Mutton Recipes

Mutton Pie with a Balti Twist

Overhead shot of a suet crusted mutton pie, with cutlery and a bowl of broccoli around.

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

Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Suet Pastry

Method

For the Filling

  1. Season the diced mutton with sea salt.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 15 minutes with a lid on, stirring regularly.
  5. Once totally soft and sweet, add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and curry powder and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Transfer the filling to a suitably sized pie dish and leave to cool slightly.

To Make the Pastry

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Heat your oven to 180°C and cook the pie for 45-55 minutes, until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown.
  5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Instagram

  • A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so.

Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check.
  • A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so.

Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check.

This is food that does not chase anything. It knows exactly what it is.
  • Filmed on a blustery day at the Harewood House estate, Ellen talks us through the Highland cattle and the wider farming approach shaping the land here.

These short films look at how the estate is guiding the land back towards what it once was, using the right livestock for the right terrain and allowing systems to work with the landscape rather than against it. Hardy cattle, able to outwinter on pasture alone, reduce the need for inputs and bring a different kind of balance to the farm.

For chefs, this is where the story begins. The flavour comes later, but it is built here, in the fields, through decisions made over time rather than in a single season.

It is a strong example of thoughtful farming, where lower inputs and careful management can support both the land and a sustainable margin, all driven by a clear intention to make the estate work for nature as much as it does for people.
  • We love it when a plan comes together! And this little project with @llewelynslondon provides a great example. 

It all started with a trip up to Swaledale HQ, to see the butchery and meet the team; bacon, black pudding and egg baps were laid on fo breakfast. Then it was off to see one of our network of farmers; Jim Mallender, over in Thornton in craven. Jim and his family showed us round and held a sort of farming Q&A. Then we cooked some cuts on a bbq and sampled the llewelyns take on a hotpot. Truly bringing farmers and chef together and a wonderful day for all involved. 

Off the back of the visit a special dinner an d a three course menu of dreams. It celebrates not just our produce and their cooking but also the 6 beautiful years that head chef michael (@skinnylittlefatman) has spent at the helm of this charming restaurant. 

We are extremely excited to eat and drink tonight to celebrate all those things.
  • There might not be a food that is more of this generation than fried chicken. It’s eminently Instagram-able (or TikTok-able depending on your age), malleable to various cuisines and extremely delicious. Plus, it has just the right amount of technique, if you know what I mean. The sort of thing that, if you’re not giving it the requisite thought and attention, can be a bit ropey. No danger of that here though…

@Grylos has given it the Swaledale treatment, i.e. keeping it simple, making it delicious and showing off our incredible meat. So, with no more than a saffron aioli, some shredded iceberg and a few sliced pickles, this is the fried chicken burger of dreams! Oh, sorry, nearly forgot the crispy chicken skin – told you there was just the right amount of technique. 

There are few things that we would want to munch down for lunch more than one of these bad boys. Give ‘em a whirl!
  • Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation.

For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it.

If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
  • March sits between seasons. Winter has not quite loosened its grip, and there is still time, and need, for fortifying pleasures. A bowl of chicken broth is one of them.

It begins with a proper chicken stock. Just bones and time in the pot, slowly giving up their flavour until the liquid runs clear and deeply savoury. If you watched our earlier film on how to break down a whole chicken, this is where the rest of it finds its purpose.

From there the broth is built. Pearl barley for substance. Cavolo nero and turnips for the season. Simple things, allowed to do their work in good stock.

Just before serving, a small splash of oloroso lifts the whole bowl.
  • British Pie Week, apparently.

We do not usually pay much attention to themed food weeks. We prefer to make and sell things when they feel right.

This year is different, thanks to our growing friendship with Yorkshire chef and pie obsessive Josh Whitehead, and his excellent pie project, Finer Pleasures.

Josh started @finer_pleasures in 2023 to make pies the way they should be made. Proper fillings, local meat and traditional methods.

So we thought we would join in.

The pie is a classic. Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom.

Brined chicken, smoked ham hock and a rich velouté finished with herbs, mustard and chestnut mushrooms or leeks.

A proper pie.

Available this week while they last.
A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check.
18 hours ago
7
View on Instagram |
1/8
A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check. This is food that does not chase anything. It knows exactly what it is.
22 hours ago
374
View on Instagram |
2/8
Filmed on a blustery day at the Harewood House estate, Ellen talks us through the Highland cattle and the wider farming approach shaping the land here. These short films look at how the estate is guiding the land back towards what it once was, using the right livestock for the right terrain and allowing systems to work with the landscape rather than against it. Hardy cattle, able to outwinter on pasture alone, reduce the need for inputs and bring a different kind of balance to the farm. For chefs, this is where the story begins. The flavour comes later, but it is built here, in the fields, through decisions made over time rather than in a single season. It is a strong example of thoughtful farming, where lower inputs and careful management can support both the land and a sustainable margin, all driven by a clear intention to make the estate work for nature as much as it does for people.
5 days ago
62
View on Instagram |
3/8
We love it when a plan comes together! And this little project with @llewelynslondon provides a great example. It all started with a trip up to Swaledale HQ, to see the butchery and meet the team; bacon, black pudding and egg baps were laid on fo breakfast. Then it was off to see one of our network of farmers; Jim Mallender, over in Thornton in craven. Jim and his family showed us round and held a sort of farming Q&A. Then we cooked some cuts on a bbq and sampled the llewelyns take on a hotpot. Truly bringing farmers and chef together and a wonderful day for all involved. Off the back of the visit a special dinner an d a three course menu of dreams. It celebrates not just our produce and their cooking but also the 6 beautiful years that head chef michael (@skinnylittlefatman) has spent at the helm of this charming restaurant. We are extremely excited to eat and drink tonight to celebrate all those things.
1 week ago
54
View on Instagram |
4/8
There might not be a food that is more of this generation than fried chicken. It’s eminently Instagram-able (or TikTok-able depending on your age), malleable to various cuisines and extremely delicious. Plus, it has just the right amount of technique, if you know what I mean. The sort of thing that, if you’re not giving it the requisite thought and attention, can be a bit ropey. No danger of that here though… @Grylos has given it the Swaledale treatment, i.e. keeping it simple, making it delicious and showing off our incredible meat. So, with no more than a saffron aioli, some shredded iceberg and a few sliced pickles, this is the fried chicken burger of dreams! Oh, sorry, nearly forgot the crispy chicken skin – told you there was just the right amount of technique. There are few things that we would want to munch down for lunch more than one of these bad boys. Give ‘em a whirl!
2 weeks ago
665
View on Instagram |
5/8
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation.

For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it.

If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation.

For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it.

If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation.

For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it.

If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
3 weeks ago
52
View on Instagram |
6/8
March sits between seasons. Winter has not quite loosened its grip, and there is still time, and need, for fortifying pleasures. A bowl of chicken broth is one of them. It begins with a proper chicken stock. Just bones and time in the pot, slowly giving up their flavour until the liquid runs clear and deeply savoury. If you watched our earlier film on how to break down a whole chicken, this is where the rest of it finds its purpose. From there the broth is built. Pearl barley for substance. Cavolo nero and turnips for the season. Simple things, allowed to do their work in good stock. Just before serving, a small splash of oloroso lifts the whole bowl.
3 weeks ago
952
View on Instagram |
7/8
British Pie Week, apparently.

We do not usually pay much attention to themed food weeks. We prefer to make and sell things when they feel right.

This year is different, thanks to our growing friendship with Yorkshire chef and pie obsessive Josh Whitehead, and his excellent pie project, Finer Pleasures.

Josh started @finer_pleasures in 2023 to make pies the way they should be made. Proper fillings, local meat and traditional methods.

So we thought we would join in.

The pie is a classic. Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom.

Brined chicken, smoked ham hock and a rich velouté finished with herbs, mustard and chestnut mushrooms or leeks.

A proper pie.

Available this week while they last.
British Pie Week, apparently.

We do not usually pay much attention to themed food weeks. We prefer to make and sell things when they feel right.

This year is different, thanks to our growing friendship with Yorkshire chef and pie obsessive Josh Whitehead, and his excellent pie project, Finer Pleasures.

Josh started @finer_pleasures in 2023 to make pies the way they should be made. Proper fillings, local meat and traditional methods.

So we thought we would join in.

The pie is a classic. Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom.

Brined chicken, smoked ham hock and a rich velouté finished with herbs, mustard and chestnut mushrooms or leeks.

A proper pie.

Available this week while they last.
British Pie Week, apparently.

We do not usually pay much attention to themed food weeks. We prefer to make and sell things when they feel right.

This year is different, thanks to our growing friendship with Yorkshire chef and pie obsessive Josh Whitehead, and his excellent pie project, Finer Pleasures.

Josh started @finer_pleasures in 2023 to make pies the way they should be made. Proper fillings, local meat and traditional methods.

So we thought we would join in.

The pie is a classic. Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom.

Brined chicken, smoked ham hock and a rich velouté finished with herbs, mustard and chestnut mushrooms or leeks.

A proper pie.

Available this week while they last.
British Pie Week, apparently. We do not usually pay much attention to themed food weeks. We prefer to make and sell things when they feel right. This year is different, thanks to our growing friendship with Yorkshire chef and pie obsessive Josh Whitehead, and his excellent pie project, Finer Pleasures. Josh started @finer_pleasures in 2023 to make pies the way they should be made. Proper fillings, local meat and traditional methods. So we thought we would join in. The pie is a classic. Chicken, ham, leek and mushroom. Brined chicken, smoked ham hock and a rich velouté finished with herbs, mustard and chestnut mushrooms or leeks. A proper pie. Available this week while they last.
4 weeks ago
611
View on Instagram |
8/8