Lamb Pot Pie II

Have a seat, this is going to be a long recipe. I was home all day, and was able to construct this mammoth beast of a pot-pie piece by piece-but it was quite an effort. Most good things are a bit of work.

I had a small package of lamb that I cut from the large leg and froze. I wasn't sure what I'd end up using it for, but it was just the perfect amount for this recipe-slightly over a pound and a half. I also had a massive amount of mashed potatoes from yesterday, as I needed to boil potatoes for a rye bread starter. A cup of barley, a few handful of dried lima beans, and pretty soon I'd gathered odds and ends into something really lovely.

You can view a somewhat simpler (but not really) version of Lamb Pot Pie (a two crust one) that I made a while back HERE. Today's was more of a carbohydrate bomb, as the only vegetable was carrots. Potatoes and barley is probably a bit much. Mr. Eat The Blog loved it, which is a good thing as I'm afraid he's going to be eating it for a while as I don't eat meat.

For The Lima Beans:

I used 2 cups of large, white lima beans which are called Butter Beans in some places. Soak them the night before. The next morning, cook them in a pot of water with a bay leaf and nothing else. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until tender. Drain, cool and chill until needed.

For the Mashed Potatoes:
You will need about 5 cups of cooked, mashed potatoes. This is best done a day ahead. Prepare them as you like (butter, cream, etc.) but don't make them too wet. Mix the chilled mashed potatoes with 2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder. Mix well. This is the topping.

For The Lamb:

1-2 pounds lamb cut into hunks (you can use ribs or neck bones, but you will need to remove them later)
4 tablespoons Canola oil (or whatever you prefer)
Flour lightly seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
1 large onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
A generous grinding of pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Water

In a large, heavy pot heat the oil over medium high heat. Rinse the lamb, pat it dry and then dredge in the flour. Brown the lamb well on all sides and remove to a plate. Reduce the heat a bit and add the onions and garlic to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the lamb back to the pot and fill with water until just covered. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very slow simmer. Cook, uncovered until fork tender-about 2-3 hours. Strain into another bowl reserving liquid. Pick out the pieces of lamb and let cool. Discard the onions and garlic. Let the liquid cool a bit, then chill until a solid layer of fat rises to the top. Scrape it off and throw it away (yes, you can use it for the pastry if you insist, but it will taste like onions and garlic). Strain the liquid again through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, and chill again to remove more of the fat. Keep the lamb and liquid in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the pie.

For The Carrots: peel and chop three large carrots. Boil in salted water until soft. Drain and chill until needed.

For The Barley:

1 cup of barley, rinsed and cooked in a large pot of water( the barley will absorb quite a bit, so be sure to really fill the pot). Boil for the first twenty minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the grains have plumped. All told, about half an hour, give or take. Drain, cool and chill until needed.

At this point, you can combine the barley, beans, carrots and lamb in a single bowl. Don't add the liquid.

For the gravy:

Now that you've removed all the fat from your liquid, heat it in a saucepan over medium heat with two tablespoons of flour. Whisk constantly until it begins to boil and thicken. Cook about two minutes longer-still whisking (don't stop or it will scorch). Remove from heat.

Make The Crust:

Use whatever crust recipe you prefer. You'll need a recipe for 2 9 inch pies even though you are just doing the bottom layer. You'll need a very large oven-proof pot or casserole to bake it in. If you have neither, make two smaller ones. Into your pie crust, with the dry ingredients add 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried sage.

Putting It All Together:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line whatever dish/pot you will be using for baking with the pastry keeping the sides as high as possible. It need not be perfect as it will not be unmoulded. Gently fit a piece of foil inside and fill with beans or weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans, prick lightly with a fork, and bake about ten minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool while you assemble the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Still with me? Great.

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, barley, beans, carrots and gravy. Mix well and taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. I tend to go heavy on ground black pepper with lamb, but you could also go crazy and put in a pinch or two of cumin-it works well.

Pour the filling into the crust and then top with the mashed potato/cheese mixture. Place it on a baking sheet (just in case) and bake until the top is beautifully golden and crusty-about 1 hour. You can crank the heat up to 400 in the last five minutes to really brown the top if you like.