the filling:
- Season the diced mutton with sea salt.
- Set a heavy bottomed pot over a high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Once hot, brown off the mutton, in batches and set to one side.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the butter to the pan, once foaming add the curry leaves and fennel seeds. Cook in the foaming butter for 2-minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook for 15-minutes with a lid on, stirring regularly.
- Once totally soft and sweet, add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and curry powder and cook for a further 5-minutes.
- Add the flour to the pot and, stirring continuously, cook for 3-minutes. Then add the hot stock in two goes and stir well to make sure of no lumps of flour.
- Return the mutton to the pot, along with the honey and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the mutton is tender. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- Transfer the filling to a suitably sized pie dish and leave to cool slightly.
To make the pastry:
- Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin and then roll the pastry to about a centimetre thickness and so that it is large enough to cover your pie dish.
- Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk, then take a pastry brush and brush the edges of the pie dish with the egg wash.
- Roll the pastry back around the rolling pin, lift and then roll it out over the pie dish. Crimp the edges and egg wash the top. Cut a hole in the middle of the pastry, so that steam can escape during the cooking.
- Heat your oven to 180°C and cook the pie for 45-55 minutes, until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 10-minutes before serving.