Lamb Pie, with Lentils, Spinach, Truffle and Porcini - Chef Recipe by Carlo Calautti

Ingredients

6 lamb shanks
1/2 brown onion
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
250g lentils
1.5L chicken stock
200g English baby spinach
80g porcini mushrooms
2 Tbs truffle paste
1 garlic clove
1 sheet puff pastry
4 potatoes
4 Tbs thickened cream
80g butter

Method

Potato mash:

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks, cook in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender.

Drain well, using a potato masher, roughly mash potatoes.

Add butter, salt, cream and beat until fluffy.

Lamb shanks:

Note: cook the shanks ahead of time, even the day before, so assembly and baking will then only take 15-20 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 160 C.

Dust lamb shanks lightly with flour. Heat oil in a pan and cook shanks until brown. Set aside.

Place in a baking dish, cover with foil. Place in oven and cook for 2.5 hours.

In a saucepan, add diced onion, two tablespoons butter, two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, garlic and saute.

Add lentils and chicken stock and simmer until liquid reduces and lentils are tender. Add spinach, porcini and truffle paste.

Pull meat off the lamb shanks and add to the saucepan. Cook for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.

Place lamb mix into a pie dish, layer potato mash on top, then place puff pastry on top.

Place into pre-heated oven at 180 C and bake until pastry has browned in colour.

Recipe provided by Cucina Espresso